《Invaders》


 1 Another normal day?

    Chapter 1: Another normal day?


    *ring ring ring* the sound of an alarm clock buzzing through the morning. Although, Malaysia is a hot and temperate country the morning was still a bit chilly. Kim tried to throw his pillow to set off the alarm but missed. It was too dark for him to aim properly at 5 am in the morning. He snuck into his blanket and tried to plug his ear to sleep but suddenly a louder noise calling him straight from the kitchen.


    "Kim wake up and get ready to school!"


    "¡­"


    "Answer me, young man. I heard your alarm just now!"


    "¡­"


    "3¡­2.."


    "Okay, mum!"


    One can stand against anything if he tried except against one''s mum. Feeling groggy, he set his alarm clock off, grab his towel and had a shower. It''s common to shower 2 to 3 times a day in Malaysia due to its high humidity. If you don''t shower in the morning before you go out, people going to notice your bad smell.


    After putting on his school uniform, he went to the kitchen for breakfast. While munching his roti canai he had a little conversation with his parents.


    "Did you finish your homework, Kim?"


    "Yes mum"


    "Good, UPSR is coming soon and you need to be ready. Get excellent results like your two brothers okay?"


    "Okay"


    "Haha, don''t pressure yourself too much son. Anything, dad will always support you. Just try your best okay?"


    "Thanks, dad"


    Although both of Kim''s parent is strict with their child studies, they would never neglect all their 3 children needs. They provided enough so that Kim and his two brothers can live comfortably. Even though they are not rich, with care and love from his parent Kim felt happy. He always thinking of how to repay his parents someday. One day, he told his parents about it, but they just laugh it off. Who won''t laugh when your 12-years old child suddenly talk about repaying debts?


    However, as a child, Kim has always seemed to be a bit off when compared to other children. He seems to be a bit mature. Both his parents noticed this but it didn''t change how they treat him. To them, a kid is a kid and a kid should do what they should do as a child. To learn and play! So off he went to his school. Meeting with his friends who are in the same class.


    "Yo Kim did you watch the anime last weekend, the dude finally able to unleash his Super Yanyan. So cool!"


    "Yeah, Nas! I wish I could fly, shoot energy and teleport everywhere I want. And that spiky yellow hair! I''m going to do that hair after UPSR hehe"


    "Lol you kids are too late, look at my hair"


    "Wow, Rin!" Both Kim and Nas had their eyes wide open looking at Rin spiky hair.


    "You finally reach your Super Yanyan Rin?! Teach me Sifu!"


    "Hahhh are boys always like that?"


    Kim turns his head towards the voice of a girl near him.


    "Ohh hey Tata, I didn''t know you were- Woahh! What happened to your hair? When were you blonde?!"


    The 3 boys look at Tata with full admiration. Rin combs his spiky hair down and both him and Nas kneel to Tata.


    "And that length.. it''s... it''s Super Yanyan 3! Woahhh!!!!"


    The 3 boys exclaimed with their jaws dropping to the floor


    "You 3 keep quiet its time for class. And you Tata come to the office after class. I really need to see your parents after this"


    The 4 friends just giggled at each other and get back to their sits. They have been friends for so many years now. The school is situated in a rural village. The class is very small, numbering less than twenty students in each grade. And there is only 6 class in total, which amount to less than hundred of kids attending the school. All of them come from the same village making everyone an acquaintance with each other. As to how it is in every school there are always some who are closer than another. And the 4 kids, have been close since they were a baby. They are all in 6th Grade and preparing to face the National Exam for elementary school. UPSR.


    ''Hahhh, another boring class, another normal day. These kids they really like to play. Don''t they think about the future at all?''


    Kim was thinking to himself while looking at his friends. Although he seems playful when he is talking to others, inside he was more mature. He thinks rationally, and act rationally. He always dreamed of becoming a researcher one day and win the Nobel Prize. He had a brilliant mind which was trapped in the wrong body, in the wrong era. If only he was somewhere else different, maybe people would become more open to him and give him chances. Every single time he displayed his geniuses no one seems to bother because none did understand.


    Despite the setbacks, he doesn''t really hate his life. He always has his lovely family and most trusted friends with him. They are the one who made his life interesting. Even if others didn''t believe him, his family and friends always give moral support when he mentioned his dream. Regardless of whether they understand him or not, because of them he never gave hope with his ambition.


    He muttered to himself again,


    "Hahhh can''t some interesting things happen to stimulate my brain. I''m dying here. The teacher just read his notebooks. I don''t even know if he understands the content. If only a comet come smashing in or an earthqua-"


    Suddenly, he felt a slight tremor. He thought he was imagining things, but the class seems to be quiet. Too quiet! Again, a tremor with higher magnitude shakes the ground.


    "What is this? Earthquake? Weird?"


    Although other kids were scared Kim was brimming with hope and excitement. Hoping that something interesting is happening. The teacher tried to calm down the crowd as some of the kids are crying and pushing around. During that hectic time, Kim slowly tried to slip through the back door when suddenly a hand caught his arm.


    "Where do you think you are going on your own genius?"


    It was Nas and his two other friends. They knew each other too well to know how they would respond in this kind of situation. Kim smiled and went outside.


    "Are we really skipping class? It''s my first time!" Tata said nervously


    "Tata, who cares, we can just tell the teachers we were so scared we just want to go home. And if anything goes wrong Tata can just cry like whenever she did something wrong, so no one blamed- OWWW!!! WHAT WAS THAT?" Tata smacked Rin''s head.


    "Hmpph! I cried because I feel sorry, and it was not my fault!"


    Kim chuckled as he observed his friends. Nas suddenly came up to him and asked, "So what are we going to do genius?"


    "Well, first let''s observe what happened outside. It''s weird that there''s an earthquake in Malaysia. We are not within the ring of fire to have one. Something else must have happened"


    "Of course, something has happened einstein. Well, what are you waiting for? Don''t you always hope for this kind of things to happen? We are all here for you."


    Kim felt touched as he saw the smiling face of his peers. He was truly blessed with great companions. Unknowingly to himself, Kim grinned listening to his friend statement. Suddenly, BOOOMM!! A big explosion can be heard near their class just now. They all stop moving and when they turn around to their shocked everything was obliterated. Gone to ash. They can only see smoke, and flame scorching the area. Other than that, it was just rubbles.


    They went closer, and Tata just screamed her lungs out. Rin almost fainted and Nas just kneeled to the ground. Kim was trembling all over his body as he saw everyone dead body. Corpses were everywhere. The kids, the teachers, their classmates were all gone. Even the 1st Grade.


    Suddenly a loud howl can be heard. It sounded like a dog with a vile feeling coming from it. It wasn''t just one. There were three different voices resonating with one another.


    "W-W-What was that? It seems huge.."


    "What happened.. our classmate are they really.." Rin couldn''t even finish his word before he started vomiting. The event that is happening in front of them was too shocking for them to bear. Only Nas and Kim were standing.


    "Kim, take care of Rin and Tata, I will go check it out first."


    "No, it''s dangerous! We should stay together"


    "It''s okay Kim, I''m just going to look a bit. Anything I''ll run okay? Besides we at least need to call for some help... I''m really scared now, and my situation is as worst as all of you. Only you could think of what''s really happening now. You should rest first and think well, I''m always the vanguard. I''ll go look for help."


    "No. You are raising a death flag. Don''t we always comment about this when we read all that manga and novels? Those who try to act as heroes always die first. I''m coming with you. I''m sure nothing will happen if they just sit here. Let''s just come back after we find out what is happening."


    Nas looks at Rin and Tata. Rin gives him a thumbs up hinting he''s okay and will take care of Tata for a while. Although he looked cool just now, his smug face becomes paler as he started to vomit again.


    "Let''s go!"


    Kim and Nas walked carefully since they suspected the howl might come from a large ferocious beast. It seems to be a pack of dogs, but the sounds were too loud for a mere dog. There couldn''t be a dog that can howl that loud in this world.


    The howl they heard just now feels like it was dragging their soul deep to the abyss. The fear that struct their heart won''t leave them causing their legs to tremble while walking. Even after several steps, they need to rest for tens of minutes just to be able to walk again. For the sake of their friends, they continue to move forward since they need to find a way to get help.


    "How do you know where to go Kim?"


    "It''s the heat. Earthquake, flame, sounds, explosion. I can only think of a volcano suddenly erupted from the ground. Although its nearly impossible to have volcanoes in Malaysia but that''s the only thing I can possibly think of. Besides, there''s no plane or sound of helicopter coming"


    "Planes and helicopter? Why is that?"


    "An airstrike. Malaysia might be under attack by a terrorist or other country or something. A flock of military aircraft might come to supervise the place. Thank goodness it was not. At least, we know it''s happening here only. So other people than us should be safe¡­ Should be¡­ I hope"


    Nas just looked at Kim with a worried face. Even though what he said may seem logical, it still just a speculation without ground evidence. Even a genius like him would get wrong sometimes. He was always the closest to Kim and he knows that even Kim would sway in this kind of situation.


    All he could do is to pray. They continue to move through the suffocating heat that is getting harsher as they get closer. Then another howl which is louder than the first one could be heard.


    Both Kim and Nas close their ear tightly. Unable to bear the despair that resounds within the howl they fell to their knees. The howl now sounds more like a shriek. As if there were people screaming for their lives trying to escape whatever it is that tormented them.


    "It''s close"


    Kim nodded, and they decided to push forwards.


    Finally, they reached their destinations. They both could only stand still after seeing what was standing in front of them. They continue to rub their eyes as they could not believe what they were seeing.


    There were cracks everywhere, and a huge crater was formed as if the earth was sucking in. Some places were spurting with lava. Hot and toxic gas was spraying everywhere. No human could last even a minute near there. They still don''t know how they were still alive till now.


    The most shocking and terrifying part was in the middle of the crater, a huge beast with demonic eyes and three head standing with its four feet. It looks like a dog but has more characteristic of a wolf. The skin was pitch black, and the flame is engulfing all over its body as if it was its fur. It was standing as tall as a 5-storey building.


    "No way.. this is a dream right Kim? Tell me it is. It''s too hot and I''m just imagining things right Kim? Hey, tell me Kim, no way I''m seeing a-"


    "Cerberus"

 2 Cerberus

    Chapter 2: Cerberus


    Nas and Kim didn''t move an inch since the moment they saw Cerberus. Although whatever in front of them is as real as it could be, their heart couldn''t believe what they are seeing now. A Cerberus. A mythical three-headed dog. The gatekeeper of the underworld which dedicated its life to make sure no damned souls could escape hell. And that demonic beast which can only be found in books or video games was standing in front of 12-year old kids.


    Who could imagine this kind of scene? Who could have thought it could happen? Who could even believe the mythical beast was real? Even the two kids who were there keep closing and opening their eyes hoping it was only their imaginations. Unfortunately, it was not. They were in the middle of an instant disaster that could happen at any time.


    Both were trying to stand as still as possible to make sure the beast would not notice their presence. There was only death waiting if the beast started to charge at them anytime. Nas''s mind was blank and he couldn''t even breath properly. Adding up with the scorching heat,he felt like he was standing in front of an active lava. However, when he looked at Kim to his amazed, Kim was standing there with a calm demeanour Not just that, Kim''s eyes were full of excitement.


    And he was right.


    Kim always had hopes for an unexpected event which could stimulate his brain to occur. Finally, as if his prayer was answered something that was incomprehensible even to a genius like him suddenly appear out of nowhere.


    Even with all the excitement, he was still thinking rationally. He continued to look around trying to find a way to get out of the chaos. He then grabbed Nas''s arm and nod to signal Nas to follow him. He put one finger in front of his lips to tell Nas not to make any noises. Slowly yet carefully, they took small steps one after another to ensure their safe retreat.


    "haaa..haaa... haa.. choo!!!!." Nas suddenly felt tickled at his nose. Kim was already cursing in his heart. He pulled Nas to a nearby boulder which was once a part of the school building to hide and hold Nas''s mouth. He then whispered angrily at Nas "Aiyaa Nas, what the heck are you doing?!"


    "Chill man, it''s not like I can control it. And the dog is not chasing us anyway" He answered while chuckled. Kim slaps his forehead because of his friend response.


    "You stay here Kim, I''ll go check a bit"


    Kim nodded and Nas carefully try to peek at the beast to make sure it didn''t notice them. He looked past the boulder and rushed back to Kim. Nas drag Kim away and started running as fast as he could. "No question ask. Run! Don''t look back!"


    Kim looked back. After some distant, finally, the beast was in his view again. Fear struck his heart with the feeling of hopelessness engulfed him. All three head of Cerberus opened its mouth and started to accumulate fire, charging up what seems to be a fireball. After 5 sec the fireball has become as huge as a football field. There was only death in front of Kim. But he was not going to give up. He stopped running and stand there thinking.


    "What are you doing Kim? We gotta run!"


    "No, wait, even if we run we would get hit and burn to death because of that huge size."


    "Then what do you expect us to do? Stand here and die? "


    "Shut up! I''m thinking!"


    Kim observed everything and started to measure his surroundings. He never thinks as fast as he''s doing right now. The sense of extreme danger has brought up a latent talent within him to work his brain out to the limit. Finally¡­.


    He grabbed Nas arm and started to run towards Cerberus.


    "What are you doing? Are you mad? Kim? Are you listening to me? At least tell me what you gonna do!" Nas tried to get an answer but give up and decided to just follow Kim.


    Kim was too focus on what he''s doing, and his body just acts on its own. Even while running he''s calculating for whatever possible means to increase their chance of survival. Within his eyes right now felt like an augmented reality. He could project what would happen to him according to which path he took. There were also numbers and percentage of survivability coming into his brain. Currently, the best course of action was to move forward. Not towards the Cerberus, towards the boulder where they hide just now.


    "Run faster Nas, it''s going to shoot anytime soon!"


    10 sec past and the fireball become bright as if it was sun itself. One could not possibly imagine the heat they would feel just by standing in front of it. They could melt instantly if they get close. Somehow, these two kids dared to run forward as if they wanted to jump to their death instead of getting killed. Finally, the demonic Cerberus shoot the giant fireball towards them.


    "Nas, jump and lay down! Quick!" Kim and Nas stay as low as possible behind the giant boulder.


    "Kim, are you sure this boulder could withstand the fireball? It just obliterated half of our school building"


    Nas asks Kim in doubt. He could only think of how grateful he was to be alive. He hoped that he could play with others again just once before he died. After several minutes, the pressure from the fireball stop. The flame was not bursting through them anymore. And most of the boulder has gone to ashes except the spot where they were hiding.


    "How.. what did you do Kim?" Nas looks at Kim with disbelieves in his face.


    "It wasn''t me. It was the boulder. It deflected the fireball to change the angle of its trajectory. Although the boulder could not withstand the force behind it, it could at least cause a slight change of its angle. Comparing the height of Cerberus head and how low we could get down with our small body we slightly evaded the fireball"


    "So it was a miss? Haha, man that reminds me of adventure RPG games!"


    "Yes, but a game from a crazy developer! Instead of starting with tutorials, he starts off with a boss fight at level 1!"


    "Hard doesn''t mean it is unbeatable! Look what you did just now. That was cool!"


    "Sure, but we don''t have any boulder to protect ourselves now. And he could attack us again anytime soon. Although, it probably couldn''t shoot fireballs at us again after that attack. At least we are safe for now.. at least against the fireball just now."


    "Well, what do you want to do now run?"


    "Of course"


    They smiled at each other and start running without thinking back. They don''t know how they would be able to survive the situation but at least they need to go back to take Rin and Tata with them. They couldn''t stop thinking about how they would react when they told them about Cerberus and Kim quick action. However, when they reach the place they leave their friends just now¡­


    "Kim, this is our school building right?"


    "Yes.. it was.."


    The school was no more. There was no sign of anything even existed here. Except for the black ashes on the ground. Even the corpses they saw just now are gone, including Tata and Rin.


    "Don''t speculate things too fast Nas, they probably run away instead of waiting for us. They might already escape while we were searching for help."


    "Yes.. that could be possible too, isn''t it? That''s right they are still alive... Tata and Rin are still alive!"


    Kim had no choice but to lie to his friend. It was the only way he could think of to make sure his friend could keep his sanity. Tata was trembling in fear, Rin body couldn''t even stand up anymore. Knowing both their personality, even if they can move they still would wait for both Kim and Nas to come back. And even if they did try to run away, there''s no way they could survive an attack with that speed and power. Not even if they were 10 km radius away. The destruction force behind that fireball was so huge that Kim wasn''t even able to estimate how terrible it was. To him, Tata and Rin are dead.


    He could only hope that one of his friends survive. Even though he''s acting calm now, even he could not predict how it would turn out for him mentally if his last friend dies as well. At this level, he already expected that it was not only their school was facing the crisis. The surrounding area should have unbelievable damage as well. He already prepared to receive notices of the inevitable.


    Suddenly, Nas stands up and look toward the direction of Cerberus.


    "Go"


    Kim was confused and question him "What do you mean ''Go''?"


    "Go away from here Kim. I won''t let you die as well."


    "Die as well? What do you mean? Tata and Rin are-"


    "It''s okay Kim I know. I may not be as good as you but I''m quite smart myself you know. I always look behind you as I watch all the magnificent feat you had done. Although others don''t believe you, I trust you going to be a great man someday. One that could change the future of the world. Even in this situation, you were able to comprehend everything so calmly."


    "You are wrong Nas, I''m also.. scared. All we have to do is survive and then,... I''ll... no, we will think of a way out of this. There''s no evidence showing Rin and Tata are dead."


    "Enough Kim, I know what you are doing. I''m fine. My head all clear up on what I need to do. Now maybe only here... but if we leave the beast let loose it will be instant Armageddon. Go. I know you can find a way."


    Kim was stunt after hearing all those words from Nas. As if he is looking at another person whom he doesn''t recognize. His head was down trying to connect all the dots. Thinking how could this happen to them? Why this small village in particular? What sin did they do? What wrong have they done? Without knowing tears started to roll down his cheek. He tightens his grip and stands up firmly while looking at Nas.


    "I don''t care, this is not some novel or manga where you can sacrifice yourself for the better good. How would you know what I''m capable of in the future? You expect some kind of armour would protect me? No way. I may just be dead the moment you go fight Cerberus. I rather fight with you. And you not going to stop me"


    "Kim.. you.. don''t be stupid and stay back. Run as far as you can, I will distract it for you even if it kills me"


    "Just stop, we are just 12-years old. We do stupid things! Who cares. Everyone dead anyway I rather have my revenge, die and join them."


    Nas can''t believe his ear when he heard him. Not like he against Kim''s decision. And he''s right everyone is dead, and the culprit is the dog! Someone needs to kick its ass. Nas and Kim finally resolved themselves. 12-years old, who doesn''t get scared of dying. No one would expect a kid can change drastically because of a sudden turn of event. Still, no one ever experienced what both Kim and Nas to judge them. Anyone can change when they suddenly turned to despair.


    "So what are we going to do now. You are the brain here start thinking"


    "I thought you told me you are smart as well?"


    They both laugh while teasing at each other then started to seriously come up with a plan. They each try to find weapons they could carry easily with their small bodies. Sadly, there were too many things that are too heavy for them. They need to move as quickly as possible to avoid getting a single hit. One hit from Cerberus is an instant kill for them.


    In the end, they both carry a sharpen knife in both their pockets. It may seem pointless in front of the beast but what else could they do? After deciding on the plan, Kim and Nas are now standing in front of Cerberus.


    Well, hundreds of meters away but still in front of Cerberus!

 3 Fighting Cerberus

    Chapter 3: Fighting Cerberus


    "Are you sure about this Kim?" Both kids are now standing closer in front of the huge beast. Sweat is running down profusely as the scorching heat coming out from Cerberus enveloped their surrounding. They are barely standing on their feet as the boiling atmosphere suffocating their breath. There was no time to waste since they could pass out anytime. They need to act now.


    They both took out the knife that they carry in their pocket and hold them tightly with their tiny grip. After one deep breath, they slowly walk in the opposite directions, Kim to the right and Nas to the left. They make sure to get as far apart from each other while walking towards the Cerberus cautiously. A single mistake would be a grave situation for them.


    20 minutes has passed and now they are 100 metres away from Cerberus. Every step they took they would look at each other to make sure they are at the same pace. It would be troublesome if one was ahead than another. Their plan was to confuse the beast by moving from a different direction at the same time. Kim assumed that although Cerberus is one being, the three head may suggest it has separate conscious. Getting attacked from two directions may stunts it momentarily giving them an opening to attack.


    Their target is the one place that connects the three head, a common weakness among creature. The windpipe. They won''t win by confronting the beast head-on with their tiny bodies, so they need to go for a vital attack at the precise moment to win.


    "Hey Kim, are you sure with the plan?"


    "To tell you the truth, our chance might be below one per cent. There are too many variables to think of. First, we need to get as close as possible to be able to strike it with a full blow. Second, we need to avoid all its attack to make sure we could get close! Lastly, even if we''re able to strike it somehow, I don''t know if we are strong enough to even damage it a bit."


    "Well it''s still a possibility, let''s do this!"


    That was their plan before coming close to where they are now. Half an hour has passed. They are 50 meters away from the beast. As they get closer, the pressure from the heat surging from the beast increased. It was too much to handle! They won''t be able to keep up with their slow pace anymore as they might die from intense heatstroke or hydration even before engaging their attack.


    Finally, several steps more and Kim was looking at Nas who was having a hard time to catch his breath. Nas saw Kim staring at him and they both nod at each other. They closed their eyes and took a deep breath, simultaneously counted to 3.


    "1..2¡­3!"


    They both shouted at the same which caused the Cerberus to notice both of them at the same time. One to the right and one to the left. Both of its respective heads saw this and tried to move its body at the same time which caused it to stumble. Kim and Nas saw the moment and started to sprint towards the beast. However, the middle head noticed what happened, and turns its body towards Kim. Now all the three head is facing Kim alone. Kim flinched, but he didn''t stop running. This might be a good chance for Nas to get close while the beast is solely focusing on him. The three head open its mouth and created several fireballs from its mouth. Albeit smaller than the previous one he saw, it was still several times larger than his body. The beast shoots all three fireballs at the same time.


    "Ahh, this is where I die huh... Nas.. at least hit this bastard"


    Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy enveloping his entire body. He could see glitters of light floating from the ground. His body seems to be absorbing it. His mind is a bit clear now, and even though he is sprinting he''s not tired. The most crucial thing is the fireballs! He could see the fireballs moving towards his direction.


    "I can do this. I can dodge it!"


    Kim stops then sidesteps the moment the first fireballs come toward him for a near-miss, passing through him and cause an explosion hundreds of metres away behind him. He then falls his body flat to the ground to cause another fireball to pass just above him. As the last fireballs approaching him, he jumps back as hard as he can to cause the fireball to hit the ground. Huge explosion blows him away due to the strong force from the impact. He rolled several times on the ground before hitting a giant boulder. After impact, he puked several drops of blood from his mouth.


    His whole body was trembling. Not because of pain but from excitement. Pure excitement. He felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins. "I did it. I dodge it. Hahahahahaha.. arghh..." Again more blood coming out from his body. It was also no time for celebrations, as he saw the beast charging its fireballs again. He tried to move but his body won''t listen to him. Then a smile was carved on his face while looking at the beast.


    "Hahahahaha, hurry up and kill that dog, Nas!"


    The Cerberus felt a sharp pain coming from its neck. It was Nas dangling on it. The knife was able to pierce through which causes it to bleed. Unfortunately, it was too shallow. It wasn''t enough to cause a fatal injury. The Cerberus roars which cause Nas to lose his grip and fell to the ground. It lifted its paw and strike Nas causing him to fly away several dozen meters from it.


    Nas is now laying on the ground, not budging. Kim was dumbfounded. He thought that his last friend in the entire universe has died. It causes him to feel despair and rage at the same time. His mind was in cluttered and all he could think of was revenge.


    The feeling of fear he felt at first was entirely gone. In front of him now is not a Cerberus, but merely an object of revenge. Even the beast which was fixated to Nas just now turns it heads towards Kim, as it felt strong killing intent projecting toward itself. But it didn''t feel threatened and stand firm on the ground preparing to counter against the creature in front of it.


    Kim took a metal rod that was larger than him on the ground and started to sprint non-stop towards Cerberus. He didn''t feel any hesitation at all. Little that he knows, he was moving way faster than he was before, and the injury he gets from the explosion just now was all recovered. But he didn''t have time to notice as the only thing in his mind was to kill.


    Cerberus swing its long tail to hit Kim, but he jumped at the right moment to avoid the whipping. While in mid-air, Kim holds up the metal rod he picked as high as he can and struck down on the tail, causing it to pierce through, impaling the tail to the ground. The Cerberus is now stuck!


    Kim seizes this moment to run on top of its body. Sensing this, Cerberus let out a tremendous heat from its body melting the soles of Kim shoes. But Kim still runs through the heat. Standing on top of Cerberus body felt like standing in the middle of volcano eruption itself as towers of flames were dancing wildly like snakes trying to swallow Kim to death. But as he focuses it was actually a real-life fire snake trying to eat as a whole. It was a whole new bright red world as magma spurting and flames erupting everywhere.


    Unknowingly, Kim dodges everything in reflect. Someone who saw this might think that Kim was a professional gymnast who had train for thousands of hours. Although he seems to be jumping around aimlessly, there was no waste in his action. Within his rage, he still able to calculate precisely when to jump and how much power he should use for every step he takes to make sure he won''t get hit. However great as how it seems, Kim was still a human kid and there''s a limit what a human can do. It was impossible to perfectly dodge everything. He still received some small damage for every flames and magma striking him.


    Even his pace is slowing down by the sec. His breathing was also getting heavy and his body can''t escape the feeling of extreme pain coming from the intense fiery path. His clothes are all in tattered.


    He just runs through even with all the flame hitting him. Kim finally reaches the head of the beast.


    He took out his knife and run towards the right head, struck its right eye causing an immense pain. It seems that even though they have separate conscious they still share the same pain. The middle head tried to bite Kim off, but he managed to jump at the last moment causing it to bite the right head instead.


    Then the left head went on and swallowing Kim into its mouth. However, Kim managed to hold on with all his limbs pushing the wall of the mouth away from closing. Kim gets hold of his other knife and stabs from inside the mouth causing it to shriek in pain. Before he manages to get outside a bright light enter his pupils as the beast try to give its last effort by blasting a fireball directly in its mouth which exploded. The left head is now unconscious, and Kim is now laying on the ground. Although only one head was suffered from the explosion the other two heads still felt the pain which causes them to temporarily stunt.


    Kim gritted his teeth trying to push every single cell in his body but to his avail, he can''t even lift a finger. The only thing he could feel was pain all over his body. At least he knows that his body is still functioning. Just that there was no energy left for him to move. Still, he needed to move because the place where Nas has put his knife was directly on top of him. The beast was still recovering from the explosion. This was the perfect chance to beat it. The time to settle his score, avenging his friends.


    "Calm down and breath"


    He suddenly heard a voice inside his head. He didn''t know where it comes from, but it felt like the person was near. A rough voice which feels like it was coming out from an old man.


    "I will answer your question later if you survived this but for now, concentrate on your surrounding as how you did before"


    "My surrounding?"


    Kim closes his eyes and took a deep breath. Kim has two brain function that could surpass others, making him a genius among his peers. One is his fast-calculative thinking which enable him to give an accurate and quick respond. Second, he could get in deep mind state which enables him to concentrate to completely understand one object of thought. He is doing the latter now, making it seems he''s in a deep slumber.


    "Can you see it? The lights?"


    "Yes, this, I saw it before.. what is this?"


    "Be quiet and listen. Direct the lights into your body and imagine yourself as a vessel which carries it through your vein"


    "Direct.. the lights?"


    After a few moments, little by little orbs of lights comes floating in the air making it seems like a fantasy novel.


    "Good now try to direct it into your body"


    The numbers of orbs coming out haven''t stopped. It keeps leaking out not just from the ground, but also from the tree and sky emitted small orbs of light.


    "No.. wait, stop this is too much. You won''t be able to handle--"


    But Kim couldn''t hear anymore as he was in the deep mind state. Streams and streams of light orbs swirling wildly in the air forming some kind of a sphere and Kim was floating in the centre. At the same time more and more orbs going towards Kim, and he is absorbing all of it. Kim screams as he felt an enormous energy is forcing its way in. He gritted his teeth firmly as he felt like every single bone in his body is smashed to pieces. He then screams in pain as he felt like his entire veins are torn and split apart.


    Although the excruciating pain sometimes left him almost absent-minded, he still struggled to maintain his consciousness. He felt like this is the only chance for him to give that dog a beating. He told himself to hold on even for a bit. He won''t even let the dog be able to lick its own wound after this. He concentrated fully to make sure his mind is not broken and endured everything purely with his will.

 4 Fist of Heaven and Earth

    Chapter 4: Fist of Heaven and Earth


    Kim was still inside the sphere of light. The only difference was he''s not screaming anymore. The existing lights show that he''s still alive and the pure energy that was swirling wildly just now has calm down, forming a perfect sphere.


    "This kid... he managed to take it all in. I knew he had the potential but I didn''t know he was this amazing. Still, it''s too late"


    Even though the Cerberus was severely injured, a mythical beast is not small fries. It recovered from its previous state and finally noticed the instability that was happening in front of it. It flinched a bit and felt a sense of danger just by sensing the energy that was concentrated within the sphere of lights. Cerberus didn''t waste its time and raise its massive paw to strike with full force. The threat causes its beastly instincts urging it to finish the fight soon.


    BOOOOM! Deafening ringing sound spread within the vicinity.


    "What?!"


    A large amount of blood was splattering after the impact. Blood continued to drip from where the paw of Cerberus was. One of its limbs has gone which caused it to be in dazed. However, it didn''t waste any time to recover and started to charge another gigantic fireball to fire off at Kim''s direction. 3 seconds, 5.. 7.. 10 seconds! Although a bit smaller than the one it did with its three head functioning, the force behind it was not something to look down on.


    Because of the dire situation, instead of making a wide range attack Cerberus focused all its energy into one point making the fireball as compact as possible which causes it to be extremely destructive. Everything within its perimeter has melted due to the overheated flames. Finally, it shoots with full force and loud explosion with blinding lights envelops the area.


    Huge crater of a 100-meter radius was formed due to the fireball. Everything else left to nothing. The light was no more, and there''s only smoke coming out from the ground.


    The Cerberus stayed cautious. In a split second, a small shadow appeared in the middle of the crater and vanish instantly. Moments later, a man appeared in front of Cerberus. His body is emanating shining radiance that is white in colour. Some of his black hair turned to white, and his eyes were glowing brilliantly.


    The instant Kim reaches his range, he kicked the chin of the middle head with tremendous force. The impact has caused Cerberus to stand up on its two hind legs. Kim land on the ground and cracks appeared on the ground. He looked up searching for its target; the knife that was stuck at the beast throat.


    He aimed perfectly and jump up which caused a loud boom and formed a small crater several meters deep into the ground. Kim focused the energy in his body to his fist while aiming at the knife. He could feel the energy synchronizing with the blood in his vein. He felt like he was one with the whole world or even the universe. Unknowingly a name come into his mind causing him to shout fiercely.


    "Fist of Heaven and Earth!!!"


    As the fist landed on Cerberus, powerful destructive forces obliterated the surrounding area. The grounds split and float for a moment, then shattered to pieces. The sky split apart and a gigantic hole has formed within the atmosphere. It was a spectacular view and shuddering scene which could make people think that the world has gone mad. And it is true. The world has already gone mad with a Cerberus suddenly appeared and destroyed everything in its view, and the same mythical beast has been reduced to a non-existent and may stay as a myth due to the only person who saw It alive, has killed it.


    Kim landed flat on the ground. He looked at the hole that was formed in the sky. He still couldn''t believe what happened as everything was so sudden. What he couldn''t believe more was the fact that he was still alive even with all that happened. Unknowingly, tears started to come out from his eyes while he loud laugh exploded from his mouth.


    "I did it. I avenged all of you. I really did it. Hahaha!" Kim continues to laugh as tears keep dropping until he fell asleep.


    "Kim, wake up"


    "umm.."


    "Wake up Kim"


    "Just 5 more min- ahhh! Why do you hit me? Ehh... ehh? Tata?"


    "Yes, it''s me. Now bow down to me"


    "No. And where are we?"


    "Haha, what''s wrong with you man? We are at school"


    "Ehhh? Rin... Tata... Rin¡­Tata! Both of you... I thought the two of you¡­is this.. a dream?"


    Tata and Rin look at each other in confusion. Looking at the always calm Kim sudden flustered. They then laugh and hit Kim head simultaneously.


    "Oww what was that for?"


    "For being silly, silly. Let''s go"


    "Where are we going?"


    Both Tata and Rin didn''t reply to him and continued to walk. Kim didn''t bother and just follow them obediently. After a while, they reached their classroom. Everyone was in their seats. The teacher was teaching as usual. The three of them took their place.


    "Where is Nas?"


    After a short silence, Rin finally replied "He''s not here Kim"


    "What do you mean he''s not here? He should be here right?"


    "Well I don''t know what happened but he''s not here. And.."


    Rin was about to say something but his lips just trembled without uttering a single word.


    "And what? Nas.. did he¡­.did he really died?"


    Tata and Rin look at each other in confusion. Tata went and reach Kim''s hand.


    "No, Kim. He''s still alive, and so do you"


    "Really? Then we just need to wait for him to come. And we can play like usual! Hahh!"


    Kim sighs in relieved knowing that his friends are all safe now. But the next word coming out from Tata''s lips shooked his heart causing him to tremble.


    "We can''t play with each other like usual"


    "What? What do you mean? Don''t we always do that? Because of UPSR?"


    Rin remains silent as his expression becoming gloomy. He looked as if he''s going to cry any second soon.


    "No. It just that, it''s not the time yet. Not for you Kim. You need to go back."


    "Back where? I''m here where I''m supposed to be right?"


    "Listen... Kim... Although I''m a guy like you and Nas, I''m always the weak one. I''m not brave or anything and I''m not smart. But you all still accept me as your friend. I appreciate that a lot. And Thank you, Kim. You can''t be here man. You... need to stay alive for us... Okay?"


    Rin can''t speak anymore as tears start to fall. Tata expression changed and she looked into Kim''s eyes with her gentle face.


    "I''m the same with Rin, Kim. Although I''m not the loveliest girl out there, you still willing to take me to all of your little adventures. I had fun, Kim. We both do. And we didn''t regret it a bit in our life. Take care of Nas and stay safe okay?"


    Kim couldn''t utter a single word as his mind went blank. He thought that he could spend at least a bit more of time with his friend.But it''s too late. No matter how he wanted it, there''s no way to go back to his normal daily life.


    "Kim..you need to wake up. Wake up, Kim¡­


    "Wake up Kim!"


    A familiar voice resounded at his ear. He slowly opened his eyes as his pupil dilates and contracts to try to adjust itself with the light coming in. After he blinked several times, Nas''s face finally surfaced.


    "Dude! Get up already we need to move"


    "Nas.. how long did I pass out? By the way, I saw- Wh-What??!! What happened to your leg?"


    After Kim woke up, he was shocked to see Nas without his right leg. Then he noticed the blood trails that continued for several hundreds of meters. It seems that Nas had crawl over just to wake him up.


    "What happened?"


    "No time to spare Kim get me up and run!"


    Then he heard a loud roar as fierce as Cerberus smashing through his eardrum. Kim barely grasps what is happening, but he knew it was going to be devastating if he didn''t run now. He let Nas leaned to his shoulder and walked slowly away from the source of roar just now. However, no matter how hard they tried, Nas with one leg can''t move as fast as they want to.


    There was a voice trailing them whenever they move and it keeps getting closer and closer. Kim was curious enough to look back but the thought of surviving kicked in since his friend was in danger. He already promised to Tata and Rin he''s going to take care of Nas. He won''t let his only friend die just like that when he barely managed to kill Cerberus.


    "It''s a Hydra if you are curious"


    "A Hydra? That Hydra?"


    "Yeah, so giant snake. Multi-head. You know the stuff. I won''t be shocked if a Chimera actually appear. They are siblings after all"


    "Then what? After we killed all, Echidna and Typhon come to kill us?"


    Kim and Nas laugh along as they continue their hot topic of Greek legend. The game they played usually based on Greek mythology as a concept to portray its monsters. Cerberus, Hydra, Chimera, Echidna and Typhon, they are all ferocious boss-like monsters in RPG or adventure games. Not only that, the five of them are family. Echidna is the mother, Typhon is the father, and the other three beasts are their children.


    "Never knew we would actually fighting them in real life huh?"


    "Never knew my friend would kill one of them!"


    "Well, it was your knife that helps me!"


    "I know. Now bow down to my greatness!"


    They continued to joke around while trying to keep up the pace as the voice that was trailing them is getting closer. Then, it was silent. They could only hear their own footsteps. When Kim was about to turned around and checked he was pushed away by Nas.


    "Live on Kim. It''s nice that we could have our last talk. I had fun man"


    Kim turned around and saw a purple breath emanating from a huge serpent-like creature with nine heads engulfing Nas as it melted through his bones until he was no more.


    Now Kim is facing Hydra face-to-face on his own. Although the serpent is as big as the Cerberus was, Kim didn''t pay any attention at all. Instead, he locked his eyes to where Nas was. He couldn''t move an inch with his jaw dropping to the ground.


    So many things going through his mind. The day he spends with his friends, the normal simple life he once had, and the last promise he had with Tata and Rin. He thought that after killing Cerberus he could finally relax. He thought that everything was over. No matter how much he processed his thought there was nothing.


    It was different when Tata and Rin died since it did not happen in front of him. This time, his last and only friend has died in front of him without him able to do anything. His leg gave out and he fell with his knee on the ground. His head drooped down as tears come rolling onto his cheek. He couldn''t hold back the hot throbbing sensation passing through his veins. he felt like a thousand needle has pierced through his heart.


    The Hydra noticed that its prey has stopped moving and it slowly moved towards Kim. Kim, however, didn''t bother at all what Hydra is doing. The painful feeling in his heart would make anyone thinking of killing themselves. Finally, he let out a loud cry as sadness comes running in.


    Kim has fallen into despair.

 5 King Hydra

    Chapter 5: King Hydra


    Hydra is a serpent-like creature which has distinct features like a snake. It lives near the entrance of the Underworld. Similar to its sibling Cerberus, it is multi-headed. This one has 9 heads with a terrifying length of 20 meters with each of them weighing several tons. Swinging one of its head could smash a small hill with a single strike!


    Its body is covered with tough and slippery scale. Hard to land a solid punch on and strong as metals. The scales covered almost all the part of its body which could be controlled independently. Furthermore, it could spit and breath out deadly poison from its mouth. Even a single drop of its blood is deadly enough to kill an elephant.


    Its whole existence is a cheat. A final boss would not be as hard as this! It''s like a special extra boss that you could meet after beating the final boss of a game. No wonder Kim is down on his knee, with no will to live anymore.


    "I guess no matter how high your potential is, heaven''s luck is another factor, if only I''m free maybe I would help you.. but.. hah... you did well kid"


    A sound of regret could be heard from its voice.Hydra didn''t stop its movement and continued to get closer to Kim until they were only centimetres apart from each other. One of its head then open its mouth and purple fumes can be seen coming out of it. The smell was extremely pungent and would sting the nose who smell it. It lowered its head and dropped a ball of acid that could fit dozens of people. Without stopping, the acid instantly devours Kim through to the bone. The acid dissolve into the ground and formed a hole. Nearby plants start to deteriorate, and the ground is slowly diminishing. Whoever accidentally steps on nearby vicinity would suffer extreme poisoning and could die in seconds.


    The Hydra stand still in its place looking into the hole. The reason was, within the dead ground, it could sense a presence of life. Although weak, his heart was still beating. Kim was still alive. However, if someone sees him right now, no one would think he was far from being alive. The bottom part of his body was all gone. Bones and inner part could be seen clearly, and the damage was thoroughly severe. The only limb he has was his left hand which parts of it has already been dissolved by the acid. Even though only half of his face remains, he was still distinguishable. Almost. A bit. He is now just a piece of meat waiting for its death.


    Despite with all the despair he faced, Kim did not give up on living. Instead, a new kind of will suddenly lit up within his soul. It was the feeling of hatred. Hatred to the beast that suddenly appeared and destroyed everything, killing his friends and left him alone. Hatred to the world for letting him die without him even achieved anything. Hatred to himself for being weak, not be able to protect the one he loved.


    He cursed himself, and the world. The only thing in his mind now was revenge. He keeps on thinking on how to crush the snake in front of him. He wanted to make it suffer for toying around with him and Nas. The image of him pulling its scale on by one and slowly smash its head to pieces make him want to live more.


    "aaaa.. aaaaa ¡­ aaa.." Kim couldn''t even mutter a proper word due to his injury.


    "aaaahhh.. aaarrghh. Aaaa.." He continued to spout more things with no proper meaning. Hydra just stands there watching. As it likes to play with its victim, wanting to see Kim struggle for more just to be eaten afterwards.


    The voice who help Kim just now become silent. He felt respect for Kim. At such a young age he had enough tenancy to struggle on living even though there was no hope. He felt regret for not having the chance to help Kim.


    "Stop kid, if I could, I will definitely help you. You did enough just rest."


    He cut off his sense as he could not bear to see a young kid in so much pain struggling to live.


    "Am... gon.. il.." He heard a voice. The voice of a boy. Since others have died there could be no one else.


    "Kid?" He tried to see what''s happening even though he was reluctant to do so. Still, he felt something that makes his heart beating rapidly. Although part of him says that Kim won''t be able to survive, after living for only heaven knows for how long he had seen many miracles happening over and over and again. And he might see one now.


    "I''m going to kill you!!!!"


    A loud deafening voice came out from the ground which shook even the ferocious hydra. It instinctively retreated backwards due to the killing intent coming from Kim. Suddenly a faint light gathered around Kim which covered its entire body. Slowly, his body and limbs were constructed to its original constitution. Kim is now laying on the ground naked as his cloth was already dissolved.


    "It couldn''t be. Since he could gather that amount of mana he should be a manipulator. But then, the way he strengthens himself to such degree I might be mistaken and thought that he''s an enchanter instead. But with his body that he just made now... no, it''s too real for it to be conjured.


    The voice keeps talking to himself as if he was trying to fit in the missing piece of the puzzle. Little that he knew, he unconsciously channelling his thought to Kim at the same time. Even though he was still in pain, Kim clearly heard him and felt a bit annoyed. He will definitely make it spill out everything after he''s done.


    The problem now is the hydra. The moment he recovered, Kim was instantly thought about how to kill the annoying snake. He could not rely on a miracle just like the time he killed Cerberus. Before anything, there was one thing he wanted to make sure of. Kim stands up and without hesitation, hydra breath out devilish purple gas. It melted the whole area and cleaned out everything until the place becomes an empty wasteland. Even the trees nearby gave up and started to wither considerably. After the smoke cleared out Kim was gone.


    "The heck, that snake doesn''t even hold back. At least I found out what I want"


    Kim was in the hole where the previous acid had dissolved. While he was hiding, he deliberately let out one of his fingers into the smoke to test out his theory. And he was on point. His finger was still intact, and he didn''t even feel a single pain. He even tried to breathe in the purple smoke and he felt like breathing normal air. He is now immune to hydra''s poison. He still doesn''t know until how much degree, but he could use this to surprise attack hydra next time if it would breath out another poisonous gas. Kim then thought about what happened with him and Cerberus. He might be immune to Cerberus flame as well.


    "Well, there''s no way to find out that other than jumping into a sea of flame. Or maybe I should jump into a volcano and see what would happen."


    It seems that the terrible near-death experiences he faced have changed him without the person himself notice it.


    Kim then sits down and tried to focus on the energy he felt before. Although it was a short while since he did this, his proficiency increased several times than before. Hydra didn''t waste it times and start to slither through the terrain closing in towards Kim.


    "RUN!" A voice ring loudly to his mind.


    Kim stops concentrating and opened his eyes. He looked upward from within the hole and saw that hydra was already within his eyesight. He instantly jumped out as being in a hole would prove many disadvantages towards him. Hydra saw this and pummeled Kim with one of its head. Kim could not possibly change his direction and got hit in mid-air. He tried to block with his left arm and leg and was sent flying several meters away. His left arm is now in the urge of breaking. He rolled several times on the ground before he slowed himself down by using his other hand and legs.


    As he stops getting pushed away by the powerful force he instantly stands up, but hydra is already closing in to pummel him to the ground. Kim rolls to the side and dodges the head with a near miss. It did not give any chance for Kim to recover and continued to give a barrage of multiple attacks with seven of its head. While the other two are preparing for a massive fireball. It was similar to the one Cerberus did but a bit smaller and is purple in colour.


    Even though Kim manage to continuously avoid hydra''s heads, he still sustained some damage. The barrage was too fast and each of its strike could instantly break a bone in Kim''s body. Even a slight graze could cause an immense sharp pain due to its scale cutting through Kim''s flesh. Kim slightly steps backwards for every hit he''s blocking while dodging to increase the gap between them.


    As he gets further, more time is needed for hydra head to reach him which make it easier for him to dodge. However, the distance between them was still close. An ordinary person would get crush within the first few hits.


    Whether if one was fast enough to see hydra attack, he still needs to maintain high concentration at all time trying to avoid all seven attack at the same time. It''s like fighting seven professional boxers who could smash a watermelon with one hit. Very fast, accurate and a strong solid punch!


    Kim restlessly dodges the attacks not letting Hydra to land a fatal blow. The hydra finally stops, but Kim could not rest as it unleashed giant purple fireball towards Kim. Poisonous and destructive! It may have thought that Kim could withstand its poison so destructive power was added for a sure kill.


    "This sneaky snake! I won''t let you get away"


    Usually, people would run away or try to block the fireballs as best as he can to reduce the damage. However, as Kim saw how hydra tried to retreat after it shoots out the fireballs Kim slip through and climb up to its scale. Even though the scales were poisonous, Kim resistance has increased so much that it did not threaten him a tiny bit. But the scales are sharp, so his hands bleed while holding onto them. The hydra was caught off-guard.


    It planned to take Kim away even if its body would sustain damage as well. In the end, the attack backfired. Hydra didn''t just get damaged from the explosion, but it also protected Kim at the same time.It gets mad and started attacking Kim who was clinging to its body. Hydra could not care less of what would happen to its body. All it wanted now was to devour Kim for making a fool out of itself. Kim didn''t rest and started to climb hydra''s body.


    Albeit the sharp pain he felt every single time he climbed from one scale to another and blood keeps dripping down from his palm, he didn''t reduce his speed as hydra keep attacking non-stop. Some of its scales have already been broken and cracks can be seen in some parts of its body. It then stopped attacking and started to wildly move around in furious hoping that Kim would let go.


    Instead of letting go he focused some energy to his right hand and punched through the thick scale of hydra. He continued to punch again and again creating one hole after another at the snake body. Unable to bear the pain as blood started to pour out of its body, it finally stopped.


    "Damn snake! Stop moving! Its cold down there with the wind blowing!"


    All this time one being was watching the whole scene without believing what he is seeing.


    "This kid is fighting King Hydra wearing his birthday suit!"

 6 Hellfire

    Chapter 6: Hellfire


    It has been 3 hours since the calamity falls upon the school in Kampung Meranek. Everything within the vicinity has been reduced into dust. What was rich with nature have been reduced into a wasteland covering several kilometres in radius. The fireball shot by Cerberus was one of the reasons, most of it was because of the fight between a ferocious mythical creature that could eliminate whatever it preys on within second and a 12-year old kid. The two has been fighting for more than an hour. Although the power between them is obviously one-sided, somehow the kid managed to survive.


    "This kid talent is monstrous. No being can fight like that against King Hydra at the first time. He just tasted the power of mana just now and manage to roughly understand the whole mechanism without anyone teaching him. If he survives this, he might be as strong as.. no.. he will be stronger than me. Even stronger than anyone I have fought."


    Kim was still clinging on Hydra to try to get closer to its head for a fatal blow. Hydra tried to shake Kim off by moving around aggressively, but whenever it did that Kim would bury his fist inside the snake. It never experienced someone who able to even leave a mark on its body. Now a mere kid was able to leave a hole and even buried his fist deep inside enough for it to bleed.


    Usually, any creature would get dissolved by its acid or die by extreme poisoning before they even get close. If they did, even by touching its scale would cause them to die. If somehow, someone managed to injure it, the blood from its body would instantly kill the person as its blood is highly concentrated with poison. The situation now, however, was different. None of its prideful poison had work. It was even the first time it felt pain after so many years. The King of Hydra is experiencing pain!


    As Kim getting closer and closer to its head, it became more desperate. A desperate measure was needed during desperate time! It did not think much and started to release mana which enveloped its entire body. What was once a strong thick scale as hard as metal suddenly becoming soft like a sponge. Kim is now constantly slipping downward. He tried to punch through, but the scale was too soft that it becomes a protective layer which absorbs all the force in his fist.


    Hydra was shedding its skin to escape the firm grip of the nuisance that was clinging onto it. As it continued getting damage whilst trying to throw Kim off, it could not bear the constant pain it has not felt for so long. Slowly, fear seeps into its mind making it undertake a rather rash decision by shedding its scale off. Although Kim finally falls, it was now vulnerable to any attack. You could say that both Hydra and Kim is now exposed! The king has lost its clothes.


    Even though he fell, Kim breath out a sigh of relief. What Hydra did not know was, Kim was at his limit and could fell anytime.


    "That was lucky of me"


    The moment he touched the ground, Kim did not take any time to get back up by pushing his body upward. Now King Hydra and Kim is face to face with each other.


    "How do you kill a snake?"


    "Huh?" A familiar voice rang into his head.


    "How do you kill a snake?"


    "Look for some branches and smack that head really hard!"


    "Yes, correct!"


    "But that what I was going to do! Going to smash all that 9 head and yours as well after I find you."


    It was silent in a moment. Then the voice resounds again


    "True, but that''s hydra you are fighting with. Not just any hydra, but King of Hydra. The moment you smash its head it will regenerate."


    "King? So, there is another Hydra?"


    Even before the voice replied him, the beast did not wait for any second to unleash its poisonous smog.


    "This won''t work! Hmmm?!"


    But it wasn''t for attacking Kim. It was to hide from his vision. Hydra slowly approaching Kim while slithering through the fog in silent.


    "This sneaky snake! Enough with your tricks!"


    "How do you kill a hydra?"


    "Hydra?"


    Kim now processing his brain at a fast rate trying to remember everything he read about hydra. What he knows was that the mistake people always do when they are killing hydra is cutting its head. Then two more head would appear which turning the battle into a dire situation. As the fight progress, Hydra would eventually regenerate more and more heads while the person involved would get exhausted, and in the end, would get eaten mercilessly.


    The only way was to burn it down. As it regenerated, the flame would continue to burn down its head until it could not regenerate anymore. However, Kim does not have anything to burn it with. Even if he did manage to make fire, what could that flame possibly do? It would get extinguished in any second. It was obvious that Hydra has an affinity with fire when it unleashed its fireball earlier. What can a small fire even do?


    "It seems you get it, kid. All you have to do is make fire"


    "Sounds so easy. How do I make this so call-" Without noticed, Kim was hit with a terrifying blow causing him to fly several meters away.


    "No time to explain kid. Just collect all that energy and think about creating a fire. Feel the nature of fire which can extinguish everything. Released all that energy with the intention of making the hottest fire in the world!


    Although feeling annoyed, Kim knew that he had no other choice but to follow the voice. He closed his eyes and breath slowly to focus his mind, as he did that he could feel some kind of a familiar energy flowing into his body again. As time goes by, he''s getting used to controlling the energy that surrounds him. It feels like he is one with nature. One with the heaven and earth.


    Hydra noticed the change happening in Kim, and rush in, to land another blow with one of its head. It was powerful enough to blow away the surrounding smog. However, Kim managed to grab its head and landed a mighty kick which blew one of its head off. Instantly, the head regenerates and Kim back steps a bit to create a gap. Hydra went inside the smog again to hide its presence.


    "This snake! If only I could move and gather energy at the same time¡­ wait.. can I?"


    "I never say you can''t"


    "I could?"


    "Yes. But it would take years of practice to do that"


    "I have no other choice, don''t I? And tell me sooner!"


    He then gathered the energy again. This time Hydra did not wait long to unleash another attack from behind. Kim fell flat to the ground to dodge its attack.


    "I have to do this again" He concentrated more.


    Hydra did not stop and start attacking with all its 9 head. Again, and again, Kim dodged its continuous attack without stopping. Sometimes he would get hit which would break his concentrations.


    "I can feel it just a bit more!"


    As time goes by, he could even manage a counter which would smash hydra heads. However, it keeps regenerating its head instantly, which make it seems there was no damage at all. Dodging, blocking and counter attacking. Kim manages to do this while trying to concentrate all the energy surrounding him.


    "This is hard!" As he screamed his whole body was emanating white light.


    "How talented can this kid be? I must make sure he lives"


    The light that was coming from Kim body becoming more intense. Now he is fighting Hydra, while he keeps absorbing the energy and maintaining it at the same time. Just by doing so he felt stronger and able to move faster than he was before. He can even read hydra attack as his focus is getting sharper enable him to make precise decisions at the critical moment.


    Kim is now standing on the with hydra. Before this, he could only think of death awaiting him. Now, he could at least think of taking hydra with him.


    ''Fire... I need fire.. a strong fire that could engulf hydra. Even fire that could burn hydra to ash''


    While fighting he experimented a bit by producing fire in his hand. Pssstt! The fire burns part of Hydra skin. Did not take long for Hydra to heal itself.


    "Not good enough kid. Think stronger! Imagine the most powerful flame you have ever tasted"


    The moment he heard the voice, he thought of his fight with Cerberus.


    ''Cerberus flame'' He muttered by himself. Distracted, he received a blow to his body which he was not able to protect in time. The blow broke several bones and cause him to fly away.


    The hydra thought it finally had the advantage and could finally swallow Kim soon. It hid again in the smog and slowly moved closer. Instead of finishing the fight soon, Hydra habit of playing with food made it unable to restrain itself from taking its time. It usually force it prey to run around in fear thinking it could survive. It even loves to see how its prey struggles to live which in end getting crushed and becoming its food. Now King Hydra is getting more excited as the being that caused him nuisance can finally be savour. Especially with the feeling of unable to sense any danger make it think that Kim must be anxious and running about right now.


    Kim was still in his place. He checked his injury and struggled to get up. That loss of concentration for a moment was a huge lesson to himself. He would make sure to not lose focus anymore when he is fighting a stronger person or a monster. He slapped his cheek several times and shake his head to forget what happened and try to sense the presence of hydra. It''s the skill he acquired while learning how to gather energy. He can even sense the presence of energy from other beings and even from nature. When he managed to do this, a hole fill his heart as he could not sense any other living being than Hydra within the area anymore. Everyone else was already dead.


    "Come closer now, I''ll make sure to get my revenge. Nas, wait for me. I will end this once and for all."


    Hydra did not realize that Kim could sense its oncoming. It just thought that Kim was unable to move anymore due to its last attack. It could not imagine what was once a weak being that only suitable as it prey could prepare a powerful attack that able to destroy the king of Hydra.


    As it gets closer, it felt a strange atmosphere surrounding its prey. It felt, strong hot energy coming out from Kim. The energy was becoming stronger and more intense by seconds! It grew suspicious and swing its tail to gust away all the smog.


    Kim was finally able to create the flame he wanted to. He remembered the fight he had with Cerberus that was imprinted in his head. The destructive power of the fireball, the scorching heat that comes out from it, and intensity of the flame that could annihilate everything in several kilometres in radius. Albeit only at the size of his hand, the power behind it was not lacking when compares to the fireball made by Cerberus with its full power. He remembered how Cerberus compressed the energy of its fireball to increase its destructive force.


    Watching the intense light coming for the ball of energy, Hydra, then fasten it pace and open all its mouth to devour Kim instantly. It now regretted itself from slowing down because of its habit. It even released all its energy to protect its body. It knew, once Kim releases the fireball in his hand, it would get severely injured. What it did not know was, the fireball was strong enough to give a fatal injury. Another thing was, Kim is only waiting and already prepared to give hell to the snake. Kim grinned slightly. As another name pops into his mind.


    "Die snake! Hellfire!"


    Hydra has become a roasted snake.

 7 Roasted Snake!

    Chapter 7: Roasted Snake!


    Kampung Meranek was a village just outskirt of Kota Samarahan. It was located near the capital of Sarawak, Kuching. It was a small village situated by the river and surrounded by trees. Villagers do some farming and work on their paddy fields. One of the most famous delicacies of the village is its pineapple. Sweet flavorful pineapples. Not so sour, and the watery juicy sweetness is just enough to call it delicious. Besides that, there are even other delicious tropical fruits cultivated by the villagers.


    Kim laying on the ground while reminding the time he went with his family to his grandpa orchards. He remembered walking around the pineapple plantation to help around. The sharp leaves of the fruit would cut him, so he ends up playing make-shelf boat with anything he could find and race it with his brothers by the small stream.


    Sometimes he would climb the tree to grab some rambutan. He would fill up the basket that his grandparent carried and take it to their house by riding a bicycle. Of course, he would sneakily eat some without his grandparent looking. When he was caught red-handed, his grandpa would serve him sour soup to be eaten instead.


    Talking about fruits, he often went to Nas''s home to play. They would sometimes go the back of his house to grab some coconut and drink water from it. Having some refreshing coconut drink would rejuvenate them after playing a lot. The white pulp would slowly melt in their mouth as they savour the taste.


    "Ahhh I''m hungry. I want to eat."


    Tears started to roll down his cheek as he remembered his time with his friends and family. The village where he grew up was once decorated with nature. Now it has been reduced into a wasteland with no sights of living things around it. Cerberus flame has reduced everything into ashes and Hydra poison killed the earth and anything nearby.


    "That was tiring..that was really tiring¡­."


    He then stands up and approached Hydra dead body which has now burnt into a roasted snake. He punched one of its head again and again until the head would get smashed into bits. He then moved to another head and continued to do the same things. Sometimes he would kick it when his hands get hurt. He screamed in anguish as tears keep dropping down. He made sure to hit it as much as he could to vent his anger.


    "Why.. Why¡­ why¡­ why"


    He continued to massacre the dead body of Hydra without stopping. Sadness, anger, loneliness, despair, his mind was a messed. Usually, people would shout with joy for killing a mythical beast. Especially one which was the top among its kind. The King of all hydra. Kim however, did not show any of that. He only thought of revenge. Killing it was not enough. If its possible, he wanted to peel the skin of hydra and pluck its scale one by one just to hear it shriek in pain. Not just the hydra, but even the Cerberus.


    Revenge was the only thing in his heart. "If I find any of your kind, I would make sure it suffer first before I kill it"


    An experience, not even a grown adult would be able to face or even live to tell the tale of it. Kim has suffered through all that while he was still a small child. He could not take the despair that is eating his fragile heart now.


    ''There''s nothing left for me to live, I should have died just now. I should get killed with everyone.


    I will join all of you soon''


    "You sure that is what you want, kid?"


    As if knowing what he is thinking the voice resound. But Kim did not care less, and just lay on the ground beside the roasted snake.


    "Killing hydra is not an easy feat. You even killed its King. And that Cerberus was an alpha as well. You¡­"


    The sound continued to babble on without stopping as if trying to comfort Kim.


    "When I was your age.."


    Suddenly he started to talk about his past experiences. He sounded like his grandpa when he felt lonely. A lonely grandpa who wanted someone to talk to him.


    "I even fought with.."


    It mercilessly continued to speak with no consideration of his listener. Sometimes he shamelessly talked about his past glory where he fought an entire star by himself. He would even throw himself in a horde of million monsters because it seems fun to do. After several hours, he still speaking. It feels like it has been a while he met a person to talk to. And since Kim can hear him, he did not hold back while talking with a cheery tone which ends up annoy Kim.


    "What do you want?"


    "So, you finally replied"


    "Leave me alone, I want to rest"


    "There are more things in this world that what you could imagine"


    "I have nothing anymore. Let me die peacefully."


    "Sure, then let me continue to speak. I haven''t seen anyone for a long time now."


    "I rather kill myself now."


    Kim started to gather energy in his right hand and tried to punch through a hole near his heart. To his avail, he did not feel anything. Then he tried to recreate the flame he did to burn himself


    "Hellfire!"


    Nothing happened!


    "What the heck? Why can''t I kill myself?"


    "You are running out of mana kid, and your body is not the same as it was. It has been tempered and enhanced by mana. The fight with both of that monstrous beast has strengthened you more. I don''t think you could die easily."


    "Then I will just die of hunger"


    "You sure? I haven''t eaten anything for a long time now. I''m not sure how long you would last, but hunger is not a beautiful thing. Even saliva taste sweet now"


    "Shoot"


    "Yes, shoot. I wish I could die too."


    "You seem strong, could you kill me then"


    "Nope. I''m trapped. My people betrayed me and I am bound for eternity. I can''t even move my finger."


    "Well, suck to be you then"


    "It is. So, what are you going to do now?"


    "I''m going to find a way to kill myself of course."


    "Still?"


    "Yeah, what else could I live for?"


    "Then, how about I make you strong enough to kill yourself then?"


    "You could? Tell me."


    "Before that promise me you would do one thing for me when I ask you"


    "Is it not killing myself? Then no."


    "Hahaha, I''m not that kind of merciful guy kid. I killed a bunch. That''s how I''m suffering now you know? I don''t care less if you want to die."


    Kim thought for a while and said yes. He did not have anything to live for anyway. He was determined to end his own life as soon as he can.


    "Before that, what is this mana you are talking about? I heard you mumbling to yourself about this whole mana things. You even mentioned about it while babbling through your self-glorified stories"


    "First of all, it''s not self-glorified. I''m telling you the truth I was.."


    "I was asking about mana"


    "¡­"


    Then the voice continued to share his knowledge with Kim. Nature has always brimming with life. The world has become to how it is now due to the energy that constantly flows through it. This is called mana. And this energy is flowing throughout the universe.


    According to the voice, mana has existed for a long time even before he lived. It has spread out throughout the universe and created several planets like earth. Often, they call it stars. Like earth, there are several worlds out there that have living beings reside in them. And like how earth now, it has mana flowing inside it too.


    However, each star has different concentrations of mana. So, even ordinary people would be able to sense mana and practice to cultivate it at home if the world is dense with mana. The voice claimed he''s been practising for almost several thousands of years now. For someone who can adapt faster and the longer they practice they would have unimaginable strengths that would reside within them.


    Like how genius in this world, and how some kids are born with silver spoon in their mouths, some people are born to be talented with mana. And the voice, of course, made himself as an example. Times to times again he would slip some of his magnificent stories to Kim. Every single time, Kim would coldly cut him to go back to the topic he wanted to know.


    "So, basically, if you listen to this Master and learn how to cultivate mana properly, in no time you would be strong enough to even kill me."


    "What Master?"


    "Aren''t you asking me to teach you, my young apprentice?"


    "Young apprentice? Who? I''m only asking for your help"


    "Awwww, don''t be shy, kid. I''m an Emperor who could kill anyone with just my words before but I''m getting softer now as a reflection of my action for thousands of year. Hahahaha, no wonder my own people would betray me."


    "Emperor? Who would call you that? I won''t even call your name even if I know it."


    "Stop while I''m being nice, kid. Even your package down there is small. You have no right to look down upon me!"


    "I''m still 12! It would grow sooner!"


    "You sure kid? A crybaby like you can''t do anything"


    "Well, I killed a Cerberus and King Hydra in one day!"


    "Lucky! Luck luck luck. I can kill them single-handedly."


    "That because you are thousands of years ahead of me old geezer!"


    Both the Master and apprentice continued to exchange meaningful remarks with one another to tighten their bonds. Anyone would cry seeing how beautiful their relationship is. They continued for several hours as night, fall. The night was chilly as wind blowing through the empty ground. Kim who has nothing to wear yet, in end caught a cold.


    "Achoo!"


    "Serves you right for not respecting your elderly"


    "Yes, you are old. Achoo!"


    Both fell silent. Kim then gives himself a deep thought while rummaging through the moulded skin of Hydra. He tried to make a blanket out of it to keep himself warm. He thought he should pay a visit to his house and take his belonging. Although he was not sure whether his heart is prepared to face what he will see, he still wished to go home to give his last bidding. He then breathes out a large sigh.


    "So, what should I do?"


    "Eat"


    "What?"


    "You can''t train if you don''t eat, and you have the biggest food source just beside you"


    "Hydra? No. I''m not going to eat this snake"


    "Usually it would kill a person to eat hydra. But your body somehow adapts to poison extremely fast. I thought you were just talented, but even your body is a miracle. No wonder you could survive."


    "I said no. This snake¡­is an abominable creature, it killed Nas."


    "Then that''s why you should slowly devour it. Think about your revenge. Eat it bits by bits. Rather than let nature take it nutrient, you should make it yours. Hey, think how it will end up as a poop later."


    The voice laughs to itself for making an unseemingly bad joke. Then there was total silence.


    "Okay fine. Just eat the damn thing. It tastes better while it''s hot."


    Kim gives a thoughtful consideration and he agreed. He already killed it. What more can he do? Now he would ravage its body by slowly devour it into his body. Once a predator has now become a prey. Kim made a grin while thinking, how would Hydra feel to end up as food for others. What was once on the top of the food chain is now waiting to be eaten. There is no greater humiliation than that. A king which become a mere fodder to a kid.


    "This snake actually taste delicious."


    Kim continued to munch through King Hydra to fill his hunger. Every bite he took, he could hear someone gulping his saliva. A person who has not eaten for centuries.


    "Roasted snake¡­ Keep some for me, kid."


    Kim happily ate the meat with thought full of grudge, accompanied by the cry of an old man throughout the silent night.

 8 Mana

    Chapter 8: Mana


    Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Rather it can be transferred or changed from one form to another. It all started out with a big bang. The creation of the universe. On how we all existed in this civilization, where a big explosion has caused the universe to develop. Despite that, a theory is still a theory. Not a 100% revelation of any kind. Leaving a room for more to explore.


    There are still several questions has been left in dark. Energy, for example, no one knows how and when it has existed. We just knew it was there. Even though there are many research on law and mechanism to understand energy, energy still remained a mystery in the physics world. What is the fundamental behind it? How and why it has ever existed? How much do we even know how the universe works?


    Mana is a source of power that could be cultivated as one''s own. It existed within every single being and had circled around the universe ever since before the beginning of existence. What human does not know, or at least the human of the earth does not know was that, this so call mana is what we call energy. Although it has been known throughout the centuries, till then no one has expected that mana or energy can be absorbed to increase one''s temperament.


    In some instances, one can enhance their muscle strength to exert more power. Some can even upgrade their mind enable them to analyse their surroundings in a split second. There even cases of those that could manipulate mana by transforming it into another matter or even control elements, having nature and environment as their supports. There are several records of those who can make imagination into a reality by visualizing with their mind.


    "As you can see, not everyone can handle mana. They are various factors to consider"


    The first rule of being able to wield mana is to have sufficient amount of mana. This could explain why before there were no records of human in the earth was able to wield mana as their own. There was not enough mana to begin with.


    Besides earth there are other kind of world and universe existing out there who had human controlling mana for centuries as a norms. Still, just having a good source of mana does not mean everyone can hold them or have a feel for them. In actuality, only certain person can wield mana as their own. Even if everyone has mana in their body does not mean everyone can use it. As how everyone has feet, not everyone can play football.


    And in football, some are good some are bad. Mana users are the same. Talent defined how well can a person wield their mana. This could be measured by how much mana can the person use in a single duration and the maximum mana one can use at one time. Some may have a large storage of mana, but the person would be weak if they can only use a maximum of 10% to enhance their body. Even if one can use almost 100% of their mana to enhance their body, it would be worthless if they could not even last for a second.


    "That is how a battle between mana user usually goe. For those who can use mana, we could separate them into several categories"


    There is three distinguishable type of mana users. The first one is an enchanter. They use mana to enhance various part of their body to increase its power output. We can see an increase in muscle strength, fast-reaction speed and super quick thinking.


    The second one is a manipulator. While enchanters wield mana internally, manipulators wield mana externally. Some use mana as extended limbs. Or even use mana to create flame and water to protect themselves. These people usually have high storage of mana since they can practically use their surrounding mana as their own.


    Lastly, the third one is the conjurer. They create things by visualizing with their mind. For example, a conjurer could create a sword that could slash everything or even spears that could extend as far as the wielder could see. They can even change environment and create illusion to gain advantages in battles. Usually, this kind of user would have a great mental strength and is not common among mana users.


    "Those are all three types of mana-users. However, a person is not limited to only one type. Some can become two-type users, and few can even become three-type users. When you gain enough experience and reach a certain mastery of mana you may be able to create your own style that could become a trump card in your battle."


    "Then how about me?"


    "You... you are..."


    While Kim fought with Cerberus and King Hydra he had shown tremendous strength and boost in speed while running. He even able to think at a very fast rate making everything seems slow when he''s concentrating, add with his superhuman reflects makes him an enchanter. Kim was also able to call forth an enormous amount of mana, making the mana as his own, unleashing magnificent crimson flame that roasted King Hydra to the ground in a single strike.


    "So that''s also mean you are a manipulator. I do think you have more affinity as a manipulator since the tremendous force behind the flame your created was ginormous. And also¡­ only manipulator able to use mana to heal themselves and become immune to several infliction. While its common for mana-users of any type to gain immunity and they eventually regenerate themselves as they absorb mana in their surroundings, manipulators can do it way faster when compared to others.


    "So, I''m an enchanter and a manipulator."


    "Yes, at least for now you are. It''s still early to determine anything. All you need to do is train then you will know."


    "A two-type user huh.."


    "By the way, I''m a Master three-type user who has developed my own style."


    "I didn''t ask you"


    "When I was at your age, I was able to master all three types with no problem. I would have the privilege to enter the nation battle competition to compete for the top. Eventually¡­."


    For two-hours Kim had to listen to the voice non-stop rambling about his glorious past. Of course, the bragging just passes through his two ears. Instead, he tried to grasp the mana he felt before.


    Nothing.


    He slanted his head a bit and tried to focus again. The mana was not gathering. Sweat profusely dripping from his face as he tried again and again. He can feel the mana inside and outside his body, but he could not use it as how he did just now. He definitely used mana when he tried to kill himself just now. Somehow, it was not possible anymore.


    Then he tried to punch as hard as he can to the ground. BOOOMM!


    Although it was not as strong as he did when he use mana, it was still powerful enough to form a crack on the ground. The most important point was¡­


    "HURRRTTTTT!!!"


    "What are you doing kid?"


    "It wasn''t hurt before."


    "That''s because mana was protecting you from the pain you fool. If not, you would be reduced to shred with one hit"


    "Then why can''t I use mana now?"


    "Oho, you can feel it now don''t you?"


    "What?"


    "Call me Master"


    "No"


    "Call me Master and I would tell you"


    "No"


    "Then have good luck figuring it yourself"


    "Cool"


    By that time, the voice fell silent. Kim feels calm as there was no more annoying voice disturbing his mind. He can now think properly on what he is going to do now. Although he can''t use mana, his body was still strong. It seems body strength could permanently increase. Athletes would train their muscle daily to improve their performance. A martial artist would push their body to the limit to temper their body. In end, body strength does not directly link to mana. But mana could improve it more when used.


    In case of Kim, his fight with two mighty ferocious beasts has pushed his way breaking his limit. He gradually becoming stronger as the fight prolong. Another thing was mana. Although he could not use mana now, does not mean the mana inside his body is gone. The mana that was flowing inside his vein and soul is constantly strengthening his muscle due to his enchanter trait. Moreover, a manipulator can absorb surrounding mana without the need to rest or even focus. As his body continues to absorb mana, Kim gradually becoming stronger as time goes by without himself noticing it.


    ''This kid potential is too high. I can''t even predict what future he will hold in his hand. If only he could accept me as his master, then I could guide to be at least my level. Well, the best way to learn is to experience yourself anyway. As to how everything stands...I''m sure he will come bow to me sooner or later! Hahahahahaha!''


    After getting chained for so long without any outside contact, he felt an excitement in his heart. While he observed his ''apprentice-to-be'', a suspicious feeling is lingering in his mind. He wondered how the place suddenly become a living hell. Usually mana density would increase little by little so the monster that appear would only be low-level.


    He can''t understand how a world that never felt mana before could attracted monster like King Hydra and Cerberus. And even the Cerberus is an alpha Cerberus which was the leader of its pack. The only thing he could think of was, someone forcedly excite the mana in earth which unintentionally summon these monsters as well.


    ''It could be possible that they did not expect Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra would appear. It seems they know this world contain high storage of mana. But the gamble they took to excite the mana has increased the rate of mana growth exponentially. If he did not kill them just now, it might be the end of this world. The people in this world would probably won''t even be able to feel the mana before everything is destroyed. And this is only a start''


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. It is commonly known as KL. As the capital, it is the largest city in Malaysia and the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia with a population close to 8 million people. Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of glass-and-steel-clad skyscrapers with Islamic motifs has become a true landmark of the city as well as the pride of the whole nation. With a height of 451 meters tall, it is one of the few tallest twin towers in the world. The towers also offer a public sky-bridge and observation deck for locals and tourists to experience the whole view of the city.


    Same time when the Cerberus appeared, a disturbance has caused panic within the domestic areas. It even came out as urgent news. Pets has becoming more aggressive. They merciless attacking their own owner as if they were wild animals. Most people able to escape from their house and locked their pets away. Unfortunately, weak citizens like old people and kid sometimes get brutally killed as they are not able to protect themselves.


    Not just domesticated animals, even birds like pigeon and crows have started to attack any passer-by. Rats from sewers are coming out destroying public facilities. Bugs are aggressively eating plants in farm. This has caused an outrage in the news. The government has issued it to be a national crisis. People are rushed into the designated safe locations and military were dispatch without reserves.


    As time goes by more and more people are getting killed. In Malaysia hundreds and thousands of people were killed several hours since the start of the calamity. It was not just a crisis happening in Malaysia. The entire world was facing a similar situation. Undeveloped countries would suffer more casualties. Warring nations such as Korea and the middle east could respond in time as they had their military ready to be dispatch at any time. There was even a moment of truce for both sides of warring nations to cooperate while protecting each citizen. However, there are still unavoidable casualties happening as they could not expect to protect everyone. Especially for tyrannical government, where the citizen was left behind to protect the head of the country first.


    It was a disaster that was more frightening than pandemic that happened in the past. Currently, within a day, humans of the earth has been reduced less of a third of the whole population.

 9 Hero and Monster

    Chapter 9: Hero and Monster


    "Protect the citizens, make sure they are safe."


    Lt. Adnan is leading his team to guide others to safety. While defending panicking civilians who were running to the public shelter for safety a dog of three-meters tall appeared before them. Two of its teeth protruded outwards are dripping with blood. A sign showing it killed someone or something before coming its way here.


    Its red bloodshot eyes put fear among the military. Although facing dangers is their daily routine, they could not stop the trembling throughout their whole body. Even the veterans among them who have faced real-life near-death situation could not keep calm from facing the gigantic dog.


    "What is¡­ that?"


    "Don''t think much just shoot!" Lt. Adnan command each of his men to shoot their rifle


    ''Ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta''


    Fury of shots blasted away with no reserves. Military forces were dispatch throughout the entire nations due to the alarming states they were facing. Even though the government has squeezed out their entire power to protect their citizens, casualties still increasing. The reasons were not just instability occur in animals, but also the appearances of mysterious beasts from nowhere that has been killing everything in sight.


    Furthermore, they were not able to send their forces to rural areas near the forest or near the mountains. Since they are some tribes who still live within this area, far away from the city, they are doomed to these vicious monsters with lack of military support to get there on time. Especially when the places are crowded with wild animals.


    This was especially true for the eastern part of Malaysia near the Borneo Island. All contact has been lost since the start of the calamity. Not that the government did not care for them. Their hands are full of the situation they are facing now. Protecting as much as they can is the government utmost priority.


    However, even with all their power it was still useless. The dog-like beast was still standing with only minor scratches. Rather than damaging it, the beast was angered instead. The beast calls out a howl that stunned everyone in the vicinity. It struck fear in people hearts making some of the civilians to traumatized, unable to move an inch. Moments later, packs of its kind came to the area.


    More than twenty of them has gathered. The soldiers who were in the frontier could only hopelessly stand on their ground, feeling despair. Some even dropped their gun as they lose their hope. Some even kneeled on the ground praying for help.


    Lt. Adnan tried to shout as loud as he can to gain moral.


    "Fall back! Everyone retreat!!!"


    To his avail, no one moved. The army was massacred one by one by the beasts coming towards them. Limbs were flying around, blood was sprayed all over making the street red. No shout nor scream was heard. Everyone, every single one of them was killed instantly. Not being able to do anything. Hassan was among the army who is working under Lt. Adnan. He just saw his superior get eaten as a whole by the beast who is standing with its four-leg in front of him.


    Ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta


    He shot his bullets until he ran out of ammo. He looked at the side and dozens of his friends were either killed, crush to pieces or get eaten by the beast. He finally lost his hope and just stayed there waiting for his fate. Suddenly a lightning bolt strikes the beast from the sky. Other instances there were arrows piercing through other beasts. Some even managed to land to their eyes making the beasts blind.


    The beast in front of Hassan is now burnt to crisp. Then it was slice to half by a man carrying a 3-meter broadsword with one hand. Around 2-meter tall, the man has a huge back which was well built, making it seems that the broadsword was made to suit him. His shiny-gold full plate armour which covered his entire body. He turned around and smiled to Hassan


    "Are you alright there, fellow soldier?"


    Hassan was in awe looking at the glorious man in front of him. His shining armour glow in radiance releasing an impressive aura which shook the heart of people nearby. His presence at that moment look like some kind of a hero coming to save them. Not just Hassan, but even people nearby who was running away stop in their track just to look at him.


    Their heart could not stop feeling that ''This guy will save us''. Seeing the behaviour of people around him the man smiled. He then plunged his sword into the ground and open his mouth. With his loud voice, he shouted.


    "People of the earth. Fear no more! My name is Ray Varhem, the first prince of the Varhem Kingdom! I shall protect the innocents from these vile creatures!"


    His shout has become hope to the civilians. They even gave a loud cheer and applauses to Ray. Hassan looks at him with full admiration, printing the man figure deeply inside his mind ''I want to be like him''


    Ray raise his hand as a signal and come out with another shout!


    "Archers attack!"


    Thousands of arrows flying in to attack several other beasts. When they look behind thousands of soldiers wearing armor come marching in. There were also cavalries on horses and soldiers holding shield and swords on standby waiting for their command.


    "Thunderstorm!"


    A voice could be heard from the sky. Everyone eyeing upward trying to look for the source of the voice. When someone pointed, they could finally see an old man wearing a hooded black robe was standing still in the middle of the air. He was holding a long wand that is decorated with shiny sapphire attached on top of it. His head was brandished with white hairs. He had a composing looked in his face.


    After his citation, black clouds suddenly gathered on top of the area where all the beasts were. Then the same lightning which stunned the first beast strike everything underneath it, immobilize all that within the affected area.


    Ray then shouted


    "All men, forward!"


    Hassan with a sudden burn of passion join the counterattack under Ray command.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    After checking his half-wrecked house, he packed all his belonging. He wore a black shirts and trousers, comfortably enough for him to move well in case of emergency. It is unthinkable if there are no other incidents going to happen in the future. He even took his old ''dobok'' which he wore during the time he practised ''Soo Bahk Do'' a Korean martial that is similar to Japanese Karate.


    "So, you do know how to fight. No wonder you have good instinct"


    He did not utter a single word of reply and started to observe his house. He smelled the stench of blood from his parent room. After resolving himself he took a step closer and open the white-door that was above 2 meters in height. It made a creaking sound as the hinge is slightly rusted. He took a deep breath and entered slowly.


    No one was there. He could see the room was in a mess but there was no sign of people. He checked thoroughly until a voice was heard from the bathroom. He did not rush and listened carefully to determine what''s the voice was. Again, he heard the voice. It was a voice he never heard before but seems to be familiar to him. It was similar to the sound of his cat. Not just any sound, but the sound of his cat does when it is eating.


    Kim panted slowly while stepping closer and closer towards the bathroom. The door was completely wrecked. It''s only hanging on one hinge. The bottom part is damaged and there are several claw marks on the surface. He put his body close to the wall to slowly peek inside, being careful to not being seen. When he did, he instantly closes his mouth with his hand to make sure he did not make any noise. His body trembled as he went out of the room.


    He went outside and vomited.


    "People who could survive this kind of things are not many. You already expected this"


    "Yes, but.. this.. that was.. No.. it can''t be... It''s too different."


    "Are you sure? Or you just want to think it''s not your cat?"


    "That was not my cat!"


    "Mana is inside every living being. Not just human. Animal especially could get adapted to mana quickly due to their beastly instinct."


    "Then why does it has to-" He vomited again.


    "It''s the differences between human and animal. Humans are intelligent. Animals only rely on their instinct. Animals are born to survive. To kill, eat and live. For that, they must absorb more mana and become stronger. Eventually, they will become a monster as well"


    "Monster?"


    "Yes. Other beings beside human with mana are called monsters. Animals will become one too if they absorb enough. When you kill or eat a being with mana, you could absorb their mana to become stronger. Don''t you feel it when you killed Cerberus and Hydra yesterday? Don''t you feel stronger and stronger as you munch on that tasty roasted snake every bite you took at that crunchy meat?"


    A slurping sound of saliva could be heard from the voice.


    "Anyway, what are you going to do now?"


    Kim wiped his mouth from the vomit and stand back up. Although his legs are still shaking, he tried to push himself to walk back inside the house.


    A few minutes later he went back outside with a shovel in his hand. The head of the shovel was stained with blood. It drips and left some trail as Kim walked. He started to dig into the ground bits by bits. Rain started to drizzle as the sound of the shovel digging through the ground continue throughout the night.


    After it reached around two meters deep he continued to dig to the side increasing the size of the hole in the ground. He continued until a dozen people could lay down comfortably inside the hole. He threw away the shovel to the side. He went back inside and carried out bodies of his family with his two arm and gently put them into the ground. He also went back several times to carry some limbs, and innards of humans.


    Lastly, he drags along a cat corpse that was three-time bigger than him. Even though the rain was getting harder, it could not wash away all the blood that has attached to Kim body. Trails of blood that were left behind flow into the hole and formed a pool of blood. He threw the corpse of the cat as well and bury everything back. Afterwards, he just sits there hugging his knee while looking at the empty space.


    No one would be able to know what is currently inside this 12-yeard old mind.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    In Kuala Lumpur, the number of beasts appearing has been depleting tremendously. Although one or two would come sometimes, it would be killed instantly by Ray army that numbered to hundreds of thousand. Despite the ferocious beasts were freakishly strong, the numbers of Ray army balance out the power. In the end, the beast fled outside the city and human has achieved their first victory.


    "You there, what''s your name?"


    "M-Me??? I''m, H-Ha-Hassan sir!"


    "Hassan?"


    "Yes"


    "You fought well even though it''s your first time facing a monster"


    "Monster sir?"


    "It seems, you never saw a ''Monster'' before"


    "So that is a monster.. it killed... everyone"


    "True. And we human should try to survive by absorbing all their mana! This way we could rule them out and protect everyone don''t you agree, Hassan?"


    "Mana?"


    "So, it''s true, this a world never experienced mana. Never mind! Seeing how well you fight without knowing mana, how about you work directly as a mediator between our world and this world. The Kingdom of Varhem would gladly help this world citizens to prosper in the future!"


    "Mediator sir? Where is Varhem?"


    "Can''t help it then. Sylva!"


    "Yes, Your Highness"


    The robed man who called forth lighting form the sky float towards Ray and Hassan.


    "This man here will be the mediator. Tell everyone in the empire he is working under me. And educate the people of this world about mana."


    "As you wish, Your Highness."


    All the information given to Hassan was news to him. He felt like the person before him, has come from another dimension. Sylva then floats around to gather some army along with Hassan to help with the explanation. As for Ray, he gathered more troops to come to him. He then invited Hassan to ride with him on his horse.


    "Where are we going, sir?"


    "Where else? To finish what we started"


    Afterwards, Hassan joined Ray, and his troop to slaughter all the nearby monsters which ensured the safety of Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur became the first base of Varhem Kingdom.

 10 A new resolution

    Chapter 10: A new resolution


    Kim has been sitting hugging his knee for a whole day with only slight movement. He didn''t sleep nor eat during that time. Whether it was heavy rain or bright sun, nothing could move him for his place.


    "How long are you going to stay like this?"


    Kim didn''t reply and stayed there with no change of expression on his cold pale face. His eyes are already dead. For a person to lose a friend was another thing but losing his family who took care of him since birth was unimaginable for a child. Just now, at least he thought of making himself stronger just to kill himself. Now, he lost himself as another traumatic event occurred before him.


    "Kid, listen. I''m not someone who would talk unless it''s necessary. But, your potential is not to be wasted like this. I may not understand your feeling, because I''m always alone. I don''t have what human call family. No one can be considered as friends as every being around me only try to gain my favours. In the end, I was betrayed and sentenced to get chained like this almost my entire life. One thing I do understand is the meaning of loneliness."


    Power is necessary to survive in this world. One could not gain anything without power. Be it, whether it is muscle strength, economic or political power, as long you know how to utilize your power you will have a great future ahead of you. It is simpler in the universe of mana. One who governs the most mana can become a king. A lord who everyone obeys. Meaning, only powerful people can sit on top of the throne.


    However, as one gets closer and closer to the top they will realize most people would get left behind. Especially when you are the strongest. Not many can stand by you or even get close to you. For that reason, you will feel like you are in your own world where no one is able to enter. A world so high that in the end, others would give up climbing and stay in their place. Sucking up to you to gain favour. Showing plastic smile and fake compliments to gain benefits. In the end, you stop caring and live on your own.


    The voice stayed silent as he ponders about his past. If only others were more accepting rather than fearing him. Then he continued.


    "I want you to live a more fulfilling life kid, see the world in a better view than me. But, if you going to stay like this then I have no choice but to tell you one thing about this incident happening to your world. It is not by mere chance that the mana suddenly erupted and called forth those monsters appeared before"


    Kim agitated a bit and stop moving again. This time, he tried to listen to the voice.


    "The reason I was bound in this world was that the mana here was too dormant for me to utilize any mana to escape. Which means, I won''t be able to use any mana to break my seal until the point I''m too weak by the time mana become active. Another thing was.."


    Kim''s eyes changed as he was getting into the voice explanation


    "When mana become active, a world won''t release as much as how you felt now. Thus, gives more times for human to adapt, enable human to protect themselves by the time monster would start to appear or when an animal becoming one. Meaning, someone force activated the dormant mana in this world."


    "Usually only normal monsters would appear. But it seems that this world has accumulated too much mana while it stayed dormant, it manages to even cause boss monsters like Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra to appear. It seems the preparator did not know the consequences they called forth."


    "Who.."


    Kim stands up as cracks of several meters formed underneath his feet. His body is enveloped with white lights. If someone sees him, they may be at awe looking at how pretty the light is. However, if someone looks into his eyes, they would die from his killing intent alone.


    "Tell me who did this?!"


    "I don''t know exactly. However, I do know that it involved more than a person. It may be a kingdom or an entire world. Heck, I won''t be surprised if more than one world was involved in this."


    "Then, should I destroy them? Kill every each one of them?"


    "Living with only the thought of revenge is not a path one should take. Since I killed many, I''ve seen how devastating it is for a person who lives solely for revenge. Their eyes make me feel pity. It won''t do you much if you waste yourself like this"


    "I don''t care. I have nothing to live for. I want to kill them. Tell me where they are now!"


    "Kid, it seems you won''t listen to me. That''s why I was reluctant to tell you."


    "At least I''m determined to do something as to how you want me to right? Tell me now!"


    "You really won''t consider any reasoning, don''t you? Then don''t regret this"


    Suddenly the whole ground was trembling, and the sky becomes dark. Shrieking sound of animals can be heard from afar. It feels like as if something frightening would appear at any moment.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "What is happening?"


    Ray and his troop were marching south towards Johor to kill more of the invading monsters and occupy more land. When suddenly a huge fissure causes the troops to halt for a moment. The sky suddenly turns dark and the weather becomes severely bad. The birds and flying monsters fall one by one as they get hit by thunder.


    It was not just Malaysia, but also in Europe, East Asia, USA, and Africa. People in every continent was facing the same image. Kingdoms who is affiliated with one another reporting the same thing happening in their area as well. Then a deafening roar struck fear in everyone heart. The pressure was overbearing that everyone including Ray was forced to kneel on the ground.


    "Sylva! What with this domineering aura I''m feeling. How can anything in a world which just activate its mana could release this kind of power?"


    Ray barely talk as he tried to inquire Sylva who has vast knowledge as an old wizard.


    "Your Highness, this old man never felt this huge amount of power. However, the intimidating roar we heard just now is definitely.. a dragon"


    Those who heard Sylva had their eyes widened due to the shock from the word of ''dragon''. Even Hassan who never seen a monster before could understand why the word ''dragon'' could make even a person as great as Ray to tremble in fear. That was because, among all the books he read and the games he played, a dragon was always an existence that was a pure mass of destruction of which everyone could do nothing but to obey them.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Several million worlds above Earth, within a deep cave, glowing red eyes opening within the dark place. As if it just wakes up from its slumber. The reason was, it could felt a cold chilling sensation passing through its red body covered with thick scale. The scale suddenly glows with an intense flame and the monster led a roar which shook the entire world it was in.


    Then a person with bluish-white hair comes in with respect shown in his face. He has chilly aura emanating from his body which could cause an ordinary person to freeze the instant they are nearby. Despite the frightening aura coming from the person, he still kneels down to the red-eyes beast in front of him.


    "What can I do for you, Emperor?"


    "Find him"


    "Yes sir"


    The red-eyes beast went back to its slumber.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Kim was forced to lay on the ground due the pressure exerted toward him. Although it seems like the power were spread throughout the whole continent, it was actually designated toward Kim only. What others felt around the world was only the residue of the unleashed power. A shock wave after an explosion. A small piece of a broken glass. A splinter from a wood. Even that could make them kneel to the ground.


    Kim is now facing several hundred times fold of pressure exerted directly toward him. He could not even lift a finger or scream due to the pain crushing his entire bones. He thought that he already lost all his emotions and would not feel anything. He even prepared to send himself to the netherworld. He would even throw his body to death just to seek revenge. Now all of it does not matter anymore. What he is feeling right now is fear.


    He thought that after facing Cerberus and Hydra, he would not feel fear anymore. He could even kill his own cat which had become a monster with no hesitation. Now a sudden fear suddenly erupted his whole body. It was not the pain that made him scared, but it was the feeling of death. He felt like he is going to die. At this moment, Kim shouted.


    "I''m not going to die, I''m going to live. I''m going to have my revenge. Arggghhhh!!!"


    He shouted and subconsciously released mana to protect his body. Even with all the effort, the pain did not stop. Several hours have passed and finally, the tremendous pressure has stopped.


    "You do want to live"


    Kim coughs a mouthful of blood. Every inch of bones and muscles from his feet to his head has broken to pieces. Not just moving, even breathing was almost impossible for him. He stayed still to recuperate from his near-death state.


    "You told me you want to seek revenge towards an entire world when you can''t even stand up just from a mere roar? I could have to kill you just now if I want to. And that is not even the full extent of my power."


    The words from the voice felt like a slap on his face. He thought too highly of himself after defeating the two mythical monsters on his own. He thought that all he had to do was to destroy everything. Now he knew it was not that easy in the first place. The world of mana was much more than what he could imagine. He felt weak.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Casualties?"


    "None Your Highness. Although the force was strong, it was not intended to kill anyone. It seems it was just meant to intimidate."


    Ray had a solemn face when he heard what Sylva has thought. If this was only for intimidation then, what could happen if it unleashed its full power. Not even an entire world could last a second. Even if there were several worlds united to go against that force, the winning possibility was still close to zero.


    "Location?"


    "I sense it to be from an island located several hundred kilometres east from here."


    "Hassan, do you know such place?"


    "Yes, sir. It''s the island of Borneo. Half of it is a part of Malaysia."


    "Borneo?"


    Ray engraved the name in his heart to make sure he never forgets it.


    "Send a report to our base as well as relay a message to other Kingdom from other worlds."


    "The message, Your Highness"


    "From now on, Borneo is a restricted area. No man should go there without the agreement from every Kingdom. Send them the location and tell them the existing of a dragon"


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "You realized how weak you are now?"


    "Yes."


    "Do you still want revenge?"


    "Yes."


    Kim can only give a short answer since he could barely talk due to his severe injuries. Even with all that, his heart did not quiver from seeking revenge. But one thing has changed now. He wanted power. A power strong enough to make his enemies bow down to him without him lifting a finger. A power that is strong enough to crush an entire world. His lifeless eyes just suddenly flicker with a killing passion. He wanted to live and become strong.


    He wanted to become the strongest in the entire universe so that no one would die in front of him again. He thought of his friend and his family. He felt sorry now because he could not join them anytime soon as a new resolution appeared in his heart.


    "I don''t agree with revenge, but at least you have a new determination to live now. Become strong, kid. I will guide you to become even stronger than me. You are still young, you have great potential ahead of you. Live well and don''t just rely on revenge to keep you going. And don''t live an empty life like this old man."


    When Kim heard that words he felt a warm sensation mix with regret within those words. He felt very modest thinking someone as weak as him would be taught by a powerful being like that. He felt fortunate that the voice willing to guide him even though he had given up on life before.


    "Now, call me Master"


    "No"

 11 Becoming an egg

    Chapter 11: Becoming an egg


    "Damn it. Why are they not stopping?"


    It has been a week since the calamity that befalls the earth. Although the first impact was devastating, the aftermath was terrifying. It''s like having a tsunami after an earthquake. Kim has been running endlessly since the day he buried his family.


    "It''s mana. Your mana uncontrollably leaking out. You need to learn how to control your mana before anything else. It''s also the reason why you can''t use it willingly before."


    Due to their instinct to survive monsters are highly sensitive to mana. They live in a harsh world of survival of the fittest. Eat or be eaten. If they don''t eat others they would get eaten by other monsters instead to accumulate more mana within their bodies.


    "Hard for me to say this but, your mana capacity is above mine when I first started to use mana. Making you a delicious meal for any monster out there. Unfortunately, you can''t use it effectively yet."


    "Didn''t you say you going to teach me?"


    "Call me Mas-"


    "No"


    "Then try your best to survive"


    When he was on the ground he would be chased by several dozens of dog-like monster that are three times bigger than him. He couldn''t hide properly due to their amazing nose. It felt like he was getting chased by a police dog. Except that, each one of them was trying to eat him.


    When he tried to jump into the river nearby Kampung Meranek to wash off his scent, he would get ambushed by crocodiles that could swallow a small boat. He would get out instantly and end up getting chased again by the packs of dogs. Despite the unknown dangers, he went to the forest to hide.


    Although Kim wasn''t able to utilize his mana, he was able to move around without getting tired due to his body being tempered by his previous fight with the two ferocious mythical beast. His movement was agile as he was jumping around from one tree to another. He thought that by staying on top of the trees the dogs would not be able to catch him. To his surprise, the dog actually stopped chasing him the moment he steps into the forest.


    He felt relieved but he didn''t let his guard down. There might be bigger danger hidden within the forest. At least he could rest for now. So he took refuge on top of one of the trees.


    Kim breathes out a sigh of relief and lay with his back against the tree. He looked around the familiar forest where he played around with his friends from before. But something seems off.


    "Surprised?"


    "Yeah, I played around here a lot before. It seems different"


    "It must have undergone some changes by absorbing mana. Every living being needs mana to survive. Now that the mana in this world has become active, nature which is a part of the world would be the first thing that could quickly adapt to mana. Since they are directly linked to the world, they could absorb mana at a terrifying speed. The world you knew before is constantly changing"


    "Until when?"


    "Until nature could not absorb any more and the world reaches an equilibrium state with the universe. It''s the law of the universe. Everything will gradually shift to an equilibrium and created a harmony in the universe."


    "So, even if no one disturbed us in the first place, mana would eventually awaken somehow?"


    "Yes. But different from now, you will have the time to get adopted. Eventually, the human would create a new system and able to protect one another."


    "I see"


    "But I won''t promise you that your friends and family would survive. Death is inevitable for every living being."


    "How about you then? You are still alive till now."


    "Yes, but no matter how powerful I am, I will die eventually. There''s no such thing as immortality. Even I could not escape death if it comes to me"


    Kim gave himself a thought from the short conversation. Maybe, it was already the time for his friends and family death. He could have been dead a few days before but he still was here breathing. However, he still could not forgive the mastermind behind the calamity that befalls them. He needs to live and get stronger to exact his revenge. Afterwards, he could just think of what he should do in the future.


    "Don''t waste time. I need you to stay alive for you to call me Master. Concentrate and control your breathing"


    Kim instantly followed the voice instructions as it sounded urgent. He now confirmed there were approaching danger coming from the forest. He diligently followed everything that was instructed.


    "Usually, few years of careful thorough training should be done for you to effectively utilized your mana properly. Considering your talent I think sending you my mana memory would suffice. Make sure you always maintain your breathing as it is the key point to use your mana. Now empty your mind and don''t reject what I''m going to transfer to you."


    Kim closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. He controlled his breathing and was prepared to give full concentration. Then he felt a sudden warm sensation of energy enveloping his entire body. It had the same feeling with the domineering forced that push him down the ground a week ago. Except, it was protecting him instead. The monsters that were tracking him down stayed in their place. Their instinct tells them that the moment they touch Kim, the would be annihilated into dust.


    "I can''t use my full power in this state. But this could at least last for half a day. Make sure you except everything completely by then or you will die"


    "Why didn''t you use this earlier?" Kim replied in a somewhat annoyed tone.


    "You should call me Master earlier, then"


    Kim snorted and fell to silence once more.


    "This ignorant bastard. Don''t cry to me if you fail"


    The person who let out the voice then smirk.


    "Be prepared. You will feel.. a bit of pain"


    Physical strength can be obtained through consistent training and practice. However, mental fortitude is excruciating hard to achieve as the mind is very vulnerable. People often reluctant to practice their mental strength due to its level of difficulties. That''s why a little number of people such as athletes, businessmen, and researchers could reach the top. They all share the same thing which was extreme mental strength.


    In Kim''s case, he was born a genius with natural strong mental fortitude He could comprehend information at a very fast rate. Especially when mana has tempered his mind, he was able to take loads of information less than a millisecond. He could read hundreds of pages of books in a second without missing any words while understanding the content. Taking this facts, the voice decided to use a rather risky method instead of conventional one due to urgency.


    A sudden rush of information came surging into Kim thought at one time which cause veins at his forehead to bulge. The wisdom of a being who had lived for millennia was being rewind inside a kid mind in a mere of a split second. The domineering force that is crushing every piece of bones and tearing each strain of veins in his body was nothing when compared to the mental burden he was taking.


    When we do a certain repeated movement we would get used to it until it become a habit. It is how a pianist able to accurately hit the right note while reading scores without looking at piano keys. It is also the reasons how someone was able to juggle blindfolded without making any mistake. After years of practice one would be able to master their skills and could effortlessly execute them at any given time.


    Mana memory is fundamentally the same thing. As mana-users trained in a specific skill, they could enhance their muscle with no time gap or call out a fire without imagining it. A conjurer could even create illusions without enemies noticing.


    The voice is trying to transfer several millenniums worth of mana memory to a person in a single time! If Kim is able to accept everything then he would be as skilful as a thousand year master, but chances were his mind would be overloaded with too much information which would destroy his mind and make him a living dead. A piece of meat with no thoughts.


    He felt like a mountain was sitting on his head is trying to crush his entire body. Every single nerve cells of his brain were rapidly transmitting signal and interpreting a non-stop mass of information that was coming in like a falling waterfall. He let out a painful scream that lasted for several hours.


    ''Is this too much? He is tenacious enough to beat two top-tier monsters in a single day. I''m sure he could survive with guidance''


    "Direct your mind to my voice. Don''t try to comprehend everything as how you used to. Block all your sense and focus on sensing the mana that is surrounding. All you have to do is to accept."


    The soothing gentle voice sounded like a parent taking care of their child. Kim felt calm and continued to endure the unimaginable pain he is having now. Eventually, he reached his limit. Every breath he took, more and more pain accumulated until the point he was almost going to pass out.


    ''Tch... He''s going to die at this rate''


    "Come on, kid! Didn''t you want to show your brilliance to the whole world? What is this pain when compare to your lifelong dream? Don''t tell me it''s all talk!"


    The sudden change in tone shook Kim from his concentration.


    "Arrrghhh, shut you old geezer! Grrrrr..."


    Kim gritted his teeth as he was enduring the immense pain.


    "If you have time to reply, then put some effort! Show me some result you annoying bastard!"


    What once to be a soothing caring voice suddenly changed into a coach training his team.


    ''It seems this kid ego is quite high. Making provoking him more would make him more resilience''


    "Are you giving up, you little crybaby? All I''ve seen you did was to cry cry cry.. boo hoo.."


    "..."


    "Kid?"


    There was no reply from Kim


    "Kid.. don''t tell me you really-"


    "I said shut up old geezer."


    Kim replied with a cold voice that could send a chilly sensation to anyone who heard it. He wasn''t screaming as he did. He was still sitting down concentrating as sweat profusely coming out making his body soaking wet. The pain he felt just now was still there but he was enduring it with complete serenity.


    Although Kim has blocked all his sensed, he could actually see, or more like he was able to sense his surrounding. He was inside a thick forest at night with no light passing through but he was able to see clearly what is happening at the moment.


    He could sense the presence of dogs that were chasing him before. Above the sky, huge birds were swirling above him as if waiting for him to come out. In front of him, dozens of monster were already waiting on the ground and even beneath the ground. Hundreds more were still approaching as they sensed his mana the moment he entered the forest. And behind them was a monster that was almost as huge as Cerberus is residing under the ground.


    The only reason they were not attacking him right now was due to a protective layer that was covering him. He could sense a somewhat familiar feeling from the mana of the layer. He reminded of the moment when he was a child. His mother would hug him to sleep when he would wake up crying from nightmares. He felt safe. His heart wavers a bit from the feeling.


    ''He''s still a child after all. I won''t let you die, kid''


    Again his body radiating with white lights as the surrounding mana being absorbed into his body. Before, his mana would uncontrollably be leaking out as if he was asking to be noticed by everyone. It''s like he was screaming using a loudspeaker, making him an easy prey for monsters as they don''t need much effort to sense him. Now he was able to keep his mana in place instead of wildly going into random directions.


    "Now direct your mana into yourself. Think of an egg in the shell. Keep that shell unbroken to contain your mana. Put it as much care as it could break if you don''t keep your mana stable."


    Kim took a deep breath and followed the voice guidance. He tried to contain his mana within his body and the first attempt failed. The failure had caused a crack at the protective layer due to a high density of mana gushing out.


    "Just focus on handling your mana. I will manage it."


    Kim tried again and this time he tried to follow the mechanism of the protective layer and failed several more times. Even if he had received the mana memory, it was impossible for him to comprehend everything in a short time for him to utilize it properly. It''s like giving a gun to a beginner. Even the person was given the latest state-of-the-art rifle, it would take time for him to be able to hit a target.


    "Egg...egg...egg..egg...egg..egg"


    The voice continued to chant the same things which in ends getting ignored by Kim. Again he failed. For every failure he had more and more cracks were formed at the layer.


    "Ignorant fool! Even with all that memory, you can''t even contain your mana"


    The voice panted while scolding Kim. There was a clear sign of tiredness coming from the voice. It seems to be struggling to keep up the protective layer. It was understandable since it was transferring its mana memory while keeping a defensive shield to protect Kim. At the same time it continued to transmit its voice from who knows where it was.


    Finally, it shattered. The waiting horde of monsters all rushes onto Kim at the same time.


    "Become an egg or you die kid!"


    Kim let out a cold snort and finally focused all his mind to become an egg!

 12 Memory

    Chapter 12: Memory


    The voice keep reminiscing his past. He understands the most the feeling of loneliness. He was born without care from others. All he remembered as a child was his struggles to survive. When he learned about the rule of the world where the strong lives, he took the initiatives to become the strongest. Fighting and killing become his daily routine as he reached for the top and finally becoming an Emperor. By then he should achieve everything. Then he realized he didn''t even feel the satisfaction he thought he would feel. He was alone on top of the world looking down on others. Even if he tried to go down everything will stay away from him.


    As time goes by, his heart becomes cold, void with emotions. There was no feeling of compassion, regrets, hesitation or even satisfaction. He lived his life as an emperor that could trample on anything in his way. Others saw him as an object of fear as he would kill anything who courageous enough to stand against him. It was also one of the reasons why he was being followed. His subordinates were celebrating his strength and made it as their pride and glory for having an emperor such as him. Enable them to be able to go against all living being with no fear. Although he felt like he was being used at least he wasn''t alone anymore.


    Until that time when they reached a certain dormant world. He was flying around the night sky to observe the world he was in. The sea was vast and the land was flourished with nature growing on top. It may be due to the large storage of mana that was residing in the world which makes the nature to grow exquisitely. Then he sense a living being within the vicinity he was flying.


    It was a woman holding her child. She was carrying the child at her back while cooking. Times and times again the child would cry of hunger and she would carefully caress the child to calm the child down. She would sway left to right while humming to make the child feel comfortable. Finally, after she done, she would feed the child with the food she made. She would then embraced her child to sleep.


    He went to the place again and again and saw the same routine almost every single night. Until a week has past and he decided to get closer due to curiosity. What happened next caused his heart to quiver. When the woman saw his appearances instead of running, she stands gallantly in front of a being such as him. Her body was clearly trembling but her eyes didn''t even waver for a second. Her face show full determination to protect her child.


    It was a foreign feeling for him who has been living in the world of survival of the fittest. The child suppose to be dead long before could even open see the world, but somehow the child still lives because of the woman who took care of him. His once frozen heart was slowly melted by the warmness of compassion that suddenly lit up within his heart. He then left the place and went back to his throne.


    From then on, he told every single one of his follower to finally lay down and reside within the world they were currently occupying. He commanded them to live their life without interfering others. Of course, a revolt happened and they tried to massacre another world behind him due to their desire for strength. In the end, he was alone once more fighting against what was once his loyal subordinates. He was the strongest; a being which was in another league when compared to others. He managed to kill more than half of the opposing sides on his own.


    However, at the decisive moment, he hesitated to kill his closest companions and fell into a trap they set to seal him down for eternity. The seal was highly effective because it was done in a dormant world. A larger external force of mana is needed to break the seal. Since it''s a dormant world, they were sure their emperor would not be able to manipulate mana to break the seal from the outside. Fearing that the dormant mana would get activated if they get involved more with the world, they leave it unattended.


    Again he spends his time alone for an endless time in a world called Earth. His sense was blocked so he could not see, hear, taste, smell or feel anything. When finally, he was able to sense mana again. The moment he woke up from his slumber and relive his thought he saw a kid who was earnestly fighting an Alpha Cerberus.


    At first, he didn''t care much but somehow he couldn''t stop looking. After seeing how tenacious the kid was he thought of helping a bit even though the kid would eventually die. To his shock, the kid manages to destroy an Alpha Cerberus with a single punch at the first time the kid felt mana. He became interested to see the kid future potential. Unfortunately, a King Hydra suddenly appeared, making his excitement went to the drain since he sure now the kid was going to die.


    To his amazement, at the moment of what he thought was inevitable death, the two boys were laughing and joking around as if nothing had happened. What was more astonishing was that they didn''t have any intention of leaving each other behind. Although the chance of survival for one of them increase if one person left his friend behind, they still stayed together.


    Then one of them pushes another one to protect the other kid throwing himself into his deathbed.


    ''A self-sacrifice?''


    Again, his heart quiver as his heart melted.


    The boy who, he knew as Kim, was still on the ground as if waiting for his death. He thought that it was the end as the acid devoured Kim as a whole. Amazingly Kim was able to reconstruct his own body in an instant. He has seen others reconstructing another body, but doing so to your own body is a hopeless effort since you won''t have enough mana to heal yourself and stay alive at the same time. Kim then went fighting head to head with King Hydra without wearing anything. Since he was curious about the being called human he was seeing now, he made sure to help as much as he can for Kim to survive.


    Sadly, after two impossible wins, the boy didn''t feel happy at all. Instead, he was still in despair and was thinking of a way to kill himself. He knew that the kid would try every means possible to kill himself, but he blocked Kim''s mana and even added some protective layer to make sure he was safe. He regretted himself afterwards since he was paid back by having to watch an ungrateful bastard having a delicious feast by himself.


    ''Gulp. This is not fair. This is how he repays my kindness!''


    Then, Kim went to his house. He felt anxious because he knew Kim''s parent was already dead. He knew it won''t turn out good. His instinct was right on point. Kim fell into silent without moving an inch. When he saw how much Kim cried after he saw his parent''s dead body, he was reminded of how the woman took care of and protected her child.


    The feeling of compassion of a human is not something that can be copied by any other living being. Especially when it is from a parent to their child. Their unwavering love would even make them throw themselves to pits of fire just to save their own children. Almost every parent out there would squeeze all their resources and strength to make sure their child could live comfortably.


    Seeing how people desperately protecting each other with no care of themselves was something that was unimaginable to him during his time as an emperor. To him, it was beautiful. His heart melted completely and a sudden warm feeling started to grow within him. It was a feeling that could not be obtained anywhere and can only be found residing in one heart.He still didn''t understand the feeling, but he knew it wasn''t a bad feeling.


    ''I must protect this kid. I will make sure he would live on and live his life!''


    Tears suddenly fell from Kim eyes as he saw the scene unfolded in front of him. It was not just scene that was projected into him but also the feeling mixed into it. The feeling of loneliness since birth, a sudden change of heart that could melt a frozen heart, the betrayal that comes after and the feeling of love. He experienced every single scene as if he was reliving it as the person himself.


    "Are you enjoying yourself kid?"


    He saw a giant silhouette that was several times larger than Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra combined. He hesitated to reply at first. And then he asked


    "What was that?"


    "Memory. Once I transferred all my mana memory our mind are now linked and we could sense each other. That''s why you could see me. You could say you and me are one in mind but different body."


    "Gross, I don''t want to share my mind with an old geezer. You might be a pervert."


    "Shushh kid, I''m doing this to train you. By the way, can you feel it?"


    Kim stayed silent to observe his surrounding. He was not inside the forest he was now, but instead, he was within an infinite space. It was dark and there was nothing could be seen within kilometres radius. The ground was flat and he was the only living being inside it.


    "Where am I?"


    "This is my personal skill that I created which made me stand above others. It was also created due to my trait of always... being alone"


    "In other words, it''s a sad skill for sad people"


    "..., You will be amazed by this skill"


    "Then what is it?"


    "It''s called mental domain. You are in the world of your mind now. After finish receiving all my mana memory, you intuitively execute this skill to save yourself. Which made me certain that you are a conjurer as well"


    "Mental domain? Can I cancel it now? I don''t want to be alone with an old geezer it''s scary."


    "Well, cancel it now and you would regret it your entire life as you could only use this once"


    After much thought, Kim asked again


    "How does it work?"


    "Here''s a question, are you in the forest now?"


    "No"


    "Wrong, you are still in the forest, and yes you are in different place. At least your mind is."


    Kim stayed silent to listen more to the voice coming from the silhouette.


    "Mental domain is a world created by your mind. Do you remember how everything becomes slow when you focus solely on your mind while fighting those monsters from before? This domain has the same mechanism. Except that, everything is moving infinitely slow that it feels like they stop moving. Including lights. So time is almost endless here"


    "How can training in my mind help me in real life?"


    "Hahahaha! It''s the best training place for all mana user"


    Pro athletes would often do mental image training just before they compete. They would replay the same scene of them competing again and again until they perfected their winning image. For example, a sprinter would do an image training of him starting the race so that he would not do any mistake during the real race. Those who play basketball would imagine themselves throwing a 3-point for thousands of times.


    Within the mental domain, the training is similar. Kim already accepted every mana memory that was transferred into his mind. The only thing he needs to do is to reanimate everything he learned again and again until the point he masters it. As time is infinite inside the domain, it would easily serve its purpose to enable Kim to master all the thousand years worth of mana memory.


    As wondrous as it may sound the downside of it is the torturous amount of strain to one''s mind while maintaining the domain. If an ordinary person entered the domain it would be instant death.


    "Since you were able to accept all my mana memory in a short time, I guess the stress to your mind would be nothing for you."


    "So how long?"


    "As long as it takes. I''m going to make sure you master all my thousands of years of memory. So around that? or maybe more!"


    Although it wasn''t clear, Kim felt like a vile grin could be seen at the black silhouette. He felt a shivering chill piercing his spine.


    "Didn''t you really enjoy relive my memory just now? Why not relive the whole thousands of years? You must finish a book with an interesting summary at the back right? Don''t worry it''s going to be fun! Bwahahahaha!"


    A cold sweat broke, when Kim heard the sinister laugh.


    "Don''t think of cancelling this domain. Forcefully breaking out would caused your mind to explode. I will make sure to teach you how to get out. Only after I teach you every else first. Bwahahahahah!"


    Again, Kim felt like he wanted to kill himself.

 13 Awakening

    Chapter 13: Awakening


    The moment Kim opened his eyes, a giant praying mantis with two steel blades as its arms closing in to slice Kim in half.


    Shing! The sound of the blade was similar to metal which could slice a tree like melted butter. It thought that it had killed Kim but something felt off. There was no resistance! A similar feeling of slicing through a thin air. Before the mantis come back to its sense, it was too late. A downward kick from appearing from nowhere has smashed its heads bulging eyes, splitting the monster in half.


    Before any other monsters would ambush him, Kim jumped from one tree to another at a quick pace. The monsters didn''t waste time chasing him around. There were also several dozens of them on the ground trying to chase Kim.


    Finally, no more mantis could be seen. It appears that Kim manages to shake them off. Suddenly from the dark a sudden wind come slicing through. It didn''t damage Kim for a bit, but it does keep him in alarmed. Good thing his mana sense is always active. The wind was not a wind. It was something viler. A creature that lurks in the dark. A blood-sucking bat!


    Not only one, but more than a dozen of them were flying around trying to suck Kim''s dry. Kim would swiftly grab each one of them with his bare hand and crush their heads instantly before they even manage to put their fang into his skin. Slowly the monsters chasing him is reduced by numbers. Despite that, something felt off. He didn''t really kill a lot of the bats since it was flying so swiftly. Surely, the bats were fast enough to catch him.


    His heart trembles, thinking of whatever lies behind him. Looking back, there may be nothing due to the endless darkness, but if he stops now probably he would be surrounded by monsters. By the moment he tries to expand his mana sense, a loud shout resonating within the forest. The sound itself was not threatening, but it still sent some cold shiver to his spine. What worried him the most is that he could not determine the source. Up, down, left, right, it was everywhere!


    Then he saw, five bloodshot eyes rushing to him with a terrifying shriek. They were apes. Demonic apes with killing intent emanating from it. As if they were telling Kim the forest is their territory and he should die for trespassing!


    The apes were attacking Kim from left and right. Kim couldn''t rest for a moment to avoid all their fierce attacks. Despite that, Kim was not in a disadvantaged position. He brilliantly moves from one tree to another with his agile movement. Although the ape monsters are fighting in their field, Kim is moving as naturally as them. As if he lived in the forest in his entire life.


    Kim seems to be moving around randomly by swinging, jumping and bouncing around, every step he made was from precise calculations.He observed his surrounding and calculated the best route to avoid getting hit while managing a counter before he took a step. Right now within his mind hundreds of real-life information gushing in like a waterfall.


    From an ordinary person point of view, he was trying his best to survive by moving around endlessly. From a strategic view, it was a hit-and-run technique to fight against a horde of monsters at one time. However, a mana-user would be overwhelmed by the display of skills shown by Kim. It wasn''t just the movement, but also the way he dispersed his mana while running around fighting.


    Whenever he was getting hit he would vanish and left with only an after-image, which comes with a fatal-counter. Even a high-ranking mana-user would rub their eyes times to times again whenever Kim appear out of nowhere to land a fatal blow.Kim is very efficient that there was nothing but efficiency and precision in his movement. He would absorb surrounding mana from nature to replenish his own. Even a veteran need to concentrate to be able to gather mana. But Kim could do it as easy as breathing! He is like a vacuum. He could fight for a whole day without getting exhausted.


    Until this moment, he had killed dozens of monsters. Even so, there was no blood stain on his clothes. He was sparkling clean and as if he just went through a car wash after every single fight. If someone with high mana sense, he or she would probably notice that there is an extremely thin layer of mana enveloping his entire body. It is so thin that even a person dedicated several hours to concentrate the person wouldn''t be able to detect it.


    Its main function, however, is a protective layer. It is basically the same one as the layer protecting him when he was receiving all the mana memory from before. Even though it was not as strong but is strong enough to avoid fatal injury from Alpha Cerberus deadly paw attack!


    This chain of amazing feat didn''t come from just the heat of the moment! It was actually due to the infinite amount of practice he did. Although in real life, not even a second has passed since he absorbed the entire mana memory, only God knows how long he had spent his entire time training within his mental domain.


    However, the feat should end soon. Kim was in no condition to fight more monsters. Even though he could absorb more mana, his body is not up to it. A bucket must be strong enough to sustain a certain amount of water before it breaks. Kim only trained his skills in handling mana. He didn''t train his body or absorbed any mana. Even with his tempered body, he is still a greenhorn in mana world. Even he could dodge most of them, he still sustained injuries which feel like stabbing pain around his body.


    "Your mana is still not stable. Don''t lose focus! Just a bit more ahead is a vast field!"


    He nodded and continue to move until he reaches the vast empty field. On the ground, hordes of demonic apes at 2 to 3 meters huge waiting for him to come down. While with him in the air were the dozens of chasing apes. Each and one of them were fierce and carried a mighty force that could blow a boulder with a single strike.


    Currently, Kim is surrounded in mid-air, and underneath him are vicious monsters waiting to devour him alive. To onlookers, this would be the end journey for Kim. However, he had a different thought. A smile craved in his face when he saw the situation.


    "Now I don''t need to waste my time to clear this forest up"


    He put both his hands together and produce a lustrous red orb which emitted beautiful radiance that attracted surrounding monsters. The moment Kim produced the red orb, temperatures rose to a shocking degree. The heat continues to grow as more mana was injected into the orb. The orb was as beautiful as a jewel but deadly enough to extinguished any being that touches it.


    "Hellfire!"


    BOOM! A deafening exploding sound covered the whole area of the forest.


    Different from before, his skills are more refined so he could concentrate more power to make his hellfire destructive. It could be said that it is comparable or even more powerful than Alpha Cerberus mighty fireball. In a split second, the whole surrounding area was covered with crimson colour as monsters were burnt to the bone until there were no traces of it left. What was once a thick luscious forest has been reduced to the ground creating a vast plain covered with black ashes. The reason he didn''t use just now was that he needs to make sure to kill every monster or it would be fatal for him if there is more monster chasing him after he''s run out of mana.


    The explosion of hellfire has blasted Kim away above the ground. He manages to grab one of the birds that were flocking nearby which accidentally get burnt as well and took a bite.


    "Mmmm, this was cooked nicely. Taste like chicken!"


    As he was enjoying his drumstick, the earth started to shake causing a mighty tremor. He looked down and saw the black ashes were sucked into the ground. It went deeper and deeper until it formed a crater as huge as kilometres in radius. Suddenly a huge earthworm at the size of the crater wriggling out from the ground and shot out a pain of misery. It must have suffered from the heat of the flame.


    Kim didn''t waste any time focusing mana into his fist. He kicks the air and shoots himself downward. While holding a drumstick with his right hand, he gathered surrounding mana and once again he felt like he was once with the whole universe. He had felt this feeling before when he was fighting Alpha Cerberus. It was an extraordinary feeling that could not be explained by any words. He feels like he could see the entire universe and connected with every single existing particle.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Sylva who was in his study collapsed from the chair. His heart was thumping as he was breathing heavily. A sudden chill caused him to tremble as his mana perception caught glimpse of unknown power from the direction of the place which was introduced to him as Borneo.


    Few weeks have passed since the event that occurs which caused an uproar throughout Earth and its occupiers. Since the realizations of the existence of a dragon, the island of Borneo has become a restricted place to enter without any permission from every representative of each kingdom.


    However, none of the Kingdom expects there would be a supreme existence that was above them as if looking at the heaven. Sylva then transmitted his thoughts to Ray,


    "Your Highness"


    "No need formality, Uncle Sylva. Please speak your words."


    "I sensed another powerful mana from Borneo"


    "Is it the dragon?"


    "No. It''s different. But the strength.. could endanger the whole force of a nation."


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Lights enveloping Kim''s body causing him to shine with white brilliance. The earthworm saw Kim and thought that he was the reason why the ground suddenly heated with extreme temperature. It turned aggressive and shoot its long body vertically while opening its huge mouth that could swallow an apartment building. Kim, however, didn''t stop from his track and continued to push himself downward. After he finished gathering mana, he punches downward toward the earthworm.


    "Fist of the Heaven and Earth!"


    The earthworm was not hit yet, but the power from the fist has stopped the earthworm in mid-air and eventually push it back down to the ground. The force continued to trample the earthworm causing green juice to leak out from its body as its helplessly shrieking in misery. As Kim''s fist get closer to the ground the crater became bigger and the earth started to split apart and ground beginning to float in mid-air.


    Kim fist landed and caused a tremendous explosion that was several times more powerful than the explosion caused by hellfire, crushing the earthworm to bits, making green juice gushing out from its body. Of course, he didn''t forget to cover his drumstick with a protective layer to make sure it won''t get spoiled. As he landed he continued to munch his meat down while absorbing all the mana of the monsters he killed from the battle making him stronger.


    "How can I say, I''m a great Master! Bwahahahahaha!"


    Kim just ignored the self-compliment. Throughout his training, he had received an endless scolding and heard so many repeated self-glorified blabbering from the voice. He felt like his ears could turn deaf just by listening to the voice talking. During that time he learns how to block his sense completely ignoring everything within his vicinity. His heart also becoming more immune towards any annoyance which made his demeanour as calm as still lake. Nothing could bother him anymore now.


    He jumped out from the crater with a single leap and checked out the surrounding. By this time most of the forest has entirely reduced to ash. Kim is about to recuperate by mediating when suddenly a vast amount of mana could be felt behind him. As if a huge monster as tall as a mountain standing there behind. His heart thumps wildly as he turns his body around. With a sigh of relief he retracts back all his mana, but still, keep the protective layer covering him.


    Before he could ask anything, a voice comes to his mind sounding surprised.


    "A dungeon?"


    "That cave?"


    "Yes"


    "With monsters?"


    "Yes"


    "And treasures?"


    "..."


    "And maze, full of things to explore? Unknown things that would make people wonder? A place full of secrets.... and, and, and....."


    By this time, the voice didn''t even replied to Kim and just watch Kim getting excited which unconsciously make him grin.

 14 D&D

    Chapter 14: D&D


    "You really don''t hold back kid. You were eager to try what I taught you right?"


    "I was simply testing my power. Seems like I need to learn a small-scale skill to fight later"


    "At this point, you don''t even need any of your skills. You could just punch your way through the mass of monsters. I don''t think any human could beat you now if you fight seriously"


    "Yes, but... isn''t fighting is all about those flashy skills? I can''t just let my enemies use all those cool skills and I end up beating them with a lame punch! There''s no romance in that!"


    "Then shouldn''t your skills would define that the most. Aren''t skills are all about how much it could destroy? I could destroy a world with a single shot of my blast before. Which made everything glorified me."


    "Yeah, my goal is to kill everyone who involved including destroying their world. But at this point, I might cause the earth to extinct. Look how much has been destroyed..."


    "Can''t you just made up some names kid?"


    "Where''s the fun of that? How do you even develop skills anyway? They just pop-up in your mind like that?"


    "Can''t really say anything. Somehow, we just know how to. Even my thousand years of wisdom is not enough to understand how the universe work. Let''s just say there''s a higher being that governs everything. It may be the same being that created mana in the first place"


    "Like this dungeon?" Suddenly, Kim''s eyes glow with intense light with the mention of a dungeon.


    "..."


    "Well, what to do. First thing first, let''s have fun! I mean, explore this place."


    Kim steps forward while humming the ''Rasa Sayang'' tune. He felt as light as a feather the moment he heard the word dungeon.


    When mana becoming more abundant, the frequency of monsters appearing would increase exponentially. This is especially true as monsters have high birth rate when compare to human. Some say that this is due to the fact their origin is from animals, some say it may be due to their adaptability to mana is better than human.Anyhow, no human in the universe has solved the mystery of the creation of monsters. Even monsters with intellects that have lived for thousands of years doesn''t have the wisdom.


    When mana of a world reaches a certain point, the number of monsters would be massive enough to endanger human. Somehow during that time, most monsters would settle down in their own territory as if there are invisible barriers that keeping them from fighting each other. They will continue to grow by absorbing mana in nature like a human. Some even become tame enough to be domesticated. And some animals don''t even evolve into monsters and remained in their original state.


    However, most monsters are born sensitive to mana. They have the desire to absorb more mana to become powerful. These vicious monsters would continue to kill everything in their sight, including monsters! The reason is their instinct tells them to. Survival of the fittest. Being weak would kill you!


    As these kinds of monsters continue to massacre every living being in the world, eventually the universe created a law that when sufficient mana has evolved in a world, a dungeon would appear. Dungeons may seem to appear randomly, but it is actually a solidified mana that is born through the will of the world. When dungeon appears it would attract aggressive monsters who are highly sensitive to mana to its core.


    By the time they reach deep inside the dungeon, the monsters would get lost, an unable to go out. Eventually, they will stay there for almost eternity, searching for the mana they were looking for, making dungeon a trap for monsters to ensure the stability of living being in the world.


    Some less sensitive monsters would dry their thirst for mana and eventually get out. Ends up creating a community among them. The one who would stay will be full of killing intent, and they would grow more powerful absorbing the dense mana inside the dungeon, making the dungeon a


    dangerous place to explore.


    Even though the appearance of dungeons seems to be good fortune for human, it is also a benchmark saying the world is becoming too dangerous to stay because at one point the monsters inside would be strong enough to break out from the dungeon and to continue their massacring.When more and more dungeon appears, some human would be able to cope up, some would even migrate to another world by invasion or agreement, others would eventually get killed and the world would be governed by monsters.


    To prevent this, kingdoms would send military or provide work called quests for adventurers to kill monsters inside the dungeon, reducing their numbers significantly. Even without the quest, adventurers would still explore dungeons as they could absorb more mana and the monster''s body would become precious materials for crafting.


    Some would even find treasures! No one knows how treasures existed but ancient recording concluded that it was created by monsters to attract human to get inside, killing them to absorb more mana. Due to the existing danger, a group of 7 to 8 people would go in to explore. Depending on the difficulties, a dungeon raid numbering to hundred of people may come in at one time.


    Currently, a 12-years old kid is hopping around while humming inside the so-called dungeon!


    "I can only sense this dungeon appearing in this world... strange it''s too early for a dungeon... hey are you listening to me? KID!"


    "Can''t you disturb my happy time... I mean my focus to observe this dungeon?"


    The voice feels like he wanted to slap himself in the face. Which he couldn''t due to the seal binding him. Kim continues to walk around as if he is in a playground. Eventually, he stops in front of a massive wooden door three times bigger than him that seems ancient and archaic.


    "Is this... the entrance?" Kim''s eyes continue to glitter with excitement as his hand get closer to touch the wooden door.


    Suddenly a tremendous amount of pressure roaring into his body. Kim retreated a few steps and blood drooling from the end of his mouth. It was not mana pressure, but purely death aura emanating from within. Kim felt like the moment he steps inside the door he''ll be dead without lifting a finger.


    The voice let out a cold snort and chuckled. "I knew it"


    "W-w-what was that?" Kim is still trembling due to fear that shook his heart.


    "Usually it would take almost a decade for the first dungeon to form. Because mana needs to stabilize before it could solidify. And... the will of the world of this world haven''t awakened yet."


    Listened to the voice, Kim squat down with both his hands on his head, pulling his hair.


    "NOOOOOOOO! My dungeon! My fun time! My adventure! NOOOOO!" He then lay on the floor to his side, seems to be sulking.


    "... anyway, don''t you want to know-"


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    "This is-"


    "Dungeon!!!!!"


    "..."


    "..."


    To Kim, the voice might make a mistake so he tried to open the door forcefully but ends up spitting more blood from his mouth. After a few hours, Kim is now lying on the cold floor with a blank face, somewhat unable to accept the reality.


    "Give it up Kid. It''s a lair protected by a strong seal. Whatever inside there must be several times more powerful than you. Even if you manage to get inside it won''t be the adventure you hope for. There will only be one monster waiting for you to engage in a fight."


    Dungeons are designed specifically to trap monsters. Lairs are resting place for monsters. Not just any monsters, but monsters who has absorbed a large amount of mana to undergo evolution. They possess intellect and specification set of skills which makes them more dangerous than mythical beasts such as Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra.


    One who fulfils the requirement may enter their lair for a challenge. Winning might give good fortune, but losing is equal to death. Not many would try as the number of survivors is almost zero. And those who survived is only known in legends and folk stories. Some even say that these people are the founder of kingdoms and nations! A being that could rule the world!


    "So, no dungeon?" Disappointed Kim looks like he''s almost crying. He glances back at the wooden door and decided to walk away. He made sure that the image of the wooden is printed in his mind, resolving himself to come back when he''s stronger.


    "Why are you so obsessed with a dungeon anyway?"


    "You only sleep for thousand years here, how would you know? Humans have this so call things called games. And there''s a game called D&D"


    "D&D?"


    "Yes! It''s a roleplaying tabletop game where you gather with your friends to foretell quest, journey and adventure! I always played it with Nas, Rin and Tata back home. Ahhh! I wasn''t able to go out from my small village, but my mind is like a new world. Inside I''m free! It''s the only way for me to release my stress and express all my ideas!"


    "What does it has to do with dungeons?"


    "Well, the game is basically a role-playing game where each person will have a unique character of their own. One person will be some kind of a judge to determine the flow and progress of the game. I''m a full-fledged Story Master of the game"


    "And..and during the game..."


    Even though it''s only been several weeks after the calamity, both of them has been together for almost eternity within Kim''s mental domain. During that time, the voice can only see anger and deep resolution to avenge his friends and family. The feeling of revenge is deep-rooted inside Kim''s heart that the voice couldn''t even say anything to extinguished the burning flame.


    A broken mirror will still have marks when fix and glued together. More or less of a broken heart that felt despairs and full of unforgettable scars which torment the owner. Especially when the heart belongs to a 12-years old kid who only knows nothing about the world. Much less the universe.


    Throughout that time, never had he seen Kim smiled.


    Now, looking at how excited Kim is sharing his past life unconsciously carved a smile on his face.He felt hopeful that maybe he could save Kim, but inside he is uncertain. A heart is not a simple thing to understand after all. Kim may be okay now, but later on, who knows what might happen?


    In the end, he pretends to listen to Kim continuous blabbering.


    "Hey hey, are you there? Hello?"


    "Yes. Umm, So what does D&D stands for?


    "Didn''t I mentioned to you just now? You are not listening, aren''t you? Well, nevermind. I haven''t tell you my favourite part of the game anyway"


    "Dungeons?"


    "Exactly"


    "Kid, don''t you feel odd when you talk about D&D?"


    "What do you mean?"


    The voice seems to be hesitating, but after listening to what Kim has mentioned he eventually comes to a conclusion.


    "That game... D&D. isn''t it too similar to what I told you? If you don''t know mana maybe you won''t suspect anything. But now that you experienced it don''t you realized how oddly similar it is?"


    "Are you telling me... the creator of D&D is..."


    "Well, it''s just a theory. I can''t really conclude anything yet. It doesn''t matter anyway, it''s just a game"


    "Yes, probably"


    Kim continues to walk the path going outside from the lairs. Now that he thought about it, most video games nowadays use the concept of mana that enables characters to fight against monsters. And D&D is basically one of the games that founded the system. He may be wrong, but the voice did mention migration of people from another world. Even the current calamity is caused by the invasion of people of another world. Which only him, and the voice know.


    "Finally, outside again. It was kinda stuffy"


    "By the way, kid, what does D&D stands for?"


    "You really didn''t listen to me didn''t you" Kim let out a cold snort.


    "It means... eh?!... the roasted snake... it''s gone! I was going to eat it after I''m done exploring!"


    "Damn it, kid! I told you to save some... " The voice suddenly fell silent as his heart filled with shock.


    "Kim. Go"


    "I know! I''m on my way!"


    Kim runs at a very fast pace towards where the leftover meat of King Hydra. Unknowingly, a smile can be seen in his face. Someone is alive!

 15 Earth, 5 Years after...

    Chapter 15: Earth, 5 Years after...


    Kim is sitting down on the ground with his leg crossed. His eyes are closed and he seems to be doing a breathing exercise. In front of him, a young man in his 20s with pitch black hair and pupils is walking back and forth with his hands behind his waist. He is wearing a tailored pitch black suit that matches his eyes colour. A calm dignified demeanour could be seen from his face. His prominence aura is emanating a sense of pride and dignity. A glance makes him look like someone who is standing above the pinnacle of a living being.


    "Just before you entered your mental domain you managed to unlock your mana sense which enables you to sense mana that surrounds you. It opens up a new perception on how you see the world. You could say that you acquire a new sense specifically to sense mana."


    Mana exists everywhere within every particle in the universe. Only those who could wield mana can sense them. It is one of the basic requirement for a person to become a mana user. Kim has been able to sense mana since the fight he had with Alpha Cerberus, but he did it due to the heat of the moment. Although he''s getting used to mana since that day, he still wasn''t in full control of his mana. By properly sensing mana, he would be able to properly start practising how to wield mana.


    One breath, two breath, three breath, a continuous cycle of breath has been ongoing since the time Kim started to sit down. Breathing is the key to wield mana. As for how nature breathes, and human breathes and animal breathes, breathing is the key to life itself. Every living being has to breathe to live. The reason why a doctor smacks a baby to cry is to get them to breathe.


    To wield mana, one has to be able to sense mana naturally like breathing. By incorporating mana in one breathing, the person would be able to change from a person to a mana user.


    As time goes by, he could sense a familiar energy floating around him. More and more time passed by as he continued to do his breathing cycle. No one knows how long has it been since time is close to infinite within the domain. Finally, Kim senses strong energy circling inside his veins and pouring out at the same time.


    It was the same feeling he had when he was fighting Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra when white orbs glittering around him. The only difference is that this time, the orbs are moving randomly instead of concentrating towards him. It seems that every time he breathes in, the orbs would be absorbed into his body, circulating around his veins. As that happens some would leak outside and disperse into the empty dark space.


    The gentleman who was walking back and forth suddenly stop it in his place. He noticed the change in Kim and spoke. "This is mana. I believe you have sensed it before and even experienced using it. As you can see, even if you could absorb a lot of mana, it would be a waste if you could not keep it to yourself. The worst thing is that with your huge mana capacity and bad control, all of that mana would gush out uncontrollably. No wonder all those monsters endlessly chasing you"


    "Remember when you became an egg. Keep all of it together. Think about how careful you should contain your mana. You need to keep your composure so that the shell won''t break. Make sure not a single mana is leaking from your pores"


    Kim gave a slight nod and started to remind himself how he directed his mana into his body.


    ''Good it should take him some time to handle his mana properly''


    "Hmm??"


    The mana that was dispersing into the dark space suddenly staggering in its place as if there is an unknown force trying to control its movement. Another moment pass, all the mana started to gather around Kim. The mana swirled around him, like a tornado. It flew upward into the ceiling forming a milky way within the black space. The scenery was as beautiful as the starry night sky. Kim then opens his eyes and took a deep breath. All the mana just now come rushing into Kim body as if he is a giant black hole.


    ''Magnificent. It seems like what he experienced wasn''t for nothing. He only lacked practice with his mana sense. Now that he mastered it, everything would flow nicely''


    Kim closed his eyes and tried to observe his surrounding with his new profound way. This time he perfectly used his mana sense and found out the entirety of the mana circulation inside him has changed drastically. Instead of leaking and disperse randomly the mana he gathered now enveloping him like a thin sheet of glass. It feels like his whole body is covered with a transparent cloth.


    "Good, now you are officially a mana user. Get ready..."


    "Get ready? For what?"


    "You won''t learn anything just by sitting there doing nothing. It''s best to learn through experience"


    "By experience you mean..."


    "Sparring of course. Don''t worry, I will give myself a handicap. I will only use 5% of my mana, which is about the same as how much you can use. Although I''m not used using a human body, I still face lots of them in battle before. There might be some skills you could learn from me kid so get ready!"


    "W-Wait do you feel pain inside here? What are you doing? Wait!"


    The moment the young man release his mana Kim felt the same domineering power that almost crushed him to death before. The amount of mana seems to be almost comparable to him, but somehow he felt like his entire being is being pushed down. Every single cell in his body feels forced to kneel down to such pressure, but Kim still persists and manage to stand on his ground.


    "To even manage to handle my mana. When you reach a certain mastery, those who below you would have no chance of going against you. With me as your Master, you shall stand above others! Now fight!"


    Kim who was shocked now put on a serious face. The young man saw this and put on a grim smile while laughing loudly.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    It has been 5 years since the disasters that befall Earth. 5 years since the invasion of unknown beasts called monsters that almost caused the extinction of human species and what might suppose to be the destruction of earth. Even though less than third of the original population is left, human instinct has led them to survive until now. We could see that humanity is still striving to live as they were before. The only difference is the blooming knowledge of mana.


    Mana users have been surfacing and become the new symbol of power for every nation. Politics, economics and social status before the disaster were now equal to non-existent as status are rated depending on the capability of one to wield mana, increasing the chance to succeed in life regardless of their background. Schools have become a place to learn about mana and military training became the place for mana users to hone their skills.


    The living style of current civilization is changing drastically as past knowledge and technologies are adapting towards development related to mana. For example, what was known before as energy in the school''s textbook has changed into mana. Machinery and vehicles are now depending on mana to move instead of using fossil fuels such as oil and gas.


    Even the power grid and plant are using mana to provide energy. Humanity is introduced with mana stone which is an orb that could circulate mana by absorbing and providing mana into nature.


    This has solved problems on sustainable growth and environmental issues as mana doesn''t produce waste when providing energy as it all happens in nature. The 4th industrial revolution has changed its focus to mana technology development and growth within the society.


    As good as how it sounds to be, there is always two side of the same coin. After the founding of mana, the rate of unemployment has increased by several folds among blue-collar workers as fewer people is needed to handle machinery since mana stone can provide enough for machines to work automatically. Due to recent development among works, technologies and social life, we could see a clear discrimination between mana user and ordinary people.


    Since the growth of society only focuses on mana as its focal point, an ordinary person who doesn''t have the brains to do research and development, or the aptitude to become a businessman would have to depend on labour work such as agriculture and fishery to maintain their status within the community. Some would do any work to get extra bucks even if it means sacrificing their own dignity. No matter how great mana has changed the world, harsh reality will always there, not to be underestimated.


    Earth human society has adapted the guild ranking system that was implemented from another world. Malaysia, for example, is governed by the Varhem Kingdom with Prince Ray as the representatives. Under the administration of Prince Ray, each nation will establish several guilds mainly, adventurer guild, business guild, researcher guild. Some nations have their own specialities such as art guild, or martial art guild, there are also sub-guild for hobby and leisure such as photography or treasure hunter guild.


    The main focus would be adventurer guild as they hold the biggest power in one nation. Even if a country is well developing in terms of their research and technology, it would amount to nothing if it could be crushed in a single moment by powerful mana users. Thus, most mana users join the adventurer guild as they are the most prospected person in this current era.


    Even with all this system, there are still problems arising from mana user who does dirty works such as plundering small villages, illegal trading and even killing. The most dangerous thing, however, are those who become a rouge spending their time travelling the world without binding themselves to any nation. These people are unknown variables because they could become a threat whenever they decide to do so. Especially when most rouge users are a powerful foe since they can travel alone without help. Most would not dare going outside alone due to approaching danger getting attack by monsters and even other mana users.


    Thus, each nation adventurer guild would make sure to take care of their members properly to tame those powerful mana users. As you get more powerful, the higher you rank in the guild system, the more benefit you could get anywhere you are on earth. Even in another world, you would be respected. If any of them decided to go against a nation the Kingdom which governs the country would help to eliminate them.


    With all this management, there is no warring country present. Even North Korea and South Korea have reached unification. This is due to the governance of 5 kingdoms which rule over each continent. Before they came to earth they had an agreement to not collide with each other during this period. However, some people had questioned whether or not their claim as protector of the earth is true or not as their arrival to earth was too much of a coincidence. Are they here to protect or to take? That claim has long being ceased from spreading as the people involved has been missing without any trace.


    Currently, those 5 representatives from 5 kingdoms are having a video conference at the top of KL tower to discuss the matter regarding an island just east of Peninsular Malaysia called Borneo. After the word ''Dragon'' has been circulating among them, Borneo has become a forbidden area for anyone to enter without the approval of each representative.


    Today they are discussing to send a group of adventurers to gain some intel with the Varhem Kingdom as the lead.


    Nowadays, every time the word Borneo is said among the people, fear would shake their hearts as rumours of a vicious monster is hidden within the island. Many fishermen and even pilots accidentally went near the island and never went back ever since. For kids, it has become a bedtime story to remind them to be good.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Currently, in Borneo Island, a 17-years old boy and 15-years old girl are eating fried chicken by the river with a campfire in front of them.


    The girl with her violet eyes stares at the boy as if she wanted something. The boy only took a single glance then spoke.


    "Just drink some river water Momo"


    "Master, you look handsome today. Milk?


    "Here you go."


    While both of them savouring their fried chicken, a slurping could be heard clearly in Kim''s mind.


    "Could you keep it to yourself old geezer? I''m trying to eat here."


    "Damn you, wait till I''m out of this chain I will smack your ass kid!"


    Kim pet Momo''s head with a sneer in his face.


    The voice could only respond with one big gulp.

 16 The Boy and the Girl

    Chapter 16: The Boy and the Girl


    Sungai Rajang with the length approximately around 563km is the longest river in Malaysia. It forms the geographical boundary between Malaysia and Indonesia. Many populations of Sarawak located nearby the Sungai Rajang due to access to various natural resources and as a mode of commute by the river. This is especially true for the indigenous people of Sarawak like the Penan to live there. Nowadays, only monsters could be seen roaming nearby.


    Home to various wildlife, it is not shocking to see the river is highly populated with monsters roaming about. Especially crocodile. Sungai Rajang was home to the legendary Bujang Senang, the biggest crocodile that terrorized Sarawak for a long time before getting killed by the people. It is said that the soul of Bujang Senang is still wandering near the river, and sometimes people would get a glance of what may seem to be the spirit of the Bujang Senang when they traverse by Sungai Rajang.


    Today, the legendary Bujang Senang has been reborn into a ferocious huge monster with the length of almost 100-meters from head to tail. Its massive jaw could obliterate building with a single bite. Its long huge tails could sweep down a village with no effort. Its thick scale protects its upper body and is sharp enough to shred anyone who dares to land on top its body. Meeting this monster on land would prove to be an unavoidable calamity. It may be weaker than Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra, but once it''s inside the river, no one could expect who would win if those monsters would fight one another.


    The monstrous beast is running along the river terrorizing the rainforest as if it has gone mad. Something surely has provoked its nest or accidentally step into its territory. If an ordinary person is looking at Bujang Senang, it may seem like it is randomly crushing everything within its eyesight. However, a hunter would probably be able to notice something weird... it''s the pattern of a wild beast trying to protect itself. Shockingly, it is actually struggling to retreat!


    What could possibly fighting head-on with a legendary beast at a similar level? It should be a monster that is as ferocious as the beast itself but stronger. If someone looked closely, they would notice a teenage boy is clinging on its scale trying to hold on while gritting his teeth.


    "Damn it, this reminds me of that trickery snake. Now I feel annoyed"


    Clinging on Bujang Senang make it feel like standing on a jet going at full throttle. The wind blowing to his face has caused his cheek to be blown backwards unable him to close his mouth, showing his gnashing teeth. His black messy hair is whipping wildly and his black hooded robe flutters about as Bujang Senang continue to go rampage.


    Suddenly a massive sword almost half the size of Bujang Senang piercing through the heaven and land directly into its tail plunging it to the ground. Then another four smaller swords pierced through each of its limbs like lighting, binding its movement. The swords move so fast that it produced a screeching sound.


    Taking this opportunity, Kim enhanced his right hand and punched through the scale of Bujang Senang which cause a massive tremor that shook its entire body. A huge crater has formed on top of its body and only some of the scales are still intact. Sensing danger to its life, it sacrificed both its right limbs and its tail to perform a death roll.


    Kim was caught off guard and he only managed to utilize 30% of his mana to strengthen the barrier enveloping his body. Its sharp scale is like a chainsaw that could shred the surrounding nature into dust. One roll, two rolls, three rolls, it continued to roll until a hole 50 meters deep is formed on the ground. Underneath, Kim is buried within. The ground exploded and a small figure shooting through like a beam coming out from the hole.


    Caught off guard, Kim has broken several dozens of bones and some of his organs were damage making him cough a mouthful of blood. He''s even struggling a bit to stand on his feet. The monster, however, has instantly regrown its lost limbs and tail that regenerate like a lizard. Seeing this cause Kim eyebrows to burrow and forehead wrinkles.


    He sits down cross-legged and circulated his mana to recover his injury. By that time, Bujang Senang noticed Kim looking weak and didn''t waste time swinging its tail towards him. Before the tail hit Kim, it was cut off cleanly making the end of the tail to fly away. Quite a distance away from Kim, a girl wearing a similar robe as him is holding a massive sword that is three times bigger than herself. She has calm solemn face decorating her cute face with plump cheek. The robe is obviously larger than her as her hand could not be seen coming out from her sleeves.


    With cold-eyes, she flicked her sleeves and a massive vortex with a radius of a hundred meters forming in the air. Sensing danger, Bujang Senang regrew its tail again and rush into the river.


    Before it could get escape, thousands of swords come raining in trying to strike the runaway monsters. Even with its massive body, Bujang Senang swiftly zig-zagging trying to avoid all the swords making it look like more of a lizard than a crocodile. But, the infinite number of swords was too much to avoid. Fortunately, its tough strong scales were able to deflect half of it. Only the crater caused by Kim was sustaining damage.


    After much effort, it finally managed to dive into the river with dozens of swords sticking on his back. Blood was leaking out even before it dove inside making the river dyed in red. Before mana of earth awakened, Sungai Rajang might not be enough to contain a hundred meters long beast, however, due to the influence of mana the river has grown wider and longer even more than Amazon river. Nature is life, and every living being contained mana. After absorbing mana for 5 years the earth has grown three times its original size. Even its geography is changing, forming new mountains, forests and sea. Creating new life across the continent!


    Its face shows relief thinking that it was saved from getting killed by two mere humans. Soon after, a terrible anxiety suddenly swelled up as its instinct suddenly calling it to swim away as far as possible. Out of curiosity, it looked up to the sky and that moment...when Bujang Senang looked upward, its pupil enlarged and its whole body was trembling, forming waves on the river like a wild storm in the sea.


    The sword the girl was holding vanished into thin air. She then raised both her arms to the sky above her head. Just above where Bujang Senang is, cracks were forming in the sky. The sky split and formed a huge vortex that could swallow Petronas Twin Tower as a whole! In the blink of an eye, a blue azure sword as large as Bujang Senang with elegant drawing at its hilt and intricated carving on its blade come shooting down into the river. The sword is so sharp that no splash could be seen when it cut through the river when making it way in.


    Bujang Senang was shocked with its eyes bulging out. It looked like it wanted to let out a curse word if it could talk. It thought luck was on its side, as the sword misses and was a second away from splitting it to half. Little that it know, it was not luck. Contrary, it was actually the girl intention to aim the sword as close as possible to the legendary beast.


    "Heaven Punishing Azure Sword, hear my call! Strike down all your foes and reduce them to ashes!"


    As she finishes her incantation with her cute voice that could smooth the heart of any uncle, black clouds forming at the sky directly above the swords. In a split second, deafening sounds covered the entire area as blinding lights that could cause daylight at night time! Thunder as huge as the sword pierces directly into the river making all living things and small monsters and fishes to be reduced to ash.


    Bujang Senang however, is still alive but it was still knocked out by the massive thunder as if there was an "X" sign replacing its eyes. Seeking this chances, Kim who was fully recovered kick to the ground which cause him to fly several hundreds of meters in the air. He then forms a small fireball which then thrown into the river like a comet.


    "Hellfire! Explode!"


    Kim was actually throwing his Hellfire and could ignite it at any designated time. Hellfire burns brightly engulfing the water in the river like a demon. The intense heat has caused part of the river water evaporated forming a huge empty valley. Bujang Senang could be seen on the ground beneath the valley fully roasted. Kim then kicks the air changing his trajectory towards Bujang Senang. He managed to grab the massive monster, pulling it away with him with one hand before water comes flooding into the empty valley making the river to recover. Although, this time it became shallower.


    Kim tossed the once legendary monster on a patch of nearby grass.


    "Momo, time for lunch!"


    "Okay, Master."


    Momo comes running with her short leg. Her long robe which covers her entire body make it look like she was wearing a Halloween costume. Her cute feature makes people want to say ''aww'' and dying to pinch her plump cheek. Her violet hair flutters about as breeze blew as she runs towards Kim.


    "Good job today Momo."


    "Thank you Master"


    Kim pets her head and invited her to sit down beside him. She smiled brightly and look at him with her eyes sparkling with the same colour as her hair. They both sit cross-legged and Kim offers her some meat of Bujang Senang with leaves as the plate. They both gallantly munch the meat with no reserves, filling their stomach. Then inside Kim''s head, a huge sigh followed by a big gulp could be heard. He already used to it since he would hear the same thing over and over again whenever they had a huge meal. Last time was when they slaughter a Behemoth.


    It had two horns protruded outward making it look like a demonic beast coming out from hell. The body was covered with dark brown skin and decorated with magnificent fur. It could let out a huge demonic howl that could cause a forest to wither. Whenever it opened its mouth a pitch black ball of condensed mana would be formed. It could blow a range of mountains to bits. It also has the power to govern the earth and could create a giant wall that would protect him from enemy attack. Sometimes, it would rush toward Kim like a meteor, with rocks enveloping its entire body.


    Interestingly, it has a similar feature like a cow. Even its flesh tasted like beef. So Kim took the chance to make some beef curry with rice. The aroma has attracted a large number of surrounding monsters but Kim and Momo would emanate their terrifying mana which instils fear causing them to stand on their ground without moving an inch. It feels like whether going forward or retreat, a single move would cause them to be a part of the meal. The monsters could only lick their lips in hatred as they watch both of them gobbled the curry into their stomach. It was especially true for the voice as it hasn''t eaten for who knows how long. The behemoth was also a female, in which Kim was able to produce some milk from its udder. The behemoth''s milk has become Momo''s favourite ever since.


    After the meal, Kim and Momo would do some breathing exercise to increase their proficiency in mana and have a short sparring between them. Often dozens of monsters would end up getting killed by accidentally caught into their fight. During break time, they would wander around to see if there are any other living human beside them while enjoying the breathtaking nature.


    This is the daily life of a teenage boy and a girl who are living in the current most forbidden place on earth, Borneo.

 17 Why are we here then?

    Chapter 17: Why are we here then?


    Sitting by a small stream a girl who looks to be 12-years old is soaking her leg while playing around with the water. Her violet hair flutters as the calm breeze come grazing her face. She has a cold expressionless face that somehow charming. Her violet eyes are fixed at the swimming fish. She gave a slight grin and then flicked one of her fingers. A sharp light piercing through the water. She then flicked her finger again and a fish come flying. Stuck at its body is a small thin needle that can only be seen with mana sense. If one looks closely, it resembles a sword-like dagger.


    The fish is then sent into a bucket filled with water where there are other fish swimming around inside. The thin needle disappears and the fish was dropped into the bucket of water with a plop sound coming out from it. Although it looks dead, after some time it will start to move and swim again. This was acupuncture. Momo perfectly aimed at acupuncture points of a swimming fish! She licked her lips while looking at the bucket full of fishes with some kind of evil intent emanating from her eyes. She then continues to fill the bucket, humming the ''Rasa Sayang'' melody.


    Several metres from the stream Kim is sitting cross-legged on a patch of grass. He seems vulnerable and lifeless to an ordinary person but with mana sense, one could feel his neverending vitality burning brightly. An indescribable amount of mana circulating through his veins and body. If one get as close as tens of meter from him, the person would be crushed due to the domineering pressure of his mana. Even a boulder come falling in would be destroyed to bits without even reaching him.


    Kim is currently fighting with the voice human form inside his mental domain. Images after images are forming everywhere between the two of them. It looks like they are repeatedly teleporting from one place to another but all they are doing is simply moving very fast. Even when standing nearby one can only catch a glimpse of them the moment their fist is clashing with one another. Blink and you would miss two or three movements! Just in a mere second both of them already had hundreds of bouts.


    "Fist of Heaven and Earth!"


    Immediately, shining white light emanating from Kim''s body with his left fist as the focused point. His mana is so powerful that ordinary mana-users would forcefully submit themselves purely from the pressure. The young man just readied his stance and send out a fist with a similar power. Both of their fists clashed and created a devastating shockwave that would destroy everything within several kilometres of distance. Fortunately, they are fighting inside Kim''s mental domain which didn''t affect the outside world.


    At first glance, it seems that both of them were levelled. After a while, a clear sign of weakening is shown by one side. Kim is struggling to keep up with the clash and finally, he was sent flying several hundreds of meters away. It caused a backlash causing blood to ooze from his mouth and eyes. Kim then shouted at the young man with frustration.


    "What was that? It was way more powerful than yesterday!"


    "Oho... that''s only 15% of my power kid."


    "15%?! Yesterday was 8%! It must be the crocodile right? You always get mad whenever I ate a big meal"


    "I don''t care about yesterday!" The young man answered grumpily.


    "Oh yeah, I enjoyed it to the last bone. It was magnificently delicious. Since you don''t care I would go hunt more next time."


    Suddenly, the young man body flashed and appeared in the air on top of Kim. He gathered mana around his right fist.


    Feeling alarmed, Kim roll backwards to stand back up. He then jumped while crossing his arm in front of his face. He then employed all his mana to make a barrier several more times harder than the natural barrier he always had on. This was currently the strongest barrier he could possibly employ!


    Although Kim avoided direct contact from the fist, the shockwave was powerful enough to blow a giant tornado at the size of Mt. Everest!. Cracks formed at Kim''s barrier and finally, it shattered! The instant Kim woke up, he coughed a mouthful of blood.


    "Damn old geezer! I only can use my mental domain for 2 hours in a month. Now I need to wait for next month to completely recover its power. You wasted a whole month!"


    "Who cares? Although it''s not as potent as the original one, you could actually use it once per month. Even someone as incredible as I am could only use it once in my entire lifetime! That''s like a cheat!"


    "It''s your fault for never trying it again anyway!"


    "Y-Y-You still won''t match up to me soon!" The voice stumbled a bit and let out a snort.


    Feeling annoyed Kim stayed silent and wiped off the blood from his mouth. He went to the stream to wash his face. He could see that Momo is still happily catching the fish with a greedy look on her face. Cute but deadly.


    He sits down to meditate to recover his loss of blood. Kim then speaks to the voice telepathically.


    "15%? Seriously? I thought you told me I was only as strong as 10% of your power"


    "No. You could only utilize mana equal 10% of my power. If you could utilize 100% of your mana, it might be higher than 15%"


    "Still, you were using the same amount of power with me... how can I keep losing?"


    "Well, it''s not about mana kid. The vessel holding the mana must be strong as well. A metal box and a wooden box which one will break first when the pressure is applied unto them? Besides, my body is far superior to humans. It''s a common thing to lose to me when we are about the same level."


    "So my full power only amounted to that much huh..."


    "Hey, don''t look down kid. Not many can match up to Master. Even my strongest follower the same kin as me can only muster up to 50% of my power. Although, I''m not sure how strong he is now... I don''t think he would be as powerful as me"


    Momo stares at Kim with an innocent look at her face. Her mouth keeps opening and closing as if she wanted to say something. She then gave up. When she saw Kim standing up after his meditation she smiled and waved at him as if welcoming him back. Kim smiled back and sat down nearby the place she was fishing. With her short legs, she ran to the nearby forest to gather some woods. She came back with a pile of them and stacked it in front of Kim. Kim then flicked his a finger and made a small fire. The fire then becomes larger as it started to engulf all the woods. The bright red fire perfectly complements her beautiful violet eyes.


    "Master is really getting better. The first time you tried to lit a fire, you burn down the whole forest and dried the river."


    The voice couldn''t hold himself from laughing at Momo''s statement. Kim felt annoyed but knowing that Momo doesn''t mean any harm he only replied with a bitter smile.


    Momo then pulls the bucket full of fish and throw the fishes to the air. She clasped her hands together and several sword-like needles pierced all the fish to the ground, circling the campfire.


    "Surely, my Momo is getting better now," said the voice happily like a doting grandfather.


    "Did you fight with grandmaster again today?"


    "Yes"


    "How does grandmaster looks like?"


    "Momo must want to see your Grandmaster right? Come, come" said the voice even though only Kim could hear him.


    Kim let out a snort. He didn''t feel obliged to let Momo see the voice image in his mental domain. However, looking at the innocent look in her eyes, Kim can only blurt out a sigh and ask her again.


    "Why do you want to know?"


    "I''m just curious"


    While asking Momo her intentions, Kim sent out his thoughts to the voice


    "So can she or can she not?"


    "A Conjurer like Momo has a strong mental capacity so she has the aptitude but...the only reason you can learn interact with me is that you absorbed all my memory. The mental domain is only unique to me and you."


    "Can''t you do the same thing to Momo?"


    "If you want her head to explode in an instant sure. Besides, one can only pass on his memory once in his lifetime. That''s as far as I know. Who knows, you might find another way."


    Kim them give himself a deep thought whether or not what the voice said was the absolute truth. Even if one lived for more than thousands of year, doesn''t mean one could experience everything in their lifetime. As far as Kim concern, he still can''t figure out how to bring Momo into his mental domain. Teaching her might be impossible since he himself got it by force from the memory. Even though he recreated the mental domain to become his own, it was still based on the original which was unique for both him and the voice. He shook his head and thought of a reply.


    "Well, the image he showed is not his real self but... if you ask me... that ugly old geezer is a hideous freakish monster that would eat a kid like you Momo!"


    Momo didn''t even flinch a bit. She gave a short thought and after a short silence... "So, who is uglier? Master or Grandmaster?"


    The voice laughter exploded inside Kim''s mind which annoyed him. He then took out a bottle of milk.


    "You want some milk Momo?"


    She stands up firmly with a face of no hesitation and full of determination as she stares at the exquisite behemoth''s milk.


    "You are the most handsome man I''ve ever seen Master! Momo was being a fool! Please punish me however you like!"


    Kim let out a sigh and threw the bottle of milk to Momo. She rubs her cheek against the bottle as if it''s the most precious treasure in the universe. She acted exactly like the stoor hobit and its ring. She bottled up the milk and let out a sound like an old uncle after drinking a cup of soju. She then looked closely at the bottle and a sudden realization hit her! There''s only half of it left! She had a dilemma and her face looked like she wanted to scream ''NO'' until her lungs are out. She wanted to drink more, but the more she drinks the less she will have left. She walks circling the bottle with her hands behind her waist while looking at the bottle of milk as if she was thinking of a way to savour the milk as much as possible. It is the most crucial moment in her entire life right now.


    ''It''s only milk. I wonder how she would react if we manage to get out someday''


    "You could bring her out from this island. No problem"


    "Yeah, you are right I could just bring her out of... wait I could?!"


    Kim then heard a broken whistle voice, feigning ignorants from slipping his tongue.


    "Seems like the crocodile meat was not enough... Should I found a bigger meat several more times than the Behemoth? What do you say? Might be a feast for your eyes!"


    A sound of cruelty can be felt from those words as Kim put on a grim smile with his eyes shines, projecting the vicious thoughts coming from his mind. Although the voice felt intimidated, there was a hint of hesitation within his heart. Thus, he closed his lips tightly.


    For Kim, it was out of the ordinary for the voice not telling him anything he knows. If he could, the voice would continue to blabber on until sun change to moon and moon change back to the sun.


    "I''m pretty sure of what I heard just now so at least tell some truth to me... why didn''t you told me earlier?"


    "Because... you never ask?"


    A dumbfounded look covered Kim''s entire face with his jaw agape. He looks at the blank space, while Momo enjoying one of the grilled fish she caught.

 18 Kims mana

    Chapter 18: Kim''s mana


    Momo is lazying on top of the grass with her belly bulging. Besides her, several fish bones can be seen scattering. After a while, she noticed her master frowning face.


    "What will you do if you go out?"


    "Revenge of course"


    "To who exactly?"


    "To everyone"


    "Who?"


    "Everyone!"


    The voice gave up and let out a sigh. He thought that after keeping Kim caged inside the island for several years, Kim anger would dissipate bits by bits. It seems that to Kim, the day where he lost everything was as clear as day as if it just happened yesterday. Although there was no blood connection between them, the voice felt sadness inside his heart. Feeling that he failed to notice the demon haunting his disciple.


    The reason why Kim has been progressing at a rapid rate was not solely due to his latent talent but mostly the motivation he had when he buried his own family to the grave. Body to body, limb to limb, as the unforgettable stench of his family blood sticking covered his body. Remain unwashed even it was completely gone. To make things worst, it happened after his helplessness of seeing his friends killed one after another. The calamity that fell upon Kim still remained as an unerasable scar within his mind.


    "Calm down kid. Don''t let your anger disrupt your thought..."


    By this time Kim is breathing heavily as his rage building up. Flashes of moments during the calamity were rewinding inside his mind clearly as if it was projected in front of his eyes. Before, he already thought of killing himself. After the revelation, his mind only filled with intense killing intent. Gritting his teeth and grasping his hand, his veins bulging as blood seep out from the corner of his mouth. While this happened, the clear day suddenly turns dark as clouds gathered above the island of Borneo. The trees started to sway as sudden wind come blowing through.


    Moments later, flickering lights accompanied with deafening roars can be seen and heard, signalling thunder would come striking the ground soon. Every monster that was weaker than Kim in term of mana on the island is kneeling to the ground unable to move even an inch. Others were slightly affected but it still caused their body to tremble as a cold chilling sensation piercing through their bones, making them expand their mana sense to find out the source. There were also monsters who were deep in slumber waking up from the pressure.


    This is mana pressure. The same pressure the voice emitted when he tried to warn Kim on how powerful a mana user can be. Although only someone with good control of mana, and had cultivated mana for a long time could emit a pressure that could affect the nature, Kim has inherited the mana memories from the voice enable him to unconsciously emitting a powerful pressure. However, the one he emitted was not within his control and could even injure himself. Kim might die.


    Seeing the event that is happening has put a burden into the voice heart even further. Before, he could just release his own mana pressure to cut off Kim''s mana. But being sealed for so long has deteriorated his body. He''s already at his limit when he released the mana pressure from before. His life is only hanging on a thread. He still can''t understand why he would sacrifice himself for Kim, and why he feels so sad now looking at Kim, and again why he comes to a conclusion to put himself on the line to protect Kim. This kind of thought would be ceased to exist in his mind during his time as the sovereign of the universe.


    Momo was still lying lazily on the ground with her belly up when suddenly she sensed a sudden fluctuation of mana in the atmosphere. By then she noticed her master is frowning with his whole body trembling. She could see the inconsistency of Kim''s mana which is clouded in rage. Even since the day when Kim saved her from the brink of death, she could only see lights coming out from him. He gave out a warm sensation that makes her feel safe.


    She was hungry, she was cold, she was weak, she could die any seconds, and no one there to help her. No matter how much she cried or shouted for help, she understood no one would be able to help her as she lay there helplessly within the body of a monster. Not just any monster but a mythical creature that only exists in fantasy, Hydra. King of Hydra! She could only understand that she would be digested soon like other unfortunate people who got swallowed by the nightmarish snake.


    Luckily enough, before she became the last person who would be digested, the fluid stop secreting. Then a wild tremor follows up afterwards. This was the time when Kim was fighting King Hydra. The Hydra had to concentrate all its fluid externally which momentarily stopped the flowing inside its stomach. She waited and waited without knowing what is happening outside and throughout that time she only felt anxiousness with fear as death would take her away anytime. She rather kills herself then suffer from the helpless waiting.


    She suddenly felt warm and smelled something like cooked meat. It didn''t take long for her to realized that the smell comes from the body of the monster. Hydra was completely cooked inside out. Feeling hungry, she pulled out every bit of energy left to munch on the meat in front of her. She doesn''t know how long she did this, but she continued until suddenly the dark space vaporized into thin air. A beautiful crimson sky appeared above. She felt warmness when Hydra was being cooked.


    She lay there naked on the ground feeling weak, and moments later a boy suddenly came to her looking straightly into her eyes, lending a helping hand. She felt embarrassed because she was too weak to cover her exposed body. The boy smiled at her and the first words he said to her were


    "Are you okay violet girl?"


    At first, she was confused but after a while when she saw herself in the river she noticed her once black hair and brown pupil has turned into violet.


    To her, Kim was not only her benefactor, but he was also the only one left in her life. When she looked at Kim misery state, a painstakingly feeling grows in her heart. The beautiful warm mana that her master always emitting from before has become an ugly demon waiting to devour anyone nearby. She couldn''t bear the feeling any more and even with all the heavy pressure pushing her to the ground, she stood back up and step by step she pushed herself to get closer to Kim. Blood started to seep out of her mouth and she felt a crushing power trying to shred her body and veins to pieces.


    When he saw Momo was approaching with a deadly manner the voice felt nervous as he might lose both Kim and Momo at the same time. He tried to scream and shouted all he could to wake Kim up from his sense but unable to do so. He was once the on the top of the food chain able to do anything he wants, but now... he could only watch helplessly. By this time he was determined to sacrifice himself to save both of them when suddenly... Momo runs toward Kim making he feel alarmed because he won''t be able to save her on time. But to his shock, she is there standing in front of Kim. The nervousness is still in his heart, but at the same time, he is rooting for Momo hoping she could stop everything.


    Her state is miserable, her vision is blurry, more blood is coming out from her orifices, and she could fall anytime. She was three more steps before she could reach her master.He took a deep breath and stepped forward. One step, her entire bone is crushing from top to bottom causing an unbearable pain enveloping her entire body. Two steps, her veins split and shredded to pieces making her inside feels like it was pierced by thousands of blunt knife. Three steps, her organs and innards damaged making her vomit blood.


    She felt like a mountain as tall as Everest is crushing her down. Her sense is now gone and she could not even see where her master is but she knew Kim is there. She is just in front of her master. She put her hand on Kim''s head and stroked his hair. By that time her bloody body fainted on Kim''s lap.


    Kim could hear the voice shouting to him telling him to calm down. He could observe all the changes that were happening to his surrounding. He could sense his mana was spreading like wildfire. What he could not do was to control himself. He felt like there was another being possessing him. As if another entity who had been hiding for so long finally appear itself to take over Kim when the chance comes. As the entity taking over him, he only thought of revenge.


    Kim''s mind was clouded with anger and despair but his sense was still sharp. He felt danger as his body wasn''t able to handle the pressure he himself was emitting. It felt like the power was not his. Finally, more sense of danger rushing in when he saw Momo was injuring her body to get close to him. He wanted to scream ''stop'' but couldn''t as if his lips were sealed entirely. He struggled all his might trying to break through the invisible barrier that was caging him inside.


    When he saw Momo is on verge of dying, he reminded the time of Nas''s death where Kim helplessly watch Nas completely devoured. That time he thought that if only he was strong enough he could at least do something. At least sacrifice himself before his friend, but now, he was powerful, yet another person who was precious to him is dying because of him. As Momo getting closer the more he felt like he wanted to scream his lungs out to make her stop. Revenge. What''s there all to it, when nothing is left after you done?


    He wanted to stop, but sadly he couldn''t. Within his mind, he was kneeling on the ground feeling empty. He thought that again, he would lose another person in his life. Then suddenly he saw a light which breath out a gentle and warm aura. A hand coming out from the light trying to grab him and take him outside. Kim who saw this spread out his arm to receive this hand. As the hand get closer, Kim felt a soft gentle feeling stroking his hair. When he opened his eyes, Momo was there bloody, with a weakly pale face. An aura of death was emanating from her as she fell onto his lap, staining his robe with her blood.


    Kim who finally comes to his sense couldn''t believe what had happened and stare at her in shock when finally he heard a voice coming into his head like lighting.


    "What are you doing sitting you damn bastard! Restabillized your mana and help her!"


    Kim then completely awake and took one deep breath, causing the crushing mana pressure to vanish instantly. Then, he concentrated his mana into Momo''s injury. But it wasn''t enough. Momo was still on the verge of dying. He frowned and become extremely nervous. He put more effort as his body and Momo''s both radiated a glow. That glow then becoming more intense as Kim suck the surrounding mana from the surrounding dry. His heart is full of anxiety and he wants to save Momo with all cost.


    From their body, shining white light emitted brilliantly forming a huge sphere. And above this sphere lights of orbs was swirling in the sky! Not only in the sky but also under the ground, the earth is shaking as mana is redirected towards the sphere. During this time, every living being suddenly felt weak, as if their mana was forcibly sucked away from them. it was not just earth but also the universe. Everything within the heaven and earth that contain mana is being stolen away by Kim!


    By this time, Momo felt like she was one with Kim. And both of them felt like they are one with the universe, with the heaven and earth. They could sense every little thing that is happening! Her once devastated body now slowly recovering into her original state. In fact, her body becoming stronger than it was before. Even her latent talent in mana increased by several folds.


    Seeing this, the voice finally had a revelation. He only heard rumours about a myth but he never believed it was true since he deemed himself as the one above all. However, he decided to keep silent and continue watching what may be the most miraculous occurrence within his entire life.


    ''This kid... I''m not wrong. He''s not just any mana-user... He will soon be stronger than me... Even stronger that I could not even lift a finger!''


    Then he let out a chuckle,


    ''He should be grateful that I''m his master. If others helping him it will go to waste. Aiya this ungrateful bastard, call me master already''

 19 Demon

    Chapter 19: Demon


    Kim''s tremendous mana was sensed by various who wanted it to be theirs. With a face full of greed, monsters come lurking around him, ready to ambush him anytime. Some were too excited they couldn''t hold themselves from attacking without waiting.


    "Screw off!"


    Only two simple words and the monsters crumbled down to the ground as if some kind of invisible mountain stand on top of their head.


    Tremor run amok to the surrounding area, cracks are formed beneath the attacking monsters. Shortly afterwards, they were pushed several meters deep to the ground, forming craters. The pressure then grew until it finally crushed the monsters into mangled flesh and pool of blood. Weirdly, it only affected the attacking monsters and not the surrounding monsters who didn''t do anything.


    This was mana pressure. The same pressure that Kim emitted when he lost his control. Now... he had full control!


    While holding Momo who is recuperating with one of his arms, he hugged her close to his body. He emanated an aura full of killing intent that could pierce the heart of every monster in Borneo. This was shockingly powerful! Considering how huge the island of Borneo is... taking the fact that the world has grown 3 times its original size, Kim''s killing intent has covered almost 2 million kilometres of area.


    "I won''t touch any one of you. Unless you want to kill me, then feel free to try!"


    Currently, there are several thousands variety of monsters surrounding Kim. There are even flying monsters above, and in the ground underneath him. Beside those thousands, millions more are coming! Even those from the far sea feel agitated and went to the ground to devour Kim. Powerful monsters who were previously uninterested seems to gain curiosity and come out from their cave to check Kim out. Others just continue their slumbers.


    The monsters were still pursuing them despite the warning. He then stood up and tied Momo tightly to his back using his remaining clothes. He took off his robe and covered Momo... put a layer of protective mana to protect her completely, halving his power. His mind is clear and his heart is calm. His cold eyes show resolute. Before it was full of revenge, now it consists of regret and the feeling of wanting to protect. To protect the one and only person in his life who had become a companion during his despair time.


    He took a deep breath and a sudden increase of explosive power rise inside him, 5%, 10%...


    At that moment, every monster on the island is coming after greedily wanted to absorb his mana. 15% 20%... he''s now utilizing 20% of his mana! And... the power continue to rise without stopping.


    By the time he reached 20%, a 3-metres tall black dog covered with armour made of skeletons showing its fangs towards Kim. Its eyes are bloodshot and had two protruded horns, making them look like a demonic beast! It fiery fur emanating intense heat that could melt any iron. It moved so fast that when you blink it already arrived in front of Kim. Kim jumped before the dog is able to touch him and slapped the demonic dog. Producing a well deafening sound which instantly exploded its head. Another three more attacked Kim, and each one their head exploded to bits due to the might of his slap.


    Dozen more come from his left and right. This time, Kim rushed to one side and leaving a blurry image.The moment he appeared two to three of monsters will be killed instantly. More and more monsters were left without their head intact. Flying monsters started to dive toward him as well. He could see almost hundreds of them in his view. Before he could dodge, a monster from the ground suddenly appeared and grabbed his leg. Sensing danger he embraced Momo and fierce claw of an eagle monsters slash his back mercilessly. Appear from the ground, small monsters bite all over his body.


    Hundred more coming from his back and hundred more coming from his side. However, he could sense more than millions is coming toward him with killing intent.


    .


    "I give you a chance and even kill some for example. Don''t you dare change your mind and fall back! Every one of you will be killed by my hand today!"


    Kim''s cold voice was low, but it could be heard by millions of monsters who had the intention to devour his him. They felt like some kind of branding has been attached to their mana. The monsters were all confused which only serve to stop them from a moment on their tracks. They then continue to rush in.


    Kim released a gigantic roar and storms of light orb come swirling above which then absorbed by Kim. His body is now glowing with brilliant white lights. He has long get used to this feeling. His power continued to explode without stopping. 70%... 100%. He finally able to reach his maximum output! However, he didn''t stop. His power rose above his limit!


    "This kid, it can''t be... how much mana he absorbed?!"


    The explosion of power has caused an earthquake that shook the whole continent. The people of Varhem Kingdom which currently with the majority of them in Malaysia felt it the most which made Prince Ray command a distress alarm to the whole country. Among them, continuous howl and roars of both wild and tamed monsters could be heard.


    The original people of the earth felt intense fear as the thought of the traumatic event during the beginning of calamity would befall them again. Fortunately, the army of Varhem Kingdom is there to dispatch their soldiers at any time to protect them. Little that they know, even the people of the Varhem Kingdom themselves are in fear with the whole situation. Even Sylva, the wisest of them all weren''t able to comprehend everything completely. The only thing he knew was, the source is from Borneo.


    Kim power finally stabilized. His eyes looked clear serene. His face is cold and shows a calm demeanour. He simply looked like a young teen with a good temperate. However, someone with mana sense would be able to feel massive mana pressure coming out from him. Crushing everything like a mountain. Behind him, a white monstrous image that resembled himself of several hundreds of metres tall was formed. Even bigger than Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra themselves. It would immediately cause a mana user to voluntarily prostrate themselves to the sight of Kim.


    "Kneel"


    One word, with a cold voice, has caused a tremor that shook thousands of monster within the area to tremble and made them stop on their tracks. They suddenly had the urge to bow down and their body forcibly pushed to the ground due to intense pressure. Oncoming monsters from behind weren''t able to stop themselves from colliding with the one in front which caused them to crash at each other.


    The moment they crashed, they also entered the affected area and had to submit themselves to the pressure as well. By now, from thousands, tens of thousands have been affected by the single word coming from Kim''s mouth! Monsters who was attacking him and several tens of thousands of others weren''t able to hold themselves from exploding to pieces which caused blood to spray everywhere making the land of Borneo red. If someone is on an aeroplane looking down, they would think that Borneo has a red lake that could host a city.


    Kim then looked in one direction, then punch. The punch caused a massive shockwave that split the earth and created ripples in the air. Several hundred thousands of monster were killed with only a mere shockwave!


    Kim raised both his arm and the ground beneath him started to shake. An earth pillar suddenly formed from the ground. Raising him hundreds of metres above. Kim mana sense was not like before, it has tremendously enhanced. It helped him to finally able to manipulate the earth.


    He to rise and stomped his feet to the ground, splitting the earth in four directions. Four huge fissure several kilometres wide formed and consumed thousands of monsters. He made a gesture with his hand and four fireballs were shoots within each fissure.


    "Hellfire, explode!"


    All four fireballs exploded simultaneously which caused geysers of magma erupted. Gushing out everywhere! The heat has triggered the melted rocks inside the earth which caused a chain of explosions that would obliterate everything in its path.


    Magma flowing out, pillars of flames erupting, sudden explosions occurring everywhere has caused most of the millions of monsters to burn down to ashes, making the area like a depicted hell on earth. The stench of blood and smell of burning dead corpses lingering in the air. One man with a girl on his back standing on a high pillar looking like a reincarnation of King of Hell!


    From millions only tens of thousands of the original monster who were pursuing Kim has either exploded to pieces or reduces to ashes. Most that survived was only because they were in the sea or far above the sky, or simply not within the affected area. However, just from sensing the powerful merciless chain of attack from Kim, the remaining monsters have their instinct kicking in which cause them to flee with their tail behind their back.


    Several of those monsters were wyverns. A sovereign of the sky. Due to their extreme speed and high endurance, they are a perfect predator. Although they are monsters which resemble dragons, in the face of a true dragon they are merely fodders or an object to play with.


    The sight of a wyvern would be equal to misfortune to an ordinary person as escaping death would be almost impossible. However, in front of Kim, they are merely annoying flying insects that are waiting to get squished. Sensing fear, several dozens who manage to escape death by a slight margin flew away with tearing eyes.


    "Trying to run away?"


    With killing intent piercing their bone, the wyverns tumbled a bit and then flew faster.


    Sonic boom exploded as Kim chasing the fleeing the group of wyverns. As he moved pillars and pillars erected serving as steps for him to walk on. Kim movement is very fast that only blurry image could be seen behind him as he steps onto one pillar to another. Blink and you will miss him by several pillars. within a second he''s already halfway reaching the wyverns. Sensing the imminent danger, the wyverns desperately flapping their wings as tears continued to roll down from their eyes.


    As Kim closing in pursuing wyverns, suddenly a loud roaring accompanied by huge tremor shook the entire land causing some of the pillars to break apart. But Kim, quickly reformed another pillar. Even the wyverns tumbled a bit and almost fell down into the hellish pit full of magma. Not knowing what is happening the wyverns just gave hoping and prayed they would live to see their children.


    Suddenly, a voice exploded inside Kim''s mind.


    "Kim, stop"


    The moment the voice said this, a tremendous tremor occurred. Suddenly, a huge hand came out from the fiery pit. The hand is so big that Kim only looked like a drop of water in the middle of Sahara. It released an intense heat that could leave a person desiccated. Burning their corpse to crisp and reduced them ashes in a half of second.


    "Who dares to disturb my slumber!"


    Kim saw staggered from the immeasurable power coming out from the cold voice. Piercing through his weaken barrier and damaged his internals, making him cough a mouthful of blood.


    "Kim, your priority is to protect Momo. How many times would it take for you to learn your mistakes? Revenge and killing would not only kill you but also the people around you! Stop pursuing and close the ground. Seal that demon!"


    By this time the voice didn''t use the word monster but a demon instead. This put some thought in Kim''s mind.


    A sudden pressure is directed toward the fiery pit, pushing the hand back down. This was mana pressure from the voice.


    "My current mana is not strong enough to kill this demon, but it could at least hold it back from fully awaken. Close it quickly"


    Although Kim never seems to give much thought to the voice, he knows that the voice is wise and have several thousand years of experience ahead of him, making him to secretly paying full attention whenever the voice speak. Only the important stuff and when the voice is not bragging of course.


    Kim moved his arm with a gesture guiding the earth to close in. Causing the split earth to move towards one another, sealing the demon. After a while, the shocking tremor is gone. The powerful aura was no more. Kim breathed out a sigh of relief then continued to restabilize Momo''s mana. Fortunately, she wasn''t injured, only a slight fever. He then looked into the distance.


    Faraway from Kim, a group of wyverns were laughing together as they couldn''t believe they would escaped the disastrous event. When suddenly... a sudden cold feeling pierce through their bone. The wyvern group panicked.


    The wyverns continued to desperately flapping their wings to safety!

 20 Rise

    Chapter 20: Rise


    After sealing the mysterious monster beneath the earth, Kim continued to move away from the sea of magma toward a safer place. He jumped around by forming earthly pillars underneath his feet to avoid the magma. Sometimes he would glimpse down and thought what would happen if he took a bath inside the magma. Did he develop heat resistance as how he developed poison resistance from fighting King Hydra?


    He shook off his head to brush up the thought since Momo is resting on his back recuperating from her fatal injuries. Once Momo is awake and recovered completely, he would visit this place again to try his theory and also... to investigate the sealed monster again.


    "She could have died"


    "Momo is safe now"


    "You could have killed her"


    "..."


    Kim only stayed silent after listening to the voice remarks. The voice was clear and went straight into his mind. It was cold and calm yet was able to create a ripple that struck his heart. The voice was true. Momo should have died. It''s only a miracle that Kim happened to be able to recover her. Who knows what might happen next time? And all of this happened because of his blunder. His lack of insight of himself.


    How could he let himself lost into emotions and let his mana went wild? Injuring himself would be a sure thing but injuring others is not within his expectation. Not only just others but the person he injured was his only companion in life now. Even if both of them are not blood-related, to him Momo is a family.


    "Reflect on yourself. Find a safe place to stay and seclude yourself in meditation. It seems that it''s not just your mana which is not stable, even your soul and mind is in cluttered. I thought too highly of you.In the end, no matter how brilliant your mind is, you are still an immature kid who only know how to cause trouble. Don''t stop your seclusion until Momo could fight on her own"


    The voice sounded stern but gentle. Ordinary people would tremble to death unable to stand up after listening to the voice. Usually, Kim would reply with a rebellious tone. However this time, he couldn''t utter a single word and just nodded in silent. It was the first time he heard a serious tone coming from the voice. He diligently accepted his punishment because he knew... one mistake and he could kill Momo. Miracles can''t possibly happen twice. He was lucky! Momo was lucky...


    What''s the point of gaining power if one only knows how to destroy? Kim reminded saying to himself if he had such power he would be able to protect his family and friends. What he is doing now is the opposite. He had the determination to be powerful, but his intention is lacking.


    "Power...revenge... is it worth it?"


    Kim continued to jump around the lake of magma while he pondered upon his resolution. After traversing for around 3 kilometres, he finally found an intact ground. The vegetation surrounding the lake of magma has all burned down to ashes. Walking forward he could see some burnt corpses of hundreds and thousands of monsters laying on the ground. All which were killed during his rampage.


    "I lost control of myself two times. One was by the thirst of revenge, another was the thought of protecting my precious companion."


    Revenge and protecting. Two thoughts that bring the opposite meaning of one another. One is ending a life and another is saving a life. However, both could bring forth utter destruction.


    "It''s not just the thought that matter, but it''s also the way. Revenge is one thing but does all I need to think of is killing? Protecting is a good thought, but killing others is also a form of protection. Is this the path that I''m going to take? Is it what I really want?"


    No matter how many times Kim try to think about it, he still can''t let go the thought of revenge. To him, the perpetrator behind the calamity should not have given the chance to live. He lost his family and friends in a single day. And not just him, how about others? 7 billions of people are living on Earth and how many of them have died because of greed?


    "Is it the answer I''m looking for?"


    Kim continued to ponder without realizing some of the corpses are moving. He didn''t notice anything as he went deeper into his thought while trying to find a good place for Momo to recuperate.


    "Kid, what is good and what is bad?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Is killing a good thing?"


    "Of course it''s a bad thing!"


    "Then does kill to protect others a bad thing?"


    "...no?"


    "Who even decided what is good and what is bad? What is right and what is wrong?"


    "..."


    "I never say that revenge is bad for you. What I don''t want is for you to solely depend on revenge as your ambition. You can have your revenge, even if it means destroying a whole kingdom. But be smart with it. Don''t blindly throw yourself out there and kill yourself. That''s just plain stupid. Not even you will kill yourself, you would even hurt others as well. Get it, kid?"


    "So you are saying..."


    "Go have your revenge. But don''t go around killing yourself and others while you are doing it. Simply saying, don''t be stupid! And.. revenge is not everything... don''t you have more thing you want to achieve in life? Didn''t you want to satisfy your desire to explore a whole new world? Aren''t these things happening to you is what you are waiting for your whole life?"


    "How... how did you..."


    "If you have access to my memory, I have access to yours. It''s not a one-sided pact. I know what you want, kid, so why hesitate? Why lower yourself solely on revenge? What''s the point of Nas last effort of pushing you away to save you? You want to be with them after all of this is done? Are you proud of yourself? I would be disappointed if I was Nas"


    Listening to the voice bickering, Kim suddenly exploded with rage and cause his mana to spread out from him. Except that, it is more stable than before.


    "Again, you lost to your emotions. Just move on! Life and death is a cycle that could not be stopped. People die every day, but does that mean you need to think about the dead every day? If you are still alive, do what the living do. Live!"


    Kim was angry, but he couldn''t utter a single word of rebuke to the voice. The voice was right. Every each single words that were mentioned was like thunder that struck Kim mind as if telling him to wake up. His heart was trembling from hesitation. But the words from the voice has cleared his mind and soul. A sudden rush of emotion made him felt weak, causing him to kneel on the ground as tears streaming from his eyes, drop bits by bits to the ground.


    He''s been keeping his emotion sealed, trying to make himself sane with the thought of revenge to solve everything. Revenge was the justification for whatever happening to him. His despair would vanquish if the perpetrator would be thoroughly exterminated. He was... too young.


    The scene of Nas saving his life had caused another will burning in his heart.


    He remembered how his friends would support his ideas and never looked down on his ambitions. He reminded of how Nas always been smiling telling Kim to not give up, and always look forward with his dream. That smile is the same smile Nas has given to Kim before his death. As if a voice could be heard telling Kim to


    "Live on"


    Kim took Momo from his back and hug her tightly, as tears continued to drop. Life is not about revenge nor it is about protecting. It''s about living your life! Not just his life, but also others. In this case, it was Momo. He wanted Momo to live her life as how he wants to as well.


    "Sorry, and... thank you. I won''t take back this chance. I will protect you and make sure you live your life from now on because that what I decided from now on"


    The voice only watched his apprentice silently without uttering another word. A heart is a complex thing. No one can understand the heart of another. And you can''t even change it. Only the person himself could change his heart from inside by his own will. The voice knew he could only say some words, but the one who could make a choice is still Kim, solely. He was still unsure, but at least he knows now that Kim is free from the chain of revenge. Now revenge is merely a thought that he will do sometimes in the future.


    After a few hours, the voice coughed lightly.


    "Since you realized your mistake, Master considering of reducing your punishment" Kim then give a slight nod. Although he couldn''t see where the voice come from, he always feels like the voice is there watching him.


    "From now on, make sure you give it all to protect Momo from any unprecedented danger. She would need at least a few months to recuperate. Make sure not a single hair on her is touched, understand?"


    "I understand"


    Kim then stood up with a face full of determination. He gently put Momo at his back and wrapped her tightly to make sure she won''t fall. He covered her with his robe and enveloped her with mana. A warm glow could be seen emanating from Momo. This protective mana contained 80% of his power. It''s not just protecting her. It also helps Momo to recover as well. For a few months, considering his fight just now, Kim can only exert 10% of his original power.


    When Kim was about to move a sudden deathly aura could be felt coming from behind him. An ordinary person wouldn''t be able to move due to the intensity of the deathly aura. They could even feel as if their soul is withering just from the slight sensation.


    His fighting experience didn''t allow him to freeze in his place. Instead, he instinctively spread out protective mana covering himself and Momo and created a 10 metres wall made of earth behind him. Then a sudden tremor could be felt on the ground which nearing him. BOOM! A loud voice could be heard smashing to Kim''s wall. His hands numb as he was trying to maintain the wall. Then a crack suddenly appeared. He created another wall and started to run to the opposite side, away from the magma lake.


    "Kim spread your mana sense"


    When Kim spread his mana sense, a strange yet unsettling feeling come into his mind. Surely he felt like something was trying to crash down his wall just now but he wasn''t able to detect any living being. What he could detect was something is moving towards him. Kim spread out his mana sense more but he still couldn''t detect any living being except for one.


    The moment he detected the flying being, he could see eyeless skull looking back at him. It was mana sense. The eyeless skull is using mana sense to detect him. And it was powerful enough to cause his my mind to tremble, making blood dripping from Kim''s mouth.


    A few moments later, loud crashing sounds could be heard again causing both walls to crumble. Then Kim felt a tremor in the ground as if a horde of monsters chasing him. When he turned back to check, to his shock the monsters corpses he saw just now is moving to pursue both of them. Some of them have limbs dangling, some have their bones and innards expose, some even have holes that could be see through them, and some is only a skeleton. Mostly burnt. The scene behind Kim feels like it came straight out of a horror movie.


    Reminded with some horror film from Thailand, Kim didn''t waste his time to sprint away.


    "W-w-what the heck is those?!!!" A deep solemn voice transmitted to Kim''s mind which caused him to sprint faster.


    "The undead...is rising..."

 21 Forward!

    Chapter 21: Forward!


    With Momo strapping behind his back, Kim has no other choice but to run. Even with 20% of his power left, he still would be able to strike down the chasing undead army of monsters. However, having to protect Momo at the same time forced him to retreat.


    It has been several weeks, and Kim clearly showed signs of exhaustion. Of course, even with 20% mana, he could last for almost half of a year without rest. That if he only employs 20% of his mana once in a while. Right now, he constantly utilizing 80% of his mana to carefully protecting Momo without harming her a single bit while at the same time he had to run away while observing and analysing the whole situation. Worst, he already exhausted a lot of mana when fighting the monsters from before.


    His mind and body are continuously managing overloaded stress with a few moments of rest. He felt like sprinting in a full marathon, carrying a mountain behind his back while solving a calculus problem with only his mind, every single day!


    Ordinary people would think of dying. Their mind and body would literally explode from overstress. If it''s not because of his iron-hearted will, Kim would give up and fight the undead monsters until death. And, if he survived this, his body would be tempered splendidly. His control of mana will be meticulous!


    Good thing as he fled more, the path gets narrower as more and more sights of trees, mountains and river appear, which enable him to hide for a moment. But only for a moment! After a while, he could feel an eye watching him, and a few moments later a group of undead monsters would appear. No matter, how many time he hides, the undead monsters would find him time to time again. As if, they have intelligence behind them which could pinpoint his location anywhere he went.


    As time pass by, the voice told him that a monster is spreading its mana sense to detect Kim''s movement. Thus, Kim suppressed his mana more and sometimes randomly leave traces of his mana to give confusion. And it works. A few seconds become a few minutes and a few minutes become a few hours. Which is exactly three hours! It''s not much, but it''s better than nothing.


    If only he could run away, that would be perfect, but the number of the undead are astonishing. Some could move really fast, and they are even winged-beast monsters. Although not as fierce as a wyvern, it still a threat to him at the current situation. It seems that the number of monsters is almost endless. If it just that, he thought that maybe he could just fight them bits by bits, but when he tried to kill one of them, moments later it came back to life. Kim let out a bitter laugh with a frown on his face.


    "Is this Karma? Did all of these monsters come to haunt me after mercilessly slaughtered by me? These monsters... are just sore losers then" He inwardly laugh but still frowned. He still couldn''t think of any way to survive this except for Momo to wake up.


    "Momo, is this retribution? It''s been a few weeks now. When will you wake up?"


    Carrying Momo on his back like this actually make him feel nostalgic. He reminded the day where he first found Momo. She was brimming with deathly aura with a sliver of life burning inside. She could die at any moment. Back then, he didn''t know what to do. But after seeing a living human after all hope is lost, he unhesitantly picked Momo up and embraced her and directed his mana to Momo to heal her. He then carried her around on his back waiting for her to wake up, protecting her from monsters.


    Now it''s the same situation as before except that... although weak, she is full of life and Kim can feel it. If she''s not giving up living nor will he.


    "I won''t let anyone touch you!"


    Before the three-hour mark is reached, Kim will leave his trace in his current position which a huge tree inside a forest and send some of his mana to other various places as well. Then he would continue to run away. But this time, before he could move, suddenly an ambush! Three demonic apes rushing towards Kim.


    One has a severed arm which it carries with another hand to use it as a weapon. Another has half of its flesh torn apart revealing its inside and decaying skeleton. The last one has a huge hole in its stomach in which a kid could pass through. Although in a precarious condition, they still emit a shockingly powerful aura which could destroy a boulder with one fist.


    Kim didn''t have time to react except for reflectively focusing his mana for defence. His muscle bulging making he looked slightly bigger than before. First stroke his head, which was pummeled by the severe arm, causing blood to ooze from his eyes, mouth and nose. The second stroke he gritted his teeth and managed to block with his arm and broke part of the ape''s skeleton. His arm was injured in the process. The last one sends a palm strike straight to his abdomen, causing him to cough a mouthful of blood. But Kim stayed on the ground by pure strength. Although it would injure him more by the palm strike, he couldn''t let himself the power from the strike spreading which could endanger Momo. Instead, he absorbed every bit of impacts with his body flesh.


    Kim gritted his teeth and stomp on the branches where they stand causing the branch to break in half and the apes to fall. Then blood drips from the corner of his mouth as he emitted his mana pressure which bore down on the apes to make them fall ten times faster. When they fall a small crater formed under the each of the apes. Kim then waved his hand with a slight gesture which covered the apes in an earth coffin. The coffins then drag them into the earth, sealing them from moving.


    The seal is not eternity, but at least it would give a slight time for Kim to take a breather.


    Kim didn''t waste his time spreading his traces all over and started to run away again in pursuit. This time, a bad suspicious feeling dwells in his heart. He thought to himself


    ''The undead monsters are reading my mind? No... something is manipulating them. It must be intelligent''


    "Hey"


    "Call me Mas-"


    "I thought monsters don''t have intelligent and only relies on instinct?"


    The voice feels a bit annoyed and hesitated to answer. But seeing that his precious apprentice is in a dire situation he had to answer. If there''s a possibility for Kim to survive, he would leave him alone to train himself. But now, the voice himself couldn''t predict what would happen. But he still restrained himself from telling everything. If the worst comes to worst, then he could use whatever bits left from him to save Kim. If Kim dies from all of this, then it means that Kim is not strong enough to survive. He knows too well how cruel the universe is. Especially for someone as bright as Kim.


    "As to how human get stronger, monsters do as well. When they absorbed enough they would evolve and climb up into another rank. We call them high-rank monsters. Afterwards, they will be superior monsters. Then they evolved into either three, which are the peak. Mythical monsters, Legendary monsters, and lastly Heavenly monsters with Mythical monsters as the weakest and Heavenly monsters as the strongest. And even within this rank, the power between each monster is different."


    Hearing this the first time, Kim felt his mind trembles. It''s definitely information that needs time for him to digest.


    "Then how about Cerberus and Hydra?"


    "They are both Mythical monsters. But the one you fought are superior Mythical monsters, stronger than any ordinary Cerberus and Hydra"


    Kim continued to listen to the voice while jumping around from another tree to another. This would be the most advantageous position as most monsters are on the ground and winged beast monsters can''t get a clear view of him.


    "Then by which rank they will gain intelligence?"


    "Usually, when they reach high-rank they will have bits of intelligence. Enable the monster to form a small group as their leader. When they reach Superior, they have their own territory consists of monsters from the same group."


    "Then how about the 3 peaks?"


    "These 3 are different. They are too powerful. Just by being alone most monsters would just bow down with no resistance. They are the ruler, and they created law! Some of them can even speak with another being."


    "Then how about you?"


    The voice remained in silent with no reply. Instead, he gave out a different answer to Kim


    "That one monster who is controlling all these undead is probably within mythical rank. Which is one you could handle. But this power of controlling dead monsters, make it as strong as a Legendary monster. There could only be one kind of monster who is able to do this..."


    Kim wanted to hear what the voice going to say next but suddenly several winged beasts dived into the forest for a kamikaze. Destroying itself in the process as if the monsters have gone crazy. Kim had to stop in his track to avoid getting hit. Random attacks are not something he could calculate.


    Most of the suicidal monsters eventually fall to the ground as they dove in with no hesitation. This shook Kim a lot as he could not expect the sudden turn of event. Afterwards, more and more monsters come raining into the forest as if there were an invincible force pulling them to the ground. Without any time to react one monster finally landed on top of Kim which he managed to block with a roundhouse kick. The kick sent the monster flying hundreds metre away. Before Kim balanced himself, another monster dove in making him fall to the ground.


    Kim clicked his tongue. While falling, he gathered his mana and punched towards the ground creating an earth-shattering shockwave that blast away nearby monsters. By the time he landed on the ground, he blasted the monsters with explosive flames an created an earth barrier several kilometres wide. He imbued the wall with flames and create a flaming wall!


    Kim didn''t waste a single breath to run forward and sealed the rest of the scattered monsters into the ground. The flaming wall was impactful to hold the pursuing monsters, but those are undead who are chasing Kim. The undead doesn''t care less of their life or even care any injuries because they are mindless monsters controlled by other. As some undead monsters burn to ashes, those who survived become walking-red flaming corpses. Eventually more and more monsters rushing into the wall causing it to shatter to pieces.


    If Kim was in his 100% then the wall be strong enough to hold raging superior monsters. If there were only thousands of them then Kim can even take a short nap! But the numbers are more than that. It is equal to hundreds of thousands!


    Jaw fell, eyes bulging, Kim let out a curse word. ''Unbelievable!'' He thought to himself. He let out a cold chuckled seeing how the situation becoming worst for him.


    "What kind of undead are those?!"


    To make it worst, the forest is slowly diminishing making him exposed to the winged-beast monsters. Kim is just now a running prey in open ground, with hundreds of thousands of undead monsters chasing him alone.


    The voice let out a sigh thinking that he needed to intervene. But then he recognized the empty wasteland where Kim is running.


    "This is, Samarahan. And he is... heading toward the forest near his village?"


    The voice then saw Kim smiling, making him feel suspicious.


    "What are you thinking?"


    Kim didn''t hear anything as he focused on his plan while uttering the same words


    "Almost there... almost there... almost there..."


    The voice stayed silent and continued to observe until the point Kim reached a place with luscious green forest standing as tall as one can see.


    "Whew! I thought I burnt half of this place down. Mana is incredible!"


    Without hesitation, he concentrated all 20% of his mana to produce a single fireball, and throw it not toward the undead monsters, but toward the forest!


    The voice was shocked but he knew how calculative Kim is and decided to just watch the whole event.


    "Hellfire explode!"


    The forest burnt down again, although not as much as before but it was still astonishing enough to form a sea of flames. As the forest burnt down to ashes, a cave suddenly appeared.


    "If I can go back, then the only way to go is to push myself forward!


    Kim rushed forward and entered the cave.

 22 Into the Lair

    Chapter 22: Into the Lair


    "So, that what he''s aiming for!"


    Although the voice felt reluctant for Kim to enter the lair, he still rooting for Kim in his heart. Before, he absolutely rejected the idea since Kim would be killed in the process. Now, the voice truly believed that Kim would have a slight chance of surviving.


    "There''s no choice anyway... But still..."


    The hesitation in the voice''s heart, part of it is the concern for Kim but most of it due to the fact that their connection will be severe during the period Kim is inside the lair. From outside, the lair, might seems to be a big cave, but when someone actually entered they would know it is actually a different world. A whole world created by the monster in the lair acting as the owner. External force won''t be able to interrupt anything within the lair. Not even a heavenly monster.


    "I''ll be lonely for a while then..." Seemingly, tears stream down from the voice eyes.


    Kim unhesitantly runs through the lair passage towards the wooden door from his memories. The path is clearly printed in his mind, enable him to rush through without the slightest pause. As he gets closer and closer towards the wooden door, the undead monsters are hot on pursuit behind his tail. Finally, he caught the sight of the wooden door from a distance. During that moment he could feel a slight deathly aura emanating out that made him feel nausea.


    "Last time, it took me a single touch to feel that aura, now I''m a distance away. Did it got stronger?"


    When Kim was here, he couldn''t do anything but to lay down on the floor unable to resist the deathly aura that was emanating from the door. The intense pressure has increased from before, but he was also getting powerful. Even if he would die, it would be better than not trying! He already put this as his better choice to survive.


    Kim employed 100% of his mana to protect Momo from getting a slight touch of the deathly aurae, causing him to sweat profusely and trembled wildly. The immense pressure shockingly increased several times with every step he took. He''s now enduring everything purely with his body flesh as he focused all of his mana to protect Momo.


    He didn''t stop rushing through the pressure causing hundred of cuts appearing on his body. His robe is in tattered, his hair is messy, blood is dripping everywhere. As Kim reached a distance of ten steps away from the door, the pressure that draws out from the door is immeasurable. As if telling, he''s not qualified to enter! Currently, three being is watching him, the voice, the manipulator of the undead monsters, and the monster in the lair. All three are anticipating what will happen to Kim.


    The voice didn''t say anything. He wanted to make sure Kim could give full concentration to enter the door. With bloodshot eyes, Kim finally decided to move one step. Suddenly, he felt like a giant waterfall crushing him down. He felt like his body is shredded to pieces. This was not only the death aura but also mana pressure! A voice suddenly forced into his mind.


    "Show me what you capable of, boy!" It was a charming and soothing voice which sounded like a female. However, it still capable of showing a domineering aura that caused Kim''s heart to thump violently.


    "What do you think you are doing to my apprentice!" Suddenly a more terrifying and domineering voice rang inside Kim''s mind.


    "What?! Who are you? How could a being as powerful as you related to this boy?! Are you the one controlling the undead? No... you are much more powerful than that" The female voice suddenly felt alarmed. Kim''s master let out a cold snort causing the female voice to tremble.


    "If you don''t let the boy get inside, then not only you, I will uproot the whole lair from the earth and make it is ceased to exist in the heaven! Got it?"


    The female voice hesitated for a moment until she reached a conclusion. The voice she heard must be bluffing! If it could crush the whole lair then why didn''t it do anything to save the boy? But it doesn''t seem to be lying. She still felt that it was powerful enough to kill her.


    "Then how about this, if the boy managed to get inside, I will help the girl while he''s here"


    "Hmmph! You really seeking death!"


    "Shut up! I''m trying to focus here. I''m still alive and you already think I will fail?! I will show you. I don''t need any help!" Kim moved more steps and now half a distance away from his ten steps position.


    By this time, the manipulator felt something was really odd. Sensing a bad premonition, it made a slight incantation with its right skeletal hand. Suddenly, the undead monsters in the forefront went wild and started to run madly into the lair.


    The monster inside the lair sensed this and her eyes shone with brilliant light!


    "Get out!"


    The undead monsters who were running madly inside crumbled to dust and the surrounding monsters outside were pushed hundred of metres away.


    That small moment has given an opening for Kim as he sensed the pressure around him becoming weaker. He gritted his teeth and push himself forward. This time, more bone-cracking sounds could be heard. Blood oozed out from his body, but he didn''t hesitate to force his way through. Kim roared, forcing all his muscle to bulge, making him seems bigger. He crashed through the door and broke it!


    "T-this, this boy! How could he?! My door!" Her eyes went wide seeing the unsightly manners of Kim entering her lair.


    Bwahaha! Go, kid! Show her! Make your master proud"


    Finally, Kim is inside the lair. His surrounding is dark and empty. As if there was nothing there, to begin with. He felt like he was cheated and couldn''t think anymore. He tucked Momo inside his embrace then passes out due to exhaustion.


    From outside, a shield covering the whole entrance, showing that someone is challenging the lair. The manipulator gave a deep glare and finally decided to wait cross-legged in the mid-air. The undead monsters all tumbled down to the ground becoming a lifeless corpse once more. It still sensing that something is wrong, but couldn''t really sort out the puzzle pieces. Instead, it decided to wait for Kim to come outside. Some dishes are worth to wait for!


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "I shall protect the world!"


    A sudden ringing sound slowly becoming louder and louder causing dizziness in Kim''s mind.When he opened his eyes, what was once a dark empty area became a blinding white light that illuminated the whole room that strikes like a needle into his eyes. He blinked and the white light starting to fade showing a vague image behind. The ringing sound also started to disperse slowly.


    He blinked again and saw various being floating around within the night sky. Now, he could hear a faint sound of his surrounding. But he still couldn''t grasp clearly what is happening around him. As the dizziness receded, his vision becoming clearer. What was thought as the night sky is actually the starry sky, and Kim is floating in the middle of it!


    BOOM! A sudden loud explosion could be heard splashing about almost everywhere making it seems like to be a battlefield. As he observed more, a sphere-like object with several rings around it suddenly split to half crumbled down into bits that scattered everywhere.


    Within that crumbling sphere a huge winged monster as large as the sphere emerging out! Its body covered with thick black scales which engraved with several unknown symbols in a violet glow which seems to be ancient. It seems to emanate powerful dense mana. A single glance from that symbol alone could cause an ordinary person to die from being terrified. Even Kim was struggling to stand on his ground. Somehow, the monstrous mana he felt from the being seems familiar.


    He observed nearby surrounding and saw more sphere-like objects which seem to move around in a system. Far away, he could see glittering small orbs of lights that seem to be the starry sky. He turned around and saw a shining yellowish-red body that emitted an intense heat which solved his suspicion of the place he''s in.


    "This... is space?! And that''s the Sun?!"


    He looked down below and directly underneath him is the Earth!


    "That means... no... that was Saturn?!"


    The magnificent giant planet was destroyed to pieces. More shockingly, a being that emerged from it seems to be unfazed. As if, this was its everyday life.


    Suddenly, six of similar winged-monsters surrounded the giant black scale monster. Each has the size that is comparable to each other, which is as huge as the black scale monster.


    The one with crimson red scale took the lead and started to talk "You have become weak! That''s why you should listen to us! We are your faithful subordinates! We are willing to follow you to the end! Don''t blame us for acting against you. It''s for the greater good for all of us!!!"


    "Faithful your grandpa! Are you sure you do this for the greater good of all or for the benefit of you alone!" Both of the crimson-red monster and the black-violet monster are gleaming to each other with killing intent.


    "You have been standing on top too long. There''s no chance in heaven you will be able to fight us Die!"


    The crimson-red scale suddenly burns with an intense flame. The heat emanating from its body was so terrifying that standing in front of the sun is more comfortable! With bloodshot eyes, it opened its mouth and breath out flames that could swallow a planet as a whole towards the black-scale monster.


    The ancient symbol covering the black-scale monster glow intensely and then the monster unleashed a domineering roar that caused a tremor that shook the whole solar system!


    Feeling threatened, all six of them retreated back. The flame breath just now was simply extinguished purely by the pressure, which is mana pressure. Kim can''t hold himself from kneeling down from the pressure as blood ooze out from the orifices of his face.


    "This aura, this pressure... it''s too similar..." Kim thought in his mind.


    "Don''t fall back. Attack!"


    Another one from the group of six rushed forward. It has elegant green-jade scales which emitted the aura of life. Then floating rocks started to encircle him. As he flew higher and higher more and more rocks circled around him, including asteroids! The jade monster is like a shiny pearl within the deep sea underneath all that rocks. It let out a roar, and all the circling rocks merged together into a giant mountain that makes the sun only a small golf ball when compared. The mountain then descended toward the black-scale monster making it look like a meteor that could crush the whole galaxy!


    The black-scale monster only looked closely at the descending with no change in expression. It opened its mouth and again an intense violet glow shot out from the symbols causing mana to be concentrated it its mouth.


    "Mana burst!"


    A powerful-dense violet coloured mana shot out in straight line piercing through the meteor. But it didn''t stop from just hitting the meteor. The mana continues forward into the endless space almost hitting the jade-scale monster. It almost looked like a bluish-purple laser beam. The mana then grew wider and wider until the point it enveloped the whole meteor!


    When it ended, the jade-scale monster is now full of injuries as blood coming out from all over its body. Even some of its scales were broken. The meteor has been reduced to rubbles. A shock could be seen in its face as if it couldn''t believe it''s still alive!


    Kim who was watching the entire scene couldn''t believe his eyes, blinking them more than hundred of times. He knew that the world of mana is huge. Kim always heard the self-glorified story of the voice. Of course, until now he won''t believe that a mana-user could be that powerful. Now that he saw everything that is happening, he thinks that nothing is impossible with mana. Each one of those flying-monsters is tremendously frightening. But the powerful attack from the black-scale monster has been deeply printed as a significant image within his heart.


    "What monster is that? Until now, it didn''t even take a single step backwards!"

 23 Who is my Master?!

    Chapter 23: Who is my Master?!


    Kim is flying in the middle of space trying to imprint everything in his mind! Although everything seems real, his mana sense detected no living being surrounding him. Except for one, which was not one of the battling monsters. Despite the intense battle happening around him, Kim stayed calm while sitting down cross-legged. He continued to observe every moment.


    "The way these monsters are controlling mana is shockingly terrifying. I should take this time to contemplate!"


    Kim''s eyes shone brightly as he tried to comprehend everything that is happening! While doing that, he even took this chance to learn how mana works. He was not just observing he was studying! An ordinary person would pant frantically and would eventually faint due to their mind being overwhelmed. But Kim seems to be in his comfort zone. In fact, he seems to be enjoying the whole scene as if he is watching a movie. The only thing missing was popcorns.


    "There''s always a fortune in every corner. If I don''t take this opportunity to gain enlightenment then my name is not Kim!"


    He circulated his breathing and force out his mana sense to analyze everything. The illusionary world seems to be harmless, but it was actually almost as frightening as being in a mental domain. To Kim who is used to the immense pressure to his mind is having the time of his life.


    The battle continues!


    With the meteor being crushed down, it left millions of pieces of floating rocks. The jade-scale monster was in shock looking at his powerful attack being crushed to nothing. If it wasn''t for the meteor strike standing between them it would be killed several times by now. Or maybe, the black-scale monster was just holding back.


    The black-scale monster took this chance, and flap his magnificent wing which spans for hundreds of meter long. That one-flap was enhanced with mana, making it powerful enough to create a massive storm! It blew all the rocks away turning it into a vicious barrage of shrapnel, aiming to pierce through all other monsters like a thousand spear.


    Suddenly, a tsunami comes from nowhere to sweep the oncoming shrapnel away. Emerging from inside the sea, an azure-blue scale monster appear. When one looks into it, it feels like looking into an endless sea. It raised both of its arms and caused a tidal wave to appear from both sides of the black-scale monster. Then it clasped both of its arms causing the tidal wave to crash to one another, swallowing the black-scale monster within. The scene looked like the time when Moses crossing the Red River. Except that, the water is rushing in instead of separating!


    "That water... is not real water but actually conjured water. It created the sea using mana from nothing!" Again, Kim''s eyes shone with bright light.


    Despite the injury, the jade-scale monster decided to make its move. It spans both its wings and made an incantation gesture with its arm. Then floating rocks and asteroids start to gather above the sea and manifested into a 30,000-meter tall golem! The golem gleams with yellow lights and seems to be sentient.


    "Earth is from nature. From nature comes life! I''ve been using earth crudely all this time" Kim continued to mutter to himself while trying to study the event happening before him.


    The golem then punched downward toward the crashing waves of sea forcing it to open a giant hole. Within that hole, a giant black-scale monster is standing idly as if it is taking a break. Several meters before the golem punch hit the black-scale monster, the fist suddenly stopped in the mid-air. The golem was in shock and started to stagger a bit. It tried to force its fist through but instead, a cracking sound could be heard as its arm started to crumble down until its shoulder.


    The black-scale monster eyes flickered as another monster with thick brown scales and broad wings rushing in like lighting. Its body is surrounded with red scars all over. The monster roared causing all planets and stars to tremble. Even Kim was affected by it. The moment it was closing in for a headbutt, the black-scale monster widened its eyes and grab the monster by its neck.


    "Ares, why are you joining him? From all I know, you never had any interest for empty glory"


    Ares only gave a cold chuckled and glare intensely at the black-scale monster. It tried to whip its tail to attack, but the black-scale monster spins around and threw Ares to the golem. The tremendous force crumbled the golem to pieces. Ares spat out a mouthful of blood. He was obviously injured but still, showed a strong demeanour.


    "I knew you were strong. But I never knew you were this strong. You are right, I don''t care about the glory of standing on top. All I want is to fight you!" Ares continues to laugh crazily.


    "Fighting me, with others?"


    "Well, fighting you alone will surely be an utter defeat for me. Only like this, I can stand on the same level as you. You are the Emperor! And it''s not just us!"


    Ares spans its wings and roared. Then multiple huge vortexes appear around them. Within them similar being of various looks flying out from the vortexes. Although they emanate a weaker aura when compare to the previous six monsters. Every each one of them could easily crush an Alpha Cerberus with a single strike. And their number... more than a thousand!


    "So it wasn''t just six of you... everyone is going against me now huh...is this your work Helios?"


    The crimson red-scale monster laughed frantically.


    "You brought this all up yourself"


    "All of you blaming me?!"


    The voice seems slow but actually caused the whole galaxy to tremble. Even some of the monsters coughed up blood.


    "I lead you, united you and protected you since the moment I took reign! And this is how you repay me?! You ungrateful bastards! You only want to take my place"


    "Ungrateful? We stand by you in every battlefield. Slaughtered all other beings in the universe. We were there. We were almost there to conquer the universe. Other beings have hunted us for so many years. This is our rise. This is our revenge. How could we suddenly stop and make peace with them? Does it matter if I want to take your place if you going to hold us down? Tell me, Emperor!"


    "But some of these beings didn''t do anything wrong. They even struggle to stand against their own. They want to live as much as we do"


    "No other beings should breath the same air as us. We are dragons!"


    The moment Kim heard the word ''dragon'', his heart trembled in fear. His mind was in disarray. He couldn''t believe that the monsters in front of him now are the mythical creature called dragons. He always heard how powerful dragons are in legend and folk stories. Even in games, he played. Before, he wouldn''t believe their existence, but after the calamity, he understood that his knowledge was shallow. far too shallow. These thousands of monsters are probably the mythical creatures that stand above the pinnacle. Every each one of them. And the black-scale monster is their Emperor! He now understood how huge the universe it.


    "From today on, I''ll be the Emperor! Poseidon, Gaia, attack!"


    The jade dragon and azure dragon unleashed their barrage of the earth and sea slamming down the Emperor. Ares shouted and causes the thousands of dragon to go into war. But this war is only against one mighty emperor. The dragon emperor. Helios stood directly in front of the sun which caused his scale to burn brightly. After ten breaths, nine yellowish-red fireballs bigger than the sun appear around him. He roared.


    "Nine Heavenly Sun!"


    All nine sun crashing down with tremendous force. Each and one of them was shockingly more powerful than the meteor strike. The sun was so big and powerful that some of the dragons were killed. Amidst the battle, only two dragons from the original six stand behind. One is white and covered with elegant scale. It seems to be gloomy. Another one is grey and emanated an archaic aura. Both of them stand by as if they didn''t agree with the fight.


    The Emperor who was still standing in his place let out a shocking roar with intense violet glow shining from his body.


    "Stellar destruction, Cosmic ray!"


    Violet light rays shoot out from the Emperor body piercing through thousands of dragons and killed several hundreds of them. The rays fly into the starry sky, and continuous explosion could be heard from far, causing a tremor to the whole galaxy. It''s amazing that Earth was still intact while other planets were on the verge of crumbling. Out of curiosity, Kim found out that Earth is covered with a protective layer of mana. As if it was an egg yolk covered in it its shell.


    The battle continued on and on, and Kim didn''t waste a single breath to observe everything until one point... when the archaic looking dragon come forth and move his hand in a gesture. The Emperor froze in his place with his pupils widened. He struggled to even speak.


    "Chronos.. you..."


    "Forgive me, Emperor" Chronos then glanced toward the white dragon.


    "Minerva...did you... foresee this?" The white dragon didn''t look at the Emperor and glance sideways.


    With ancient voice "Hurry, the Emperor is powerful enough to break my domain in seconds..."


    Six of the dragons then surrounded the Emperor and fully unleashed their mana. Then six-giant black pillars emerged from above and thrust through the Emperor four limbs, and his two wings. Then chain constructed from mana and imbued with various elements of fire, nature, sea, and others started to bind the Emperor.


    "This bind will suppress your mana. Only external mana could break it. Each pillar was imbued with our will. They will form a spirit that will become the guardian of your seal. No one weaker than six of us would be able to break the seal."


    The Emperor didn''t even care about Helios and glared toward Minerva. Minerva continued her silence as if struggling to find her word. The emperor nodded and only keep his silence. Helios put on a grin and roared.


    "Today the Emperor is Helios!"


    Other hundreds of surviving dragons left bowed down to Helios including five of them. They then rise, and together with Helios...focused their mana towards the black pillar. The emperor was shoot down toward Earth like a meteor.


    Suddenly, Chronos the ancient looking dragon look into Kim''s eyes as if he was able to sense Kim. Kim''s body shook entirely due to mana pressure emanating from Chronos. Although not as domineering, it was still powerful enough to cause Kim to gasp for air. Suddenly, everything went dark. And Kim heard a voice in his mind.


    "Did you see enough?"


    The voice sounded ancient.


    "What... was that?"


    "No need for you to know now. Eventually, everything will be clear for you. Be prepared as another war is coming."


    "War? What do you mean by war? Who are you?"


    "I''m an old friend of your master. This is only my will, but I hope that this blessing would be a good fortune for you. I have no control of the guardian, but for someone who is selected as his apprentice, I''m sure you are capable to pass its trial. Go now, and free your master" Kim has many more question but the voice started to fade away.


    "Wait! Who is my Master?!"


    He shouted times and times again but he couldn''t hear any voice. Not even his own voice. He felt like all his sense has gone away.


    Suddenly, in Kim''s mind a voice...


    "So, he''s not your master?"


    "I don''t have one"


    "I see... well ciao"


    "No, wait!"


    Then a loud ringing sound gradually becoming louder. A blinding white light flashed through Kim''s pupil making him close his eyes. By the time the ringing sound dissipates, so as the white lights. Kim then opened his eyes and blinked several times. The scenery abruptly changed.


    Everything is lustrous green and full of fresh air. Even Kim felt his exhaustion from forcing himself to imprint the whole event in his mind to loss gradually. Kim is inside a forest that is brimming with mana.


    Despite the refreshing and calm atmosphere, Kim suddenly let out a fuss and stomp his feet to the ground causing cracks to appear.


    "Who are you calling my Master you old geezer?!"


    A distance away, a monster perching on a tree is looking at Kim''s behaviour with a strange expression. It let out an ''eh?'' sound with its head slightly tilted.

 24 Trial

    Chapter 24: Trial


    While Kim''s continue to stomp his feet in madness causing crater and tremor to form, a squawked voice could be heard from a distance. Followed up with a familiar female voice.


    "What do you think you are doing to my home, boy?! It''s only been a single breath when you entered my lair and you already caused a rampage!"


    Kim had a strange expression when he heard it''s only been a single breath he''s been inside this place. Kim spread out his mana sense and look directly toward the location of the voice as if he could actually see the owner of the female voice causing her to break a cold sweat.


    "Not bad, not bad, I expect much from you"


    Kim only gave a cold glare.


    "Tell me who is your master?"


    "Another one?! Why everyone keeps asking for my master?! That shameless old geezer is just an annoyance! He forced himself into my mind! Don''t tell me he''s spreading rumours as well!"


    Feeling headache, Kim rubbed both his timple. He had a deep thought on how he would take his revenge.


    "Making a broth out of the bone outside might be good hehe..."


    Feeling perplexed with the weird expression showing from Kim''s ugly face, the female voice let out a sigh. She then used her mana and formed an image in front of Kim. Looking at the image, Kim felt anxious. He suddenly thought of checking his back. Realized his back was empty, killing intent flickered in his eyes. He unleashed mana pressure and roared.


    "Where is she?"


    The female voice only let out a snort that caused the whole world to tremble. Her mana is actually more domineering than Kim''s. It causes a backlash making blood to ooze out from Kim''s mouth. However, it was several times weaker when compared to his ''Master''. Despite the pressure, he still stands firm on the ground with even more killing intent emitting from his eyes.


    Momo is beside the monster!!


    "Pass the trial of my lair and I will give her back"


    Listening to this, Kim didn''t waste any time to push himself forward toward the female voice. When suddenly, the plants start to move blocking his pathway. Creating a wall of vines that seem to be endless. The only thing Kim could see was the sky above him. He turned around and saw that the wall of vines was actually circling him.


    "Get out, and you will have the qualification to find me. Give up and I will kill her too"


    "How can I be sure she will be there when I reached you? How can I be sure she will be safe?"


    "Then spread your mana sense"


    Without the feeling of any trickery, Kim pushed his mana sense to the maximum without the slightest hesitation. He could see this world of lustrous forests as huge as Sarawak itself. Maybe even bigger than Sarawak since his mana sense has already reached its limit. Sensing familiar mana, Kim let out a sigh of relief. It was Momo''s mana. Her vitality emitted a weak glow, but fortunately, it''s in a stable state. Moreover, there''s another mana covering her to make sure her mana won''t disperse, helping her to recover faster.


    With mixed feelings, Kim bowed towards the female voice location.


    "I don''t need your gratefulness. I only want to see someone to pass my trial. I''ll let you check on her every two-hours when you hear the sound of nature"


    Before Kim managed to ask any questions, the earth around him rumbled. Popping out from the ground with a ''plop'' sound is a boulder as big as an average human. Vines and leaves covered the boulder and shattered it to pieces. Emerging from inside is a person that made out of clay. If one looks closer to the detail of the warrior, it actually resembles an Iban warrior, fully equipped with their Terabai and Parang. Ready to cut off the head of their foe.


    ''So, it''s a trial of battle prowess..bring it on!''


    Kim looked at the warrior with a strange expression. It seems to be alive, but no life could be sensed coming from it. Only mana circulating in and out of its body. It gave out the same feeling like the undead monsters chasing him from before. He was also reminded of the scene when the jade-scale dragon, Gaia created a self-sentient golem to strike down the black dragon emperor.


    Before Kim managed to analyse everything, the Iban warrior let out a roar and started to attack him. The moment the warrior reach half a distance away from him, Kim disappeared. Leaving only an afterimage. He appeared behind the warrior and stroke the body of the warrior to bits. The crumbled body then absorbed to the ground. Before Kim managed to take a breather, two more Iban warriors came out in the same fashion. They both started to attack Kim simultaneously.


    Kim only took a single step and suddenly appeared beside one of them. He punched and destroyed it to bits. The other one closed in on him with its parang. He blocked it with his bare hand and send his mana sense into the body of the Iban warrior. The warrior couldn''t take it and explode to pieces and both of them absorbed to the ground. Four more boulders came out and produced four Iban warriors. Kim only gave a cold glare. By now he already understood some part of the trial mentioned by the female voice. He continued to fight while analysing the Iban warrior.


    "I knew that the first two was too easy, I won''t lose until I get Momo back!"


    Several distances away from the cage made of vines, a figure with magnificent black feathers covering its entire body perching on a huge tree that seemed to have lived for more than a millennium. It has a beak, with horns protruded upward. It shows an elegant image and standing with prideful demeanour. Beside it, a sleeping girl is floating with her violet hairs fluttering. The girl looked weak, but her life force is still glowing. In facts, she seems to be recovering as times goes by until the point colours appear on her pale face. There''s warm mana enveloping her entire body as if she was inside a mother''s womb.


    The perching monster gave a warm look at the girl and then looked away in a distance.


    "He seems to be one step toward understanding half of the trial. I wonder if he could find out the other half. Would he last that long? Besides, even if he manages to get out..." The monster let out a sigh.


    "If he''s dead, I can keep this cute girl as my child" The monster gave a cold glance toward the vine cage.


    A gentle yet strong breeze blowing through to forest. The trees, leaves, grass and flowers, all uniformly swaying about, forming a soothing voice. If one is standing in the middle of the forest, it feels like they are listening to an orchestra. An orchestra of nature. The first two-hours has finally arrived. It opened up the mana covering the girl and mana sense could be felt spreading towards its place.


    Outside the lair, a skeletal figure wearing a black robe is sitting cross-legged in the middle of the air with its eyes closed. Except that... its eye socket are empty! Whether it''s closing or opening its eyes, the mana emanating from the creature is deadly. One look and you will be cursed to death. Besides, even getting close to have a look at the creature is twice as hard as undead monsters roaming about. Even if they seem to be docile now without moving an inch, no one knows what will happen if someone caught within their sights.


    The skeletal figure continued to look toward the lair entrance as he is waiting for a person to come out.


    ''A monster that could control undead monsters huh?... You think you can absorb my apprentice mana? Well, think again. Kim will come out and devour you and your minion instead!''


    Even though he knew no one would hear him, he still blurted out his thought with full of pride. This is a being who already used to living alone and talk to himself for thousands of years.


    Inside the vine cage, it has past six two-hours marks now. Meaning Kim has spent more than half a day inside the cage. He already subdued thousands of Iban warrior, and more of it has been appearing. In facts, it''s not just the number, even their strength has increased by several folds. The trial seems to be endless. With the wall of vines separating him from outside, he had no choice but to fight those warriors or else he will be killed.


    The perching monster only watched Kim with a strange expression. It seems that it did not expect Kim to last this long. And moreover, it feels like Kim is not even trying to get out at all.


    ''What is he thinking? Does he really want to save this girl?''


    It didn''t glance for more and focus on healing the girl. Then, the seventh 2-hours mark arrived.


    ''Good, she''s getting better. It won''t be long until Momo wakes up. By then, I will break myself out from this cage''


    Kim felt relief the first time he sent out his mana sense to check on Momo. Moreover, every time he checked her, she was getting better and better. By that time, he didn''t hesitate to push himself fighting endlessly to make sure Momo would recover well. He knew that he doesn''t need to beat all of these warriors to pass the trial.The female voice only gave him a hint. ''Get out!''


    But he needed to buy some time for Momo. Even if it would mean he would overexert his body. But that doesn''t mean he gained nothing from it. Besides tempering his body to an extreme level, he was able to analyse the nature of mana circulating inside the warrior.


    ''These warriors... they are not just seemingly alive...they are alive!''


    Several dozens of blade come slicing toward Kim. He stomped his feet on the ground and causing flames to circle around him. Blocking the slicing blade from hitting him. He then made a gesture with both his hands and send those flames around like spear, piercing through those warriors body.


    ''My control of earth... is gone! Something is weird about this place...''


    While he was thinking and continued to analyse everything, he blocked, attacked and retreated whenever he needed to. He didn''t use any big skill in case he would lose too much mana and unable to recover properly. He only has been manipulating his flames. He didn''t even enhance his physical body since it was already strong enough. He only focused on enhancing his mind, to make full analysation while fighting and moving around.


    ''That golem and these warriors... the feeling they gave off are similar to undead monsters outside...but the difference was the undead emitted out the aura of death while both of them emitted out the aura of life!''


    Among those thousands of warriors, only dozens of them are left. Little by little, Kim beginning to understand how the mana inside the warrior works. He continued to fight to gain enlightenment. Even though Kim has huge mana capacity, fighting for this long eventually would lead to physical exhaustion. Furthermore, he couldn''t recover in between as the warriors keep appearing non-stop. So, the rate of him using his mana is faster than him recovering his mana.


    ''Just a bit more. After this two-hour, she will definitely wake up!''


    Kim finally felt sore through his muscle. It felt like his body is starting to tear apart. He''s been like this for more than half a day non-stop. It''s still a wonder how he was able to keep standing on his ground fighting thousands of warrior coming on him with killing intent. Gritting his teeth he punched through and the final warrior is reduced to rubbles.


    ''This is it, I''m going out now!''


    As if knowing what he was thinking, the ground trembled with a violent tremor. Shockingly, instead of a boulder, a huge mountain suddenly arose from the ground. Kim could felt high dense of mana brimming with life surging out from the mountain. He felt pressured and were slightly pushed down. By this time Kim''s eyes are gleaming with excitement!!!


    ''It''s time!''

 25 Rushing through!

    Chapter 25: Rushing through!


    The moment the mountain is fully wrapped inside the vines, Kim''s eyes flashed. He moved one step and left a blurry image. Half a second later, he appeared not in front of the mountain but in front of one side of the vine cage wall.


    "The mana from the vine and the warriors are exactly the same..."


    Kim''s enhanced both his arm. Muscle bulged, brilliant white light glows brightly!


    "The vine is supplying the mana to the warriors! And this is its weakest time! Ora!!!"


    Kim bent like an arrow, pulling his head back and roared. His eyes flickered with full determination!


    "Ora! Ora! Ora!"


    He unleashed a barrage of fists crushing the wall vines, layer after layer. He was punching so fast that it looked like he has limbs growing from behind. He continued to shout, mercilessly crushing down the walls of vines. The word he shouted doesn''t carry any meaning, but it''s actually a shout he learned from an anime where the main character is a high school student who has some kind of spirit following him from behind. His signature move is his deadly barrage of fists that come with his signature shout! Kim is portraying that image inside his head to boost morale.


    "Not enough! I need to punch more!"


    Before the arms behind him were illusory, now they become corporeal! From two-arms, he now has four arms. But it didn''t stop. More and more arms appearing behind him. Then suddenly from those hundreds of arm, it fused together to form a white giant body of 50 metres tall. But it didn''t stop growing! 70...100..150...200... 300 metres! It grew so high that it seems possible for it to climb out of the cage!


    Then a head emerges from the body that actually resembled Kim! From that body, two-arms appear, then four, then eight! The white giant is glowing in white lights that could brighten the starry night. Kim roared and the white giant roared with him.


    "You dare to kidnap Momo from me? Now feel my wrath! Ora!!!"


    As Kim roared, the white giant roared with him. As Kim punches, it also punches. One punch feels like it could shatter the sky. A deafening sound exploded out every moment its fists hit the wall. The ground shakes as if nature itself is trembling from the might of Kim''s punches.


    Outside, a tremor with a huge magnitude that could obliterate a city shook the surrounding forest near the lair. Even the undead monsters which were guarding the lair crumbled to pieces due to the violent shake that vibrated their entire bones and flesh. Unable to hold on, they shattered to pieces.


    The skeletal figure who was floating cross-legged in the air woke up from its mediation. A clear frown could be seen from its face, even though it was skinless. Its eyes flickered when sensing the mana coming out from the lair. A vile grim carved in its face. If it had a tongue, it would lick its mouth as if sensing a delicacy.


    "This human is worth waiting for... I will consume you and make you one of my minions..."


    It then went back into its meditation.


    Other than the skeletal figure, another being was also sensing a dramatic fluctuation of mana flow happening inside the lair.


    ''Kim is alive, as well as Momo. And he is... getting stronger by the second!''


    A bashful smile could be seen in his face which is full of pride. As if he was telling himself that all of this happened due to him.


    The moment the mountain stop trembling, the vines will also stop supplying mana to it and will start to focus on strengthening the wall again. Able to sense that particular time is getting nearer, Kim didn''t waste any moment and started to circulate his mana into his left arm, focusing it at his fist. His eyes were fully concentrated on the wall in front of him. By this time, he already used to the feeling... the feeling of being one with the heaven and earth! Following his intent, the white giant behind Kim changes its form into one giant arm.


    "Fist of the heaven and earth!"


    Kim let out a roar and punched with full force destroying the wall until it couldn''t repair itself anymore. The shattering force trembled the sky and shook the earth. It didn''t stop just by destroying the wall. It continues on to obliterate everything in its path. Forest, mountains, river... everything is gone, splitting the green world into two parts with a huge valley in between.


    At the end of that valley, Kim could see a winged monster perching on top of a tree that emanate an archaic aura as if the tree has been there forever since the creation of the Earth itself. Both Kim and the monster is glancing directly into each other eyes. The monster is fully covered with black feathers with a little bit of white one covering its chest. It has a long yellow beak with some kind of a horn protruded upward. Kim actually recognized the monster. And the one he recognized was not the monster, but what the monster resembled. It was the hornbill!


    Feeling imminent danger, the monster spread out its mighty wings. It feels like the wing could actually cover the entire sky. The monster let out a mighty squawked forming a barrier. The lustrous forest surrounding it also trembles and suddenly grew larger forming another barrier as if it had the will to protect the monster as it''s master.


    Kim frowned and then stopped the force of his punch just before it hit the barrier. The monster stares at Kim with a strange expression. Kim was only making a path. If only Momo wasn''t there, he won''t hold back at all. Seeing that the path is fully open for him he didn''t waste any moment to rush through. Every step he took he would leave a faint blurry image of himself running. Every step he took he would appear hundreds of metres ahead, closing into the monster within each and every step.


    The movement of Kim was fast and light. If he was running on water, there would be no ripples. In the vine cage, a figure is observing Kim quietly with a solemn face. Judging by his appearances, he looked like the other Iban Warriors. However, an odd feeling emanating from his aura. A domineering aura filled grief and regret.


    The ground suddenly shook. Opening his eyes wide, his pupil dilated. From his straight path, he changed trajectory. A few seconds later, several metres ahead of his original point, a vine pierced through the ground from underneath. It stood there solidly like a spike. One touch and the vine will punch a hole through his body.


    The moment his feet touched the ground he changed his direction and another vine viciously piercing through like a giant needle. Then another...then another...and another. In fact, it''s getting faster and faster until the point that after twenty to thirty vines appeared, Kim started to get a slight graze which turned into a simple wound, then a deep cut!


    Splash! Blood gushing out from Kim''s body. His robe is torn and his body is full of scars, sliced by the vines. But he didn''t show any weakness. In fact, he''s getting faster and faster! Kim gritted his teeth and continued to force his way through the valley. Pulling acrobatic stunts one after another, jumping from vein to vein, obliterate anything within sights with a single punch.Burn his way forward. Although it''s not his explosive hellfire, his flame is scarily vicious enough to melt metals.


    But nature is persistent! No matter how much you burn it down, it will rise again with limitless vitality. It wasn''t only the vines, the forest, the ground and even air itself are trying to hold Kim down. Messing up his footing, blowing him away. Kim didn''t understand why, but it felt like nature itself is sentient, steadfastly protecting the monster.


    ''That monster can''t even compare with that old geezer in terms of mana. How could it control all of this without breaking it sweat?'' Kim glared at the monster who seems to be relaxing. The monster is pecking its black feather to relief its itch. It seems to be in no state of worries. Maybe it doesn''t have a slight thought of Kim breaking it through.


    Although Kim felt annoyed, he didn''t have the luxury to be bothered by it. Last time in the cage, he tried to manipulate the earth him but failed. He thought that the cage was suppressing his mana. When he broke through, he tried again but failed. Seemingly, it''s possible to say that, the hornbill is better at manipulating the mana of nature than Kim. Or maybe, it''s just stronger than Kim in terms of mana.


    He put aside the thought. What''s important now is to rescue Momo. Kim roared and his body is bursting with mana. His eyes were bloodshot and his entire body is in flame dancing wildly with him at the nucleus.


    "If I couldn''t manipulate the mana here, I shall use mine! Burn to ashes! Disintegration!"


    The dancing flame became a body of flame that looks like a sun, which increased in size by the second. Burning everything it touched to ashes. More and more vines appeared from the ground and forests to bind Kim. With futile, the vines only get burnt down. But it didn''t stop and even the earth itself started to fly and attach itself to Kim. Dirt, mud, boulders, sand and even mountain were trembling as if Kim is like a magnet. As more and more are attached to Kim, the sun started to fade. Until the point that the intense heat and light have completely gone as if it was just a dream. Finally, Kim with his mana is sealed.


    "How unfortunate that the boy didn''t pass the trial. But... why is the warrior still there?" The hornbill monster looked closely at the figure who was standing still in the vine cage. The person is staring closely at the sphere of earth, wrapped inside the vines. As if, he was waiting for something...


    "What are you waiting for Warrior? You had lived a glorious past and weren''t able to let go of your regret...It''s the first time I see you are interested in something"


    However, the warrior only stood there continue to observe, ignoring the monster.


    At the same time, another pair of eyes were opening. It pupils dilated and constricted, adjusting itself to the lights hitting on the surface of her pale plump cheek. Then a weak cute voice that could warm a cold heart in winter was let out. "Master?"


    The monster looked at the girl with violet eyes and hair with a mixed expression. "That boy... your master... although you can sense him now his life force is becoming dimmer. I''m sorry, but he''s going to-"


    "No, you are wrong" Momo turned her head toward the sphere of earth. "He''s Kim. My master and my benefactor." She gave a short glanced at the monster and smiled. "Thank you, for taking care of me" She nodded a bit since she can''t move well now and looked back at where Kim was.


    The monster didn''t utter another word. It already told her what is needed to be told. If the girl won''t believe what was said then it''s her choice. However, seeing how both of the warrior and the girl is looking at where Kim was has given a slight hesitation to the monster heart.


    ''Is he still alive?''


    Inside the sphere of earth, a boy emanating a deathly aura is sitting cross-legged. He seems to be in his 20s but his body is withering and his face has developed wrinkles. "This seal, it seems time pass by faster inside. I need to get out before I become a lifeless corpse." He tried to break through by force, but it didn''t do anything. Kim started to immerse himself in his deep thought.


    With a feeling of urgency, he unleashed his mana to enhance his mental capability faster, ceasing himself form doing anything else. The only way he could escape this time capsule is to manipulate the earth covering him.


    "To manipulate nature is to manipulate mana. The stronger your mana is the better you could manipulate mana. But to actually manipulate the whole forest, even the air and earth... this monster must be crazily strong...unless... it didn''t actually manipulate everything..."

 26 Be one with nature

    Chapter 26: Be one with nature


    Mana is what revolved the universe. Causing the moon to orbit the earth and the sun, and stars to formed galaxies. With each individual galaxies has its own system. Without mana, the universe will be lifeless since all life needs mana, like how nature needed to breathe.


    Understanding mana as the essence of life would enlighten a mana user to sharpen their sense. Wielding mana as their limbs. Enable mana to flow in and out of one''s own body as natural as it could be. Such a person is granted the title of Master. Master of mana who had long been using their own unique style of wielding mana. One can be either the master of enchanter, manipulator or conjurer. It''s rare to see a mana-user capable of mastering three types in one cycle of life.


    Even so, becoming a Master would mean a great asset for a kingdom like Varhem kingdom. Sylva is one of them as a Master manipulator who governed the lighting. Mercilessly striking down his enemy with powerful thunderstrike. Reducing enemies to ashes before they could even blink their eyes. This is the powerful thunder. As fast as light. As fierce as heaven itself. Striking down monsters before they could even move.


    However, people such as Sylva is not common. Master users are rare existence that could only appear less than ten in every generation. Even in the Varhem Kingdom itself only have two masters including Sylva. That is already considered to be powerful enough to topple one whole world. Rumours have spread that Prince Ray of will be the third master soon. The Lansten Kingdom is in the lead with three Masters. The Beast Kingdom has only one Master. The Lipan Kingdom and The Misty Kingdom both have two masters each. Each and one of them could solely fight a Mythical monster.


    All of them accumulate to ten masters. However, only around half of the original number is on Earth right now, as some of them are stationed in their own original world to protect against invading army of other countries or even another world.


    Kim current self is powerful enough to fight even a legendary monster in equal standing when he is in his 100%. When compared to Kim, other masters of various Kingdom shouldn''t consider fighting him head on. They will only court death. And yet Kim has only experienced mana for 5 years while masters usually lived for hundreds of years. Now, a door toward mastery is slowly opening. As his body withering, Kim focused on enchanting his mind, pushing everything within him to escape the whole situation.


    Kim circulated his mana and tried to force his mana toward the wall of the sphere but...he was rejected completely. His body had a backlash and blood oozed from his mouth. Albeit the painstakingly feeling piercing his body like thousand knives, his eyes gleam with light. A smile carved on his face.


    "This sphere, I can''t manipulate it. And... the mana is the same as the warrior, and also the vine cage... even the whole world I''m in now. This is not the monster mana. This is the mana of nature of this world!"


    Kim then concentrated his mana sense around the sphere. As he analysed the mana, his eyes flickered with a sudden glow. A smirk could be seen in his dry face full of wrinkles. His hair became white in colour and clear shape of bones emerging from his skin. It''s only been less than a minute and Kim already looked several times older than he was before. In a few moments, he would be a lifeless corpse which soon will be reduced to ashes.


    Kim, however, ignored everything happening toward his body. Although he is physically deteriorating, his mind still bright like a shining sun. He put his hand on the floor and let his mana flow into the sphere instead of forcing it through. As he let the sphere absorbed his mana his body stopped withering...and his life force, although lit dimly, it wasn''t going to extinguish. Instead, it remained flickering, not willing to perish.


    The monster eyes flickered. It felt a sudden fluctuation in mana surrounding nature. It could feel that the tree it was perching on is trembling as if it was alive. In fact, it was actually alive. Momo looked at the sphere with warm and gentle eyes. She could feel that Kim is in there fighting to come out to see her. The warrior gave a look at the sphere with the same cold expression on his face. After a while, the warrior started to move step by step toward the sphere.


    Kim then started to rub the floor of the sphere as if he was pampering it. Although it''s hard to distinguish his face, his gentle expression could be seen clearly. His eyes show some touch of warmness in it as if he''s looking at his own family. He breathed and opened up every orifice of his body. His veins are bulging, and his blood is circulating rapidly.


    His body emanated a bright white glow which pierced through the cracks of the sphere. Outside., white orbs flow out from nature and started to gather around the sphere. Then enveloping it like a layer of skin. Kim''s mana and nature''s mana is now assimilating with one another.


    Kim took another breath and sudden instances of memories flashed through his mind. He felt like he is sitting on a chair in a dark room while in front of him... clips of old film is projected on a wall.


    Within the projection, he could see a vast land with lustrous green growing. Forests, rivers, mountains and trees seem endless under the blue sky. Inside the forest, a small sparrow is pecking on the ground looking for food. eyes flashing, the sparrow chirps and stroke fiercely. Finally, it grabbed an earthworm. It jumped around as if it has stroke gold. With the wriggling worm in its beak, the sparrow took flight towards its nest.


    Three small baby sparrows chirp wildly when they saw their mother coming in with food. The mother sparrow then threw the earthworm toward the nestlings. A fierce battle of tug-of-war happened between them as each one the baby sparrow wanted to eat the worm on their own. The mother sparrow seems to shake its head and wanted to let out a sigh. But it just looked at its little babies and started to fly again until it perched on a red rambutan.


    Before it managed to peck the rambutan, a dart suddenly shot toward its body causing it to fell down. It trembled a bit and finally stop moving. Then a child carrying a ''sumpit'' with one hand walking stealthily toward the bird. He licked his lips as he saw the bird in front of him. But then, he heard the chirping sound of nestlings. He looked toward the direction of the bird and saw a nest. Then he looked toward the dead bird again and a sudden feeling of empathy evolved within him.


    The child then buried the dead bird into the ground and said his prayer. He felt regret and sad for leaving the nestlings without a mother. He then climbed the trees and took the nest with him. Took them to his village.


    As he went deeper into the village, a voice of an elderly woman could be heard calling the child which made him run excitedly toward a house made of woods. The house was long and is supported by tall pillars that are also made of wood. The child slowly went up the stairs, and run toward his mother who is sitting at the porch. The child talked about what happened in the forest and started to feel down for killing the mother sparrow. He also talked about his intention of raising the birds. His mother smiled with a gentle warm and only nodded in silence. She then patted her child head'' giving permission. The child smiled and jumped happily.


    Both of them then went to gather some woods to make a house for the nestlings. Out of curiosity, other children gathered around to see what is happening. His mother then explained everything and asked the other children to help. When they started to build the house a guy went toward them to help as well.


    Day by day has passed, and the child continuously taking care of the birds. Feeding them every single day. Sometimes he would take the birds out and let them flew around. He would also bring the birds to hunt with him.The birds grew and the child also grew. From a boy to a teenager. Sadly, birds longevity wasn''t that long. He continued to live while the birds die one by one, and the teenager had to bury them... one by one.


    The scene changed.


    A young man could be seen holding a parang and a terambai. He''s wearing animal skin on his body. His lower body is covered with sirat. There are also tattoos covering his shoulder and neck. In front of him is a man who is wearing a similar outfit. Both of them is in their battle stance, solemnly glaring at each other. One look at both of them seems to be similar to the warriors that Kim fought in the vine cage.


    Both of their parang dance brilliantly. Every time they exchange blows, sparks formed from the clashing of their parangs. After hundreds of exchanges, both of them finally in clear exhaustion. The young man gritted his teeth and move forward to give a decisive blow. His opponent, however, found an opening and managed to strike the young man body with a kick. The young man coughed blood but didn''t falter. Instead, he managed to stand on his ground causing his opponent to feel astonished. The young man raised his parang high. Despite nearing his death, his opponent put up a smile as if feeling satisfied. He let go of his parang and let fate goes its way. With one big swing, the young man beheaded his opponent.


    He went back carrying his opponent head with him. The moment he reached his village he raised up the head which set a commotion within the village. Everyone cheered him on as he had gained an accomplishment for the honour of the village. He looked toward the porch and saw his mother looking at him with a smile. She nodded and the village had a festive celebration that night.


    The scene changed again and this time, the young man has become a man. He was holding a woman arm which was full of wrinkles. He looked toward the face of the woman and felt a sadness in his heart. Although looking old and weak, the woman has a fierce look in her eyes. She looked at her child with a gentle warmness. To her, the man in front is still the same kind child who decided to take care of small birds....after regretting killing their mother


    The woman touched the cheek of the man and nodded as if giving permission. The man walked toward the exit and turned back to give a final glance toward his mother. Feeling determined, he step outside where a crowd of Iban warriors wearing the same outfit as him is waiting for him.


    "Today we will chase away those invaders. If they resist, then we will slaughter them. We will take their heads as our trophy. Today we will make the enemies run in fear. Stand by me, my people. So long as I live, I will fight! Agi idup, agi ngelaban!"


    "Agi idup, agi ngelaban!"


    "Agi idup, agi ngelaban!"


    "Agi idup, agi ngelaban!"


    The cheer from the crowd together with the man has caused a slight tremor that shook the earth. The crowd then moved to fight against the invaders. Alongside, with the man, the warriors fearlessly put up a strong resilient. Even with the more advanced weapons used by the invading army, the Iban warriors still won the first battle! Rising the man in fame.


    However, the invaders didn''t fall back and started to strike back. With an iron-hearted will, the warriors managed to give a huge counter-blow but still ended up with a forced retreat.The invading army took the chance to destroy the warriors base. The man saw his village, house, family, people, burnt down to the ground along with his mother. This has cause rage within his heart and his people to explode like volcanoes.


    More and more ambushed occurred with the effort of trying to take down the man and his people but end up with a failure. The invaders attacked with cannons, but the Iban Warriors managed to make their own cannons to strike back. The man proclaimed to the invaders


    "Even if you bring all the cannons, we will still not be afraid of you."


    Their impregnable fort caused a massive headache for the invading army. Even after long years, the Iban warriors were still standing on their ground. However, the man ends up meeting his death due to old age. Even when nearing his death, his eyes still flickered with determination to fight.


    Afterwards, Sarawak was conquered as a whole, alongside with other states in Malaysia. During that time, Malaysia''s natural resources were excavated with no restraint. Then development occurs, and nature started to diminished. Logging, pollution and waste dump continues to destroy nature. It didn''t only happen in Malaysia, but also the whole world. As the world grows, mother nature dying in the process. Every single detail that happened since the birth of nature, a bird was viewing the whole scene while perching on a tree.


    Kim''s heart started to thump wildly. He was also at guilt as sometimes he would get involved with all the pollution. Then a teardrop rolling down from Kim''s cheek. The moment the teardrop on the ground, a rumbling tremor shook the earth!


    RUMBLE!

 27 Enggang, Guardian of Sarawak

    Chapter 27: Enggang, Guardian of Sarawak


    Lights shimmering from within the sphere as it gently dropping down to the ground. Rocks that made it started to crumble to pieces, revealing a multitude of infinite layers. Making one unable to imagine how thick the sphere was and how dreadful it must be for someone to be trapped inside.


    And Kim has been there for hours.


    As more rocks crumbling down, the light shines ever more brightly, along with a dense amount of mana flowing out. However, the mana didn''t just disperse randomly. It actually circled around the sphere helping it to land softly on the ground.


    Finally, as it touched the ground, everything shattered to pieces. And emerging from inside was a desiccated body, unable to be distinguished who it was. As if time move relatively faster inside the sphere, his hair became fully white, his bone cheek and eyes socket are showing. Even his robes seem to be in tattered and have past through the viciousness of time. Emanating the aura of ancientness.


    She looked at him with her violet eyes and gave a gentle smile. Even though his physical appearance has changed, but to Momo, her Master aura was still the same as ever. Kim is Kim. The only difference was that his aura is brimming explosively. Even brighter than it was ever before. Feels like he had undergone an awakening with his mana.


    "Welcome back, Master"


    Kim moved his head with a creaking sound. She looked directly into Momo eyes and gave a deep gaze. And she looked at back him. Both of them seemed to be inside their own personal world. Even with his dried-up face, his eyes still shone with a sudden emotion of mixed feelings. At the same time, Kim was feeling apologetic as well for his mistakes. Momo only nodded and smile back. Kim closed his eyes and looked down. Then he opened it again, and look back toward Momo with a sudden determination.


    The monster perching above Momo looked at them without understanding a single expression. But it understood one thing... no one could interfere with their special connections. It''s only could be developed when both people have gone through the thick and thin together.


    Bones cracking and muscle trembling, Kim bent down to kneel on the ground. Every muscle he moved would produce cracking and cracking sounds of bones. He looked like he would crumble to dust with a single touch. Finally, his knee was on the floor. He palms then also reach the ground. His position... he looked like he was bowing to give respect.


    And the respect he was giving to was towards nature. The world he was within. And also those who were buried within. The warriors who fought for their land. This land. Which was also Kim''s land of birth. In fact, the moment he finally able to sense the nature of mana circulating in the world, he came to a realization. A sense of belonging swelled within him. The feeling of familiarity formed inside his heart and soul.


    "This place... is not just another world created by the monster... it''s actually Sarawak itself... only a part of it. It was a final attempt to preserve some of the land"


    He then poured some of his mana to earth.


    "Before this... I only know how to take and manipulate mana. Forcibly taking as if I owned everything. But, the foolish me didn''t realize that the mana I''m taking come from nature itself. I only know how to take and used it myself. Destroying it back. I never considered to give back. Its only natural to pay back what was given to you"


    But...


    Mother nature is kind and benevolent.


    They give without the intention of receiving back. We took, without a single speck of gratitude. Until the land was left bare and empty.


    Kim''s eyes flashed as more mana was being poured to the ground. It caused a backlash to his body, and blood oozed from the corner from his mouth. As the blood drop, and seep into the ground, the earth shook slightly. a gentle yet strong breeze pass through causing the surrounding trees to sway back and forth. Producing a melancholic melody that sounded as if... nature itself is weeping.


    "I''m sorry" Kim muttered.


    The voice sounded soft but could envelop the entire green lustrous world. Causing it to tremble violently.


    "This time, I''ll be the one to give you back. I''ll protect you"


    The perching monster glare at Kim with mixed feelings. After being born through the will of its creator, it stood still in its place formless with no emotion nor intention. The only thing that was left behind inside him was to protect.


    It didn''t understand anything and stood in its place without moving an inch. Without understanding the will of its creator.


    Later, that will to protect started to change when it saw the mother swallow fell to the ground. Cold and motionless. Out of curiosity, it took the form of the mother swallow and mutated into the magnificent beast it is now. It followed the little boy who killed the mother swallow to his home and viewed every event without missing a single second while perching on a single tree.


    Sometimes, it would fly around but¡­ no matter how far it went, it always went back to that single tree. Its huge body covered with magnificent feathers has caught the attention of Sarawakians everywhere. In end, people of Sarawak granted it the title of forest guardian and named it Enggang.


    Time went by, and that will have developed its own conscience. It saw happiness. It saw the beautiful cycle of life. It saw how people interact with nature, animals, and even to itself. It learned about life.


    However, the moment it understood life, it learned what comes after¡­ which was death. After life... comes death. This was the cycle of nature itself. An unbreakable law of the universe!


    The monster accepted the cycle of life and death through and through. The monster which was born pure like white clothes has been colourfully painted.


    Time again pass by, and that painting was smudged. Although it could accept the natural occurrences of death itself, it couldn''t accept the act of forcing death.


    A war broke out.


    Human killing human regardless of who. Nature being ravaged and ****. Animals were mercilessly hunted down with no restraint. Blood, fire, and despair. Until the point human would take their own life just to save themselves from the madness. It could only watch since mana was too dormant for it to do anything.


    Then, another thing has changed. The will that was given by its creator. Before it was only instructed to protect without any subject. That will have developed into protecting the land it was within.


    "Although I was born through the will of my creator, my land of birth is here in Sarawak. I shall protect this place!"


    "If I have power, I will make the world stop, and life will never come to death ever again!"


    The ambition was great, but doing it was impossible. Not without the help of mana.


    The monster already has its own mana circulating inside its body. It was left by its creator alongside with its will. To stop time would need a vast amount of mana, but it could tamper the time and make it go faster. It couldn''t affect the whole world, but at least, Borneo. It slowly let its mana flow into the ground and cause the ripening to become faster.


    "Awake!"


    Time goes by¡­ it didn''t leave a single moment to farce. Bits by bits, it could feel that the barrier of the dormant mana is breaking. However, it was still too weak.


    "This place, how much more mana it wants before being awake. Please, wake up. You might get destroyed before you even wake up!"


    Feeling desperate, it gave a final effort by utilizing all the bits of mana left within it, until the point that it emanated a deathly aura. Its eyes were blurry, and its body started to wither. Feathers started to fell, one by one. The cost of hastening the ripening of mana was ageing. Its body was wittering due to the sudden ageing. The monster was left with a single breath when suddenly, a tremor shook the ground.


    "Finally, it''s¡­ it''s¡­ eh?"


    A whole lot of mana started pouring out wildly with no constraint. When compared to other places in the world, mana in Borneo was several times denser. Thousands of times much denser. However, the dormant mana should awaken slowly instead of abruptly exploded. It also affected the Earth as a whole!


    A single breath of the mana has caused the monster body to recover completely from its dying state.


    It didn''t give a single glance toward the weird occurrence and just accept it as a miracle. Without that, then this land will continue to be ravaged. It let out its mana domain spread out to hundreds of kilometres wide!


    "Life will never meet death, and death will never come in this world of mine! Time, freeze!"


    The monster contained some of the mana memory left by its powerful creator. The ability to manipulate time!


    The whole area covered by its domain freeze and move again. However, lively may it seems, time is not moving. In fact, time as a whole has stopped. Although with naked eyes, everything seems to flow naturally, with powerful mana sense one can see that it wasn''t the place physically that wasn''t moving, the flow of life itself. The whole green world is now in a standstill. Between life and death. If there is a scale bar showing life and death, and it shows how much life we had left¡­ we could see that it is not moving at all. As if it has reached an equilibrium.


    This was the combination of having the power to manipulate time and understanding the cycle of life and death.


    From that power, time was preserved. There will be no destruction anymore. Not until the monster dies. And that what developed an anxiousness within its heart. No matter how powerful this ability was, the amount of mana it needed to consume was tremendous. It couldn''t maintain everything for a long time. However impossible it may be, it should at least find someone to pass on its legacy of protecting this world of his.


    Unfortunately, the moment mana was awakened, the mana pouring out was too powerful that the people in the land of Borneo couldn''t adapt in time. Most people were killed by the sudden appearances of powerful monsters, some involuntarily exploded to bits for not being able to contain the amount of mana forcefully flow into their body.


    Then, a miracle happened. A human. A real living person entered its lair developed from its domain of time.


    Hope then shone in its eyes, giving an expectation for the human. Unfortunately, it was still a child. A boy who just experienced mana. No matter how kind-hearted the person may be, even if there are no other people would enter its lair ever again, the person should be powerful enough to attain its legacy.


    The boy failed¡­ with a smile on his face a determination in his heart. The monster smiled feeling ensure that he will come back again.


    5 years pass by, and miraculously, it was still perching on its tree. The monster should be on the verge of death but it still holds on, believing that the boy would come back. And he did, in an awful manner. Bringing an army of the dead with him.


    "Why are you bringing those disgusting creatures with you?! Get them out!"


    Angered, the monster unknowingly increased the amount of mana pressure in front of the door to its lair.


    It regretted at first for losing control but seeing the boy was able to move forward without yielding himself. It let him go through it. Another thing that took its intention is the girl behind him. Clearly, he was doing this to protect her. It saw the determination within Kim and finally let him through within the last minute.


    Even if Kim passed out, it would still use it mana to bring him inside. If Kim knew that the reason he was having a hard time passing through the door was due to the monster losing its control, Kim would cough two to three mouthfuls of blood.

 28 Final trial

    Chapter 28: Final Trial


    Kim''s body has withered until the point he would be crumbled to dust with a single touch of a finger. His face was all wrinkled, making it hard for him to be distinguished. He emanated an archaic aura that makes it seem he had lived for the longest of years. However different he may seem to be, to Momo he was still Kim. Her one and only Master.


    Kim then stood up from his form of respect. He took a single breath and circulate his mana. This time, his mana didn''t only circulate within him, it also connected to nature. From his body to the ground, then to plants, rocks, river and trees. One by one, everything inside the world shines with brilliant white lights. Even Momo was affected as well.


    By this time, Kim is again one with heaven and earth, but now... he had more connection. Before he only had a feeling, now he has more understanding. The nature of mana. White orbs circled around Kim to form a giant sphere.


    Mana continued to circulate in and out of his body into nature. Slowly, his body started to recover... and his flesh started to rejuvenate. From his hair to his toes, and every limb started to recover. His veins started to be newly reformed, and fresh blood begins to circulate rapidly. His heart thumped explosively as if it could burst out from his chest.


    Cracks slowly formed, splitting the sphere to half.


    From being one with Kim before, Momo was able to sense what was happening to her Kim. Her violet pupils contracted and dilated excitedly. Her cheek flushed as she felt a gentle warmness leaking out from the cracks of the white sphere. This was Kim''s mana.


    She opened her mouth calling out to Kim


    "Master!"


    The sphere shattered with a loud boom followed with brilliant white light radiating out! From inside, a sea of mana spread wildly to envelop the whole world. The breeze blew gently causing all the trees in the forest to sway back and forth¡­ producing a melody that could soothe one''s heart and relax one''s mind. Suddenly, birds, wild boars, monkeys, deer and a whole bunch of other animals popping out one after another from inside the forest.


    Those animals didn''t appear out of nowhere... they were hidden before by nature vast mana as a camouflage. Enggang also helped by continuously emitting its domineering mana pressure. Now, along with nature itself, they come out to get bathed by Kim''s mana as if they have longed for it. Enjoying themselves every single breath.


    Kim gently landed on the ground and the moment when his feet touched the ground, the world emitted a brilliant white light forming a connection with Kim. He then took a single breath and all mana suddenly concentrated into one single point with Kim as the centre.


    "This boy¡­ he didn''t just gain recognition from nature¡­ he''s trying to own it for himself! Who do you think you are?!"


    Enggang was set in rage when suddenly, it smelled a pleasant smell near Momo. When it looked toward Momo, it saw that Momo was drinking from a cup made of clay.


    It heads tilted, looking at Momo with a weird expression.


    "Is that tea? Where did you get that?"


    "The birds gave me some leaves, and the monkeys gave me one their cups. So, I made some tea. Would you like some?"


    "Oh, yes. Please."


    Enggang flew down to sit near Momo. It walked carefully to avoid stepping on other animals circling around Momo. It then sat down in a well mannered. Momo then put another cup in front of the Enggang.


    "Enjoy"


    "Thank you"


    It used its long beak to take a small sip from the cup and let out a pleasant sigh. Suddenly, the earth trembled, scaring the small animals to hide behind Momo.


    Enggang grinned and glared toward Kim.


    "Trying to own this place, are you? Your trial isn''t finished, boy¡­ the one who''s going to decide is not me¡­ but him!"


    The earth trembled, again and again, becoming stronger each time it occurred. Kim finished absorbing all the mana and with a gentle expression, he stared directly into Momo''s eyes to check her condition. Momo glare back at him and they look at each other for several breaths. After sensing her well being and seeing how playfully she are with the other animals, even tamed Enggang itself¡­ Kim breathes out a sigh of relief and turned around to see the oncoming silhouette coming towards him.


    When looked closely, its whole body coloured with earthly brown. Leaves and vines become its clothes and on top of its head is decorated with birds'' feathers. Its left hand is holding a shield with intricate and mystique design on it. On its waist is a parang that is ready to be wielded any time. It faced showed a faceless expression, however, deep in its eyes¡­an emotion filled with sadness could be seen.


    With a single glance, Kim was able to distinguish it to be similar with the other Iban Warrior he fought just now. However, he could somehow recognize the warrior from the flashes of memories he was reliving before. Every step the warrior took caused a tremor that shook the whole world¡­ as if the whole world is resonating with him.


    Enggang looked at the warrior with a perplexed feeling. It could feel the sadness coming out from the warrior. It understood thoroughly well how the warrior has lived¡­and especially how the warrior has fallen. Feeling empathetic, Enggang took another sip from the cup of tea to relax its heart. Momo then poured another filling and patting the feathery body.


    The warrior and Kim is standing just a few metres apart from each other.


    Kim looked into the warrior eyes with full of respect. The sadness portrayed from its eyes made Kim feel like how he felt when he was undergoing the whole experience. Kim clasped both of his hand and bowed down as a show of respect. Kim readied his stance with a face full of determination.


    "Show me some guidance, Sir!"


    The warrior dropped its shield down which absorbed into the ground. Then several shields appeared circling both Kim and the warrior to form a border of hundreds of metres in radius.


    The warrior released its mana pressure and stomp the ground within the border to shook violently. Kim stayed focus and stood on his ground without losing his balance. Both Kim and the warriors within a line of sight and started to rush toward one another¡­ leaving a blurry afterimage behind. Their punch connected, creating ripples in the air.


    Cracks forming at the arm of the warrior¡­ however, Kim felt even more astonished. A strong earth-shattering vibration surging into his arm. Painful sensation piercing his arm like a thousand needles. Due to imminent danger, he took a step back and let the warrior go through. If Kim was a second late, every bone in his left arm would be shattered to pieces.


    Kim turned around while moving sideways, allowing a near miss from the warrior punch. A slight graze caused his cheek to bleed a bit. Using the spinning momentum of his body, Kim countered with a back kick hoping to land a direct blow. The warrior, however, stood upright without any intentions to guard against Kim''s back kick.


    Kim enhanced his leg making his kick powerful enough to split a whole mountain. The kick landed, only¡­ to form cracks at the warrior body. The warrior remained unfazed. It grabbed Kim''s leg and tried to elbow Kim''s leg. Even before the blow hit him, Kim could feel the same powerful vibrations that could shatter the earth!


    With a slight gesture, Kim manipulated the earth to cover his leg as like a sheen guard. He then used the warrior body as a holding and jumped with another leg to kick the warrior''s neck. He enveloped his kicking leg with hellfire.


    "Explode!"


    Kim kick and the warrior''s elbow hit their target at the same time. The bursting fiery flames of explosions sent the warrior flying. Both Kim''s arm and leg are numb. While the warrior trying to recover he opened and closed his hands several times to check his injury.


    "That boy is talented. He''s able to manipulate two elements and enhanced his body at the same time. And¡­ for him to be able to manipulate earth¡­ he really did gain recognition¡­"


    "Yes, that my master"


    "Are you that strong as that boy, girl?"


    "It''s Momo, and that''s Master Kim"


    "¡­So, Momo"


    "Yes?"


    "Are you as strong as that b-"


    "Say boy once more and you won''t get more tea"


    Enggang stayed silent and Momo poured another filling of tea.


    Momo and Enggang took another sip.


    Kim looked at them with mixed emotions.


    "Is Momo trying to tame that monster? Looks like it is sitting in seiza position"


    When Kim averted his eyes from the clashes of attacks, the warrior didn''t waste a single breath to take the chance attacking Kim. It used a single point enhancement on its arm. It poured all its mana to increased its arm strength by several folds and unleashed a single mighty punch! After this, the warrior would be entirely empty of mana.


    It''s a single punch that caused the whole world the feel tremor. It''s a single punch that could decimate the earth. It''s a single punch that could shatter the sky.


    The whole lustrous green world was trembling, shaking in fear just by this one single punch and... a 17 years old boy is standing in front of the mighty force that could shake the entire world... or even the universe!


    What the warrior didn''t expect was Kim didn''t even let his guard loose for even a single second. Halfway before the powerful shockwave hit him, a figure appeared in front of him. It grew larger and larger until it reached 300 metres tall. It used both its arms to protect Kim by enveloping him. Then 4 more arms grew from behind. It then madly unleashed barrages of fist to go against the shockwave.


    "That''s... a mana spirit. How can this boy..."


    "Ahem!" Momo gave a light cough


    "I meant this KIM, able to do so much at a young age. As if... he had trained mana for hundreds of years!"


    A huge boom exploded every time each punches connected. The clashes between the two powerful forces sounded like a someone is running through a minefield!


    Kim was sitting crossed-leg in the middle of the huge figure as its nucleus. His eyes were closed, trying to concentrate his mana toward his counterattack. However, that single punch proved to be more powerful than what Kim had expected.


    He commanded the huge figure to keep on punching and punching but clearly, Kim was pushed backwards. Kim felt astonished as the single punch from the warrior overwhelmed him. He gritted his teeth as blood ooze from the corner of his mouth. In the end, just the shockwave broke his guard and shattered his mana spirit in pieces.


    But that was only the shockwave! The fist was still coming!


    "What a blow! If quantity gets me to nothing then I''ll gamble it all with this one attack!"


    Kim''s body, along with nature emanated a brilliant white light. Even Momo who was sitting there sipping some tea was shining!


    "Fist of the Heaven and Earth!"


    Their fist directly clashed with each other. Creating huge ripples in the air. Sucking the air dry.


    They seemed to be evenly matched. But when one look closely, Kim was slowly losing. Kim felt more astonished than he was before because obviously, he was at his utmost limit now. Although just slightly, he was still losing.


    "Give up boy, the warrior, although being at the level of a superior legendary monster, its most powerful attack could go against a heavenly monster!"


    More blood ooze from the orifices of Kim''s face. Most people would give up trying at this point, but Kim''s mental was more astonishing that his physical capability! He didn''t lose focus and continued to stand on his ground. He didn''t give up. More like he didn''t want to give up. He wanted to win no matter what!


    It''s not because of pride, or stubbornness. It''s actually an act of kindness from Kim. He knew what the warrior has been through. He knew why the warrior is still alive until today. He knew that if he loses, the warrior will continue to live... live in regret.


    Regretting not being able to find his successor. Finding someone who is strong enough to protect his beloved. The warrior is a true son of Sarawak who thought not only for himself but also his people. The one who fought relentlessly, to gain freedom and independence for his land! The one who had shaken the world just by his name alone! He''s the mighty warrior, Rentap, the earthshaker!

 29 Rentap

    Chapter 29: Rentap


    "It won''t be long now...both of them are out of mana. A kid trying to face off a warrior with decades of experience... it''s too obvious who''s going to win"


    The fist from the earth shaker and Kim''s full powered fist has caused a devastating impact. If Rentap didn''t use his shield to make a barrier, the whole world inside the lair would be on the verge of a huge apocalyptic level of crisis.


    Still, the barrier wasn''t powerful enough to completely neglect all the oncoming impact since it was a powerful earth-shattering blow coming from two people at once. Cracks formed allowing some of the power to leak out. But, nature and Enggang has already put up another barrier to protect surrounding flourishing wildlife.


    After clashing fist with Rentap, painstakingly sensation piercing through his bones like a thousand knife. Even lifting his finger would induce an immeasurable pain that could cause someone to writhe in pain, driving them to insanity. With his whole body immobilized, Kim could only lay on the ground looking at the clear blue sky.


    ''What a beautiful day. I want to take a stroll by the beach. Santubong seems nice. I should take Momo to see the sea. Or maybe an Island. I have never been to Langkawi before... I''m sure she''ll be in awe. There''s a lot of fish for her to catch as well... big fish... squid... some shrimp... some salt and pepper would be great. Food should be seasoned nicely before we cook right?Ahh, I''m hungry''


    While Kim was lost in his thought the sky in his view suddenly trembled. Rather, it was actually the earth tremoring. Causing a vibration that shook Kim''s body.


    "Stop shaking the ground man! It''s killing me here!"


    The impact from the previous clashed has injured Kim exceedingly, but it''s a different story for Rentap. He could still move. The fists were evenly matched, but Rentap body is made entirely from nature itself imbued with powerful mana. Different from Kim who was still human, Rentap couldn''t feel any pain or even feel any exhaustion. He''s a perfect warrior who could strike and never fall down during the entire fight. Not until he turned to dust.


    However still, he wasn''t immortal. He still sustained damage. Looking closer, there are cracks forming on his body, and his body was starting to crumble bits by bits. After exhausting that much mana, Rentap could not hold on to its form anymore. But that doesn''t mean he was weaker than before. In fact, he is still as domineering as he was, causing the world to shake every single step he took.


    Rentap walked toward Kim until there are several metres apart.


    Kim gritted his teeth and push himself back up. He sweats profusely trying to endure the pain that overwhelmed his entire bones and nerves. Even the act of lifting his finger was crucifying, much less the act of standing up. Kim is pushing every single cell in his body beyond his limit that each movement would cause him to feel like nails are beaten into his body.


    "Give it up boy, you won''t be able to win. There''s a limit to stubbornness Your act of bravery would do you nothing!"


    "Shut up blackbird!" Kim''s cold glare caused the feather of Enggang to stood up completely. It has lived for almost an eternity, and be worshipped as a sacred beast that governed the whole land. But today, not only it was looked down upon, but it also felt fear for the first time. Suddenly, it felt that with its current dying condition now, Kim could kill it anytime if he wanted to.


    It gave a cold snort and continued to take a sip of tea. Somehow it looked like an angry uncle who just had a bad day. Trying to find a place to drink to clear its mind. Just before it could calm down, as if adding fuel to fire, Kim suddenly glare at it again.


    "It''s not about being stubborn or being brave. I would accept my lose completely. But shouldn''t you be the one who understands him the most? This fight... is what he wanted. Giving up is only showing disrespect!"


    "y-you..."


    Feeling shocked, Enggang couldn''t mutter even a single word. What Kim said, struck its heart completely. Kim was right. It''s the one who observed Rentap every day since Rentap was a kid. After seeing how he acted today, it could feel a different yet familiar feeling from him. It was his spirit as a warrior. A man who born to fight. Fight until the end of his life. But sadly, he wasn''t able to fulfil his long life wish to die in a battlefield due to old age.


    But today... again, his battle spirit rekindled. Finding an opponent who could withstand his every single blow. He wasn''t just finding a successor, but he was also longing an opponent who could finally fight him to death!


    And the person who could match both of his intentions was Kim.


    And Kim understood this as well. But to Kim, it was not only for him to show respect, or to fulfil the warrior desire. It was simply his desire to fight. To fight someone stronger and way above him. He''s been using everything under his sleeves, squeezing his brains out to fight Rentap, but still...he was at a disadvantage.


    "I can do more...I just need to think more and fight more!"


    Unknowingly, Kim himself was enjoying the fight as much as Rentap was. This battle... is a battle between two men who were born to fight!


    Both have sustained heavy damage to their body. Although Rentap was in a slightly better condition than Kim, he was still on the verge of crumbling down. Moreover, unlike Kim, he couldn''t feel any pain or fear. He could only move forward to fight and fight!


    But Kim, even with all the devastating pain on his entire, he felt worst when fighting the voice in his mental domain. Although everything was only his mind, it was still torturing since the pain sensation was close to real.


    Kim and Rentap are now standing within each other reach. With their mana exhausted, this will be a battle of pure skill and prowess between a warrior, and his successor!


    Rentap stomped the ground and vibrated everything within the barrier.


    "Even without mana, your strength is monstrous. No wonder you are the hero of this land. Then let me show you what I learned!"


    With muscle and veins bulging, Kim roared and also stomped the ground which caused a tremor that was comparable to Rentap earth-shaking stomp! Rentap looked at Kim feeling astonished. Although he had a cold expression on his face, somehow his eyes show slight happiness and excitement.


    Kim smiled and nodded. He then gave a lighting-jab that was too quick for ordinary people to see. But Rentap reacted fast enough to push Kim''s arm away and instantly used the same arm to give a counter blow!


    Kim gritted his teeth, and manage to move his face sideways which causes Rentap fist to slightly graze his cheek. But in Kim''s current condition right now, even a slight touch would be torturous for him. Even more when he was the one who is attacking. Every movement would damage him considerable. But he didn''t care. The adrenaline that pumping through his head made him forget all those feeling and pushed himself forward, enjoying what one call, a true battle!


    Kim then grabbed Rentap''s arm and gave a powerful front kick, straight to Rentap''s solar plexus! The kick caused a vibration that was as powerful as the tremor that shook the ground just now. With his body crumbling down faster, Rentap stood on his ground and give a hammer fist straight to Kim''s head, vibrating his whole body. Underneath Kim, a crater was formed due to the powerful impact.


    Kim felt a shocking sensation flowing through his veins and bones. The blow to the head almost left him unconscious, but he gritted his teeth and coughed a few drops of blood. He then lowered his body and delivered an uppercut toward the chin. But... Rentap didn''t even budge!


    "This time you are going down!"


    Kim roared again, sending vibrations to his punch. Rentap didn''t falter and tried to take Kim''s fist head on.


    "Don''t you look down on me!"


    Kim took back his arm and gave another uppercut. Finally, Rentap was slightly lifted from the ground by the uppercut. With gleaming eyes, Kim took this chance to turn his body around and jump at the same time. Giving a spinning hook-kick at Rentap''s chin. Sending Rentap tens of metres away.


    Rentap rolled several times on the ground and then jumped to stand strong again as he was before. Dust flew about around him covering his entire body.


    "Shoot"


    Kim took a deep breath and spat some blood. He pushed himself forward, leaving a blurring image behind. A second later he''s already within reach to deliver a punch. The shockwave from the punch blew the dust away revealing Rentap who had both his arms up to guard Kim''s punch. He then pushed Kim away by force.


    ''So, now you are blocking me?'' Kim grinned feeling a sense of accomplishment.


    "Making the warrior to block his attack, this Kim strength must be monstrous. However, looking at how it goes, he will only sustain more damage while the warrior will continue... what?!!"


    Enggang couldn''t believe its eyes and had to look again to believe what it saw.


    "This... can''t be... the warrior..."


    After the dust covering his entire body was blown away, one could see that his face... was half gone. He looked like he came out straight from a horror movie with half of his chin has crumbled to dust.


    "He managed to damage the warrior!"


    Momo stood up with gleaming eyes. She couldn''t hold herself back from feeling happy. The animals surrounding her were looking at the battle feeling astonished. To them, Rentap was the invisible hero who could trample anyone on his path. A warrior who can only instil fear in the enemies heart, but put hope to his allies. Today, they had viewed everything from the first clashed between Kim and Rentap. Every single moment has caused them to awe. Now that Kim has managed to even damage Rentap, they even thought that Rentap might lose.


    All of the animals produce different sounds as if they were trying to cheer on their mighty hero. Even the leaves of the forest were swaying about, producing an intensifying melody. Momo then poured some more tea, and everyone took a sip at the same time... including Enggang.


    "I''m really am fighting in away battle right now. At least Momo is here"


    Rentap looked silently at the cheering animals. Kim didn''t attack and just waited for Rentap. Then after a while Rentap looked back at Kim with a cold expression. But somehow, Kim could feel a subtle warmness emanating from the warrior.


    The warrior suddenly roared, and an explosion of mana surging through his body!


    "Damn it, you still have this much mana left in you? The way he is seems similar to those undead...but... while those undead monsters are stench with death, this guy is brimmming with life. Maybe if I understand this, I could fight against those undead monsters!"


    Kim took a deep breath and spat some more blood then suddenly, a figure similar to him appeared behind him. Although he was exhausted of mana just now, Kim already learned how to recover his mana while fighting when he was against King Hydra. After he received mana memory from the voice and trained inside his mental domain, he mastered the skill five years ago. Now he could bring forth more mana to go against Rentap. Furthermore, Kim''s body is special than any mana users. As he absorbed mana, his body will be tempered permanently. Although he sustained more damage than his body could take, he''s actually stronger than he was before.


    "It''s time to end this!"


    Kim and Rentap roared and released their mana pressure towards one another. The pressure was so powerful that more cracks formed at the barrier. Both of them will have another clash of fists and this time... will be the final one.


    Kim gritted his teeth and blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. He threw explosions of Hellfire first toward Rentap, but the warrior punched through it, causing a part of his shoulder to crumbled to pieces. Kim enveloped himself with his mana spirit to enhanced his entire body. With gleaming eyes and brilliant white light emanating, Kim shouted


    "Fist of the Heaven and Earth!"

 30 My own legacy

    Chapter 30: My own legacy


    "Where am I?"


    No matter where his eyes glare all he could see was nothing but darkness that covered his entire field of vision. The black space was endless.


    There were no ceiling nor floors. Being inside this place would make one lose his sense of time and space... Within this abyss of endless darkness, Kim is floating in mid-air.


    He blinked several times, trying to make sense of the reality. After loosing and tighten his hands several times he finally has the strength to move his own body. Not a single pain could be felt.


    "Seems like I''m alright"


    Kim was in a fight with a warrior way beyond his league. He even gave his all during the final spurt. Even so, he had no injuries. He didn''t feel weak. It felt like the fight didn''t happen at all, to begin with.


    He pushed himself up to stand on what seems to be an invisible floor. It''s a weird sensation. He felt like he is floating in mid-air and yet he was standing solidly on what suppose to be the ground. As if he was standing on a glass, and underneath... is an unknown abyss which feels like it could swallow a person whole just by the sight of it.


    "If the ground is suddenly gone, I would be falling endlessly. That''s a living nightmare!"


    He let out a deep sigh "Well, I might be stuck here forever if I just stand still anyway"


    He ignored the fact and tried to figure out his surrounding by looking around.


    "This place feels like my mental domain"


    He spread his mana sense to the fullest and there was nothing... nothing in his view and nothing from his sense... except for one.


    A figure that Kim detected from his mana sense. It seems the figure closely resembled a human, and it is walking closer and closer towards Kim.


    As the silhouette of the approaching figure becoming clearer to his naked eyes, finally Kim able to perceive who the person is.


    A man is walking slowly toward Kim. Although he has a gentle expression with a smile on his face, he still emitted a domineering aura. Being caught in his line of sight would give a sudden oppressiveness that could strike fear and also a sense of admiration in one''s heart.


    But to Kim, he only felt a sense of familiarity. In fact, he even knew the person life since he was a kid. He is the person whom he just fought a while. The warrior. The Protector. The hero of the land. Rentap, the earth-shaker.


    As they were within reach of each other, Kim didn''t hesitate to give a deep respectful bow.


    Not even a second has passed when he bowed, two powerful hands grip both Kim''s shoulder to straighten him back which made Kim startled.


    "Get up kid, how can I give a face to the public if someone who just beat me bowed down to me like that!"


    "You... can talk?"


    Rentap laugh loudly while slapping Kim''s back. Although it was done in a playful manner he felt like he was on the verge of death.


    ''This monster... is he trying to kill me?!'' Kim thought to himself while rubbing his back to check if they were any broken bone.


    "What do you think I am? Of course, I can talk. I''m a human just like you. Well... I was. Now I''m just a wandering soul who can''t let go of his past" Even though he was putting up a cheery smile, there was still a faint scent of sorrow lingering around him.


    "I know you have many questions in your mind, but let''s sit down for a while"


    Kim did have a lot of things in his mind. But he put it aside first and just complied with the man in front of him now. He planned to observe everything first before saying anything.


    "So where do we sit- oh..."


    Suddenly, a table and two chairs appeared out of nowhere. On top of the table are two cups of hot coffee and some ''crispy pisang goreng'' served on a banana leaf.


    "Is this real?"


    "As real as how you want it to be. We are inside your mind after all"


    "Why are we inside my mind anyway?"


    "because I don''t have a mind for you to enter"


    Kim fell in silent as if he was in deep thinking and gave a slight nod.


    "So, you are saying you are stu-"


    "I''m saying I''m dead and you can''t enter the dead''s mind. We don''t have a real body, to begin with"


    Kim gave another nod "You sure you not stu-"


    "I''m not"


    "So, what are you?"


    "I''m only a soul and the will of Rentap. Well, Rentap is me... just without the real body. All this time I was inside that make-shift body of mine made of earth to battle you. How about I ask you the question this time?"


    Kim pondered a bit and gave a light reply. "It will be an honour"


    "Skip the formality kid. Just call me brother!" Rentap gave a warm big smile and pointed his right thumb at his chest as if welcoming Kim to accept him as his brother.


    Kim felt a bit awkward and just asked Rentap to proceed with the talk.


    They both sat down, with one being really comfortable with himself and another is in a well-guarded position. Rentap noticed that Kim was being suspicious of him, but he didn''t mind that and just let out a hearty laugh. He took a bit of one of the scrumptious pisang goreng and Kim took a sip of his coffee.


    "Woah, this taste good!" He took another bite of the pisang goreng and took a big gulp. "I haven''t tasted anything for years. Thanks, brother"


    "It''s Kim"


    "Don''t feel shy now, we are sworn brother aren''t we? Bahahaha!"


    "I''m not feeling shy, and it was you who force me into it" Kim only replied in a calm manner and took another sip and also a bite of pisang goreng. It tasted like the one he ate a lot during his childhood.


    "Anyway, let''s get to business shall we?" Suddenly, Rentap face turned solemn as he looked directly into Kim''s eyes. "You know what I''m going to ask, don''t you?"


    Kim already knew but he wanted to feint ignorance and shook his head.


    "Oh come on, after exchanging that much fist and you still don''t understand my feeling? How could you do this to me, brother Kim"


    Kim let out a sigh and finally replied "Sir, I''m just a boy who''s only seventeen years of age. How can I accept something from a legend like you? You are the hero of this land"


    "Hey, what sir? Quit the formality shall we bro Kim?"


    Kim already felt awkward enough with the whole brother thing, but now he started to call him bro Kim, he felt a bit annoyed.


    "The one who chose whether you are qualified is not me. It''s you, yourself. You have shown your worth. Nature tested your heart, and I tested your strength. In both terms, you are more than qualified. All of us recognized you to hold the legacy. Becoming the guardian of this land. Relive it, and bring it back to its glory"


    "Strength and heart? I barely survived your freaking attack!


    "Oh come on, it was just a punch bro Kim. I knew you were strong enough to go against it"


    Somehow, Kim first impression of Rentap dropped down a little. He even unconsciously began to drop any formalities when talking with him.


    "Oh really? Can I give you just a punch now and see how it goes?"


    "Relax bro Kim. I''m just kidding hehe"


    "Anyway, if you talk about the heart then it must be a mistake. My heart is not as pure as you thought it should. It''s already tainted. My sole reason to live is only one now"


    Before, Kim could finish his words Rentap suddenly intercepts "Revenge?"


    "..." Kim fell silent for a while and gave a slight nod.


    "When did the test of heart has always been finding the pure of heart of all. We are not looking for a magnanimous hero to beat a villain like old folk stories. We are looking for someone to represent our land."


    Kim suspected something as Rentap used the term ''us'' and ''we'' whenever he mentioned anything. As if, he is talking on behalf of others.


    "But, I have no intention of accepting your legacy. I only came just because I had no other choice. I only accepted the trial just because I wanted to save someone who is dear to me. Never did I had any intention to accept anything from you"


    "So, it''s always a girl who could make a man go wild"


    "Shut it"


    "But what if I told you, when you accepted our legacy, you will be granted an unimaginable power than ever before? A power to govern the whole land and everything resides within it. Including me, as a spirit. Much less revenge, even conquering a country won''t be a problem. You will have all the glory you want and no one would be able to kick you down anymore. Weren''t that the reason why you seek power in the first place? Isn''t that the regret that you had been lingering in your heart? The feeling of being weak of not being able to protect your loved one!"


    "How you-"


    "I understand the feeling bro Kim. I was at your place. And I continued to live on for the sake of my family and companions. To get back to those invaders that try to merciless chase us out. Killing my brothers and sisters. I saw every each and one of my people cut down with my own eyes. Until the day I die, I still regretted myself for not being able to avenge them...but you, we are giving you a chance...take our power. Don''t you want your sweet revenge?"


    "Yes, I do"


    "Then why hold yourself back? Take my hand and all will be yours. Let us bring back the glory of our land!" His voice had an overbearing pressure that shook Kim''s heart tremendously. He felt like his heart could blow any minute from handling the pressure. Rentap slightly put out his hands forward hinting Kim to give a handshake.


    In end, Kim gritted his teeth and hit himself in the head.


    "The reason I''m here in the first place was due to my despaired heart of wanting revenge. I was so blind with myself that I didn''t just hurt myself but also the person I treasured the most. Yes, my life was solely on revenge at first but I won''t do the same mistake by thinking that''s the only thing I have for my life. The calamity that befalls earth was also a breath of new life for me. I was reborn on that day..."


    "I don''t care what power you will give me. I can get strong on my own. I won''t accept your legacy. I will live as how I wanted to live. Not just for the sake of others! Let past be past. The world of the living is not for the dead. The old geezer was right, maybe this is bounded to happen. Maybe if the disturbance with mana awakening of the earth didn''t happen they would still past away. Then do I have the right to take revenge then? To whom should I exact my revenge too? I will not let my revenge become an obsession. I will break free from the chain. I will live my own life as how I wanted to and create my own legacy!"


    The moment Kim finished his words, within the empty darkness a sudden loud cheer and applause could be heard. Then one by one, warriors appeared surrounding Kim and Rentap. Until they are numbered to thousands. When Kim spread his mana sense, he was able to recognize them as the Iban warriors he fought within the vine cage.


    "These are all the warriors who had fallen during our battle. Even so, our heart and soul, our will and dreams, still resided within this land"


    Kim felt overwhelmed by the number of people who have gathered around them in an instant. Rentap then looks at Kim with a warm expression and a smile on his face.


    "Bro Kim, our legacy has ended. Our era has long since gone. But our will to fight has never been put down. What we want is a new leader who will lead us to a new era. We don''t care what will you do, but we shall follow wherever your heart will be"


    Rentap then gives a short glance to all the warriors.


    "Brothers! We have poured our sweat, blood and tears during our time. We bravely fought through the battlefield and never show our back towards our enemies. Even with all our limbs cut down, we will grit our parang with our teeth and slashed anyone who dares to come near. But that era has long gone! It''s time, for a new legacy to be born! I, Rentap, shall give my sworn loyalty to brother Kim!


    Everything went silent as Rentap slowly put on of his knee on the ground. After a few moments, then each and one of them swear their loyalty to Kim and went down to the ground.


    "I shall give my sworn loyalty to brother Kim!"


    "I shall give my sworn loyalty to brother Kim!"


    "I shall give my sworn loyalty to brother Kim!"


    From one to hundreds, then thousands, then finally all of them has kneeled on the ground. Kim didn''t expect the sudden turn of events. However, his mind was calm and he still keeps his composure. He had faced countless threatening situations and even some which he was on the line between life and death. But this would be the most crucial moment of his life. To become a leader to all these legends. The hero of everyone heart. The protector of this land. He put both of his arms onto Rentap shoulders. Letting him stand up. He raised up his right arm straight in the air and clenched his fist.


    "Brothers, stand up! Follow me, and we shall claim victory! Ooooooooha!!!" Kim roared and everyone else roared with him with their right arm up in the air.


    "Ooooooooha!!!"

 31 Its alive!

    Chapter 31: It''s alive!


    His pupils dilated and constricted several times, trying to adjust itself with the blinding light bathing onto his face. He could feel the warmness of a hand gently brushing his soft black hair.


    A faint image of a girl could be seen in his view. A girl with long violet hair, which blended perfectly well with her pair of eyes of the same colour.


    "Momo..." He muttered with a weak soft voice.


    "Yes, master?"


    "I''m back"


    "Wel..welcome.. back... Master" Momo couldn''t hold her tears as she continued to sob heavily after Kim woke up.


    "Hey, I''m not dead aren''t I? Why are you crying?"


    "Because... because you are mean! Losing your control and end up hurting yourself like that. Don''t ever do that again!" With no concern on how she looks, Momo cried with no restraint, covering Kim''s face with tears.


    Momo''s remarks followed with her tears felt like a heavy blow to his soul. Especially when she didn''t even mention anything about her injuries. The risk she took to get Kim back to his sense. None of that seems to matter to her as long Kim is safe. But to Kim, that was one of the biggest regrets in his life. Ever so, when she didn''t even care a bit about it at all. He felt a strong burden in his heart.


    "I''ll never do it again..."


    "Promise?"


    "Promise"


    "If you break your promise, then you have to give me more milk!" Momo didn''t wait for Kim to reply and drop her face into his chest, crying heavily. Kim gently pets her hair and gently put her into his warm embrace.


    The animals only stare at both them with fear of disturbing. It felt like Kim and Momo are within their own space with no room for anyone to enter.


    Having gone through thick and thins together for the past 5 years, they have supported each other physically and mentally while they face life and death situation as daily struggles.


    "Are you both done?" *cough*


    "What do you want blackbird?"


    "B-B-blackbird?!" Although it felt annoyed, Enggang didn''t lose its anger and calmly replied


    "I just want to congratulate you. Can''t you at least accept that first"


    Kim let out a loud sigh. Despite how much he hated getting up, there was still one business remained unfinished business. The passing of the trial. Although Rentap and nature were the testers, that monster was still the guardian and the owner of this lair. Enggang still holds the authority.


    Kim wanted to get up, but Momo was hugging him tightly as she pushes her face into his chest. So, he just stood up while carrying Momo. Later, he found out that Momo was sound asleep. He poked her soft cheek to check and confirmed it.


    "Although she looked calm, she was the most anxious one when you were fighting. She didn''t even blink for a second and continued to believe that you will win. After you passed out, she didn''t even sleep waiting for you to wake up. She stayed like that for days now so make sure you repay her back!"


    It reminded him the first day when she found Momo. He had to carry her around since she was too weak to move. Now as strong as ever, she still likes to sleep on Kim since it became a habit of hers.Sleeping alone was scary she said, so Kim just let her be every time she comes to her.


    Kim slowly bowed to the monster to show his appreciation. He did it gently, to make sure he won''t disturb Momo. Enggang only shook its head.


    "I don''t need your appreciation. In fact, I''m the one who needs to thank you. The will of nature and the warriors is my will as well. We are one and the same. If they recognized you so as I. If they accept you as their master, then I shall give you this land as the new sovereign. Everything within this land will be under your control!"


    "Kim, since the warrior trusted you so will I. Make a new legacy, and bring this land to glory!"


    Kim nodded with flint of determination in his eyes.


    Enggang fully spans out its wings and let out a mighty squawked. Then, white orbs of mana dispersed out from the land, forests, and the sky. Enggang then flapped both its glorious wings and produced a vortex which gathered the mana into one point. It then let out another squawked which caused all the mana to shoot up piercing through the sky. Moments later, that mana struck down at Kim like an arrow made of lightning making Kim absorbed everything.


    As the mana slowly integrated into his blood and veins, Kim feels like he couldn''t ever be closely connected to nature as he is now. He felt like with a flick of a finger, a mountain would appear from the ground, birds would dance in the sky and forest would sway madly as if they were alive as he could manipulate the mana in nature.


    Besides mana, he could also sense other things. They felt like mana but they were not mana. Mana only felt like water flowing in and out of a channel. But these things felt like it could flow anywhere they wanted to. And it''s numbered to hundreds of thousands. Somehow, Kim felt like he could manipulate them to as how he is manipulating mana.


    As if knowing what Kim is thinking, Enggang gives him an answer.


    "That''s the soul that resided within this land. Rentap is one of them as well. Since they gave their loyalty to you, you have the rights to command them. Try to call them now!"


    Kim gave Momo to Enggang to take care of as she was still sleeping. The monster keeps her in its wings. Kim then closed his eyes and spread his mana sense. He let his mana to be absorbed by nature. He opened his eyes and shouted


    "Warriors, it''s time to wake up from your slumber! Arise!"


    The ground trembles violently.


    One by one, warriors were formed from the earth with their body supported by mana. Then soul imbued within the body which they eyes of unanimated earthly body flickered with life. When he fought them before in the vine cage, he could only felt mana within them. Now, he realized that they were brimming with life as another kind of different source is fueling them. From what the monster told him, he understood this source as the soul.


    Yesterday''s foe is today''s friend.


    But in this case, warriors who fought Kim aren''t just his friends, but also his loyal servant who would kill themselves for Kim. All made fully with earth, covered with leaves and vines as their clothing.


    Suddenly, a tremor.


    One of the warriors come up to Kim. Although his appearance is similar to other warriors, his aura, however, emanating a supreme pressure. His mere presence has caused the earth to shake. By a mere glance, Kim already knew who''s soul this warrior belongs to. Although his face was expressionless, to Kim, he felt like the warrior is looking at Kim with a sense of camaraderie. As if they were blood brothers. This warrior is obviously a vessel to Rentap''s soul.


    "So, it was true. I had my suspicion, but believing is to see. The warriors, including Rentap, really did swear their sole loyalty to you..." Enggang said it with full admiration to Kim. It almost gave up trying to find a suitable successor to become the new guardian of this land, but due to the sudden calamity that befalls this land, it gave up as humanity had perished. However, hope come shining again when this one particular person come knocking the front door.


    Still, the trials were harsh that even an extraordinary person would fall. The probability for Kim to achieve success was almost 0%... but it had truly underestimated Kim''s power, to begin with. Now, that Kim is still standing tall in front of those warriors, it felt relief. It took a single glance at Rentap and had a nostalgic feeling lingering inside its heart.


    "I guess it''s for me to go..."


    When Enggang was about to call Kim, it hearts trembles. Kim face... was dissatisfied?


    Having the power to manipulate this land and to command thousands of glorious legendary warriors, somehow Kim''s face is showing a faint feeling of disappointment.


    ''What is this Kim is thinking?'' Unable to guess the answer it tilted its head from left to right and to left again.


    After observing all the warriors for a while, Kim felt like something was off. Those warriors are all brimming with life with their burning fighting spirit and yet they seem dead. Not to mention they were dead, to begin with. It''s just that for Kim, they were too doll-like.


    "Rentap was not like this when I talked to him. He was far more annoying! This... my brothers are not my servants nor they are just a doll. They are full of lively and cheerful people!"


    "Nature was supposed to be full of life. Using nature to become a vessel to these souls was right but it isn''t enough. I need to bring forth the life within nature itself to support these souls... the souls need to make their vessels as their own and not supported by my power"


    Suddenly, Kim was reminded with the vision of the golem created by the jade-scale dragon. Although it was something that was created through manipulation, the golem was sentient. A life of its own. Not bound with its creator. As if, the golem itself was alive.


    "I need to make a vessel as close as that. Or maybe better. But how? That wasn''t just a mere manipulation, but also a conjurer skill. Conjuring life..."


    Kim gathered his mana and was about to do something but... he holds himself back.


    "No, wait... I don''t need to conjure life... these vessels already have lives. The soul itself... so why they still seem dead. Unless..."


    Enggang ends up giving up guessing what Kim''s going to do. It focused on taking care of Momo instead and decided to observe and see how things will go. It already saw many miracles created by Kim, and somehow it felt like another one will happen.


    "The soul is the core of life...and mana what tie both of them together..."


    "Mana is what makes life work, and the soul... the soul is also the core of mana..."


    "Soul, mana, life... nature... these vessels is only a container of their souls and not their life"


    Suddenly, Kim''s eyes flickered with lights. He smiled with an evil grin that sends a chilling sensation to your spine. Making all your hair stands up!


    "Where is a soul to begin with? It''s not just in one specific point like our organs. The body is not just a simple vessel to contain one''s soul. Instead, the whole body of a person is integrated with a soul and thus create life. The soul pumps mana which enables life to work the body!"


    "What I should do is not prepare a vessel to contain these warrior souls, I should combine their souls with nature and let them relive!"


    Kim made a gesture with both his hands and all the warriors crumbled into the ground. Enggang was taken aback and started to question Kim actions. But Kim was fully focused on he''s about to do and ignored Enggang. Momo also woke up due to the commotions. And also, she felt fluctuations of mana as if something big is happening. Enggang felt it as well and stayed silent.


    Kim is breathing heavily while he gathered all his mana. He never used as much mana as this. He even continuously absorbing the mana of nature to supply him so more mana! As more and more mana is gathered, Kim whole body was radiating with brilliant white lights. Huge black clouds formed above Kim. The wind suddenly blew wildly and rains pouring down, producing heavy storms. Then followed with chains of lightning, strike into the ground.


    "Well, this is it. Can''t hurt to try!!! Rise, my brothers!"


    Kim concentrated more mana until the whole world was trembling with intense tremor. The sky ripples and the earth started to crumble. Suddenly, a human hand come out from the ground and grabbed Kim''s leg. Then, more hands appeared out of the ground. They were numbered to thousand! It shook Enggang a lot that it flew into the air feeling scared.


    "He... he manipulated souls as how he did with mana!"


    Kim suddenly laughed in a lofty manners, with his head behind and his arms opened wide side to side, he shouted.


    "It''s alive... it''s alive!!!"

 32 Lich

    Chapter 32: Lich


    "It''s been a week now. I wonder how both of them now? I miss them" *sob *sob the kid must bring Momo back or I''ll be talking non-stop!"


    "Ha-choo!"


    "What the matter, Master?"


    "I don''t know. Suddenly felt a bit chilly"


    The voice could only vent his anger when reminiscing what happened between Kim and Momo. He still felt regret for not noticing the shadow within Kim''s heart early on.If only he knew he thought to himself. He then let out a sigh and continued to watch over the floating skeletal figure.


    The skeletal figure is dressed in a long hooded robe. Although the robe seems ancients, it seems to be taken care of properly as there''s no sign of being wrinkled or damaged. The skeletal figure is sitting cross-legged and both of its hands are placed above its knees. As if it is in a state of meditation.


    "Even a lich managed to get here...then the awakening of the earth really did exude a tremendous amount of mana for it to attract a lich"


    A lich is an intellectual monster that is born from a master mana user. In other words, they are human who turned into monsters. Most of them are master manipulators who had gain enlightenment on what they called the "dark mana". A mysterious power that could only be understood by those who ascended to lich-hood.


    There is no recorded knowledge which specifies the true power of "dark mana" but in recorded history, lich is a terrifying enemy that at least at the level of a mythical monster.


    Lich is a master manipulator who can strike down their foes mercilessly with their most well adept element when it was a human. It could also raise the dead to become their puppet for war.


    Due to its intellect and thirst for knowledge, they could get stronger faster than many other monsters. What more terrifying is its skeletal figure that could make a person to faint on the spots and have nightmares for weeks.


    Until now, no one knows why lich has a skeletal figure. Some said, its the side-effect of wielding "dark mana" which unable the liches to maintain their original body. Also... the more a person bathe with "dark mana" the more they would be driven to insanity. That''s why they could kill a person without any hint of regret.


    Madness, obsession and insanity are the early symptoms of a person going to become a lich.


    Madness for power,


    Obsession for knowledge,


    and... Pure insanity.


    "I must know his plan before Kim and Momo exit the lair. I don''t know since he doesn''t have any eyes, but I''m that lich is carefully strategizing to kill Kim. Lich is an intelligent monster since it transmogrified from a human"


    The lich nods its head several times, then suddenly...its staff fell on the ground which caused several kilometres of the land to freeze instantly.


    "Ahh... I fell asleep... what taking them too long?"


    "What are you planning lich!"


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    A young man and a girl is walking side by side within a simple passageway. They seem to be walking out of a cave.


    "Maybe you should rest more after all that training..."


    "Nah, it''s okay... I''m dying to get out of this lair anyway. Let''s go beat those undead monsters shall we?"


    "T-t-they are really... u-un-undead M-mas-t-ter?!!"


    "Yes. I told you many times already..."


    "Or they are just like brother Rentap?"


    "No. Rentap is very much alive now... these monsters, however... are like..."


    Kim lights a small fire which lit only his face a bit within the dark lair.


    "Those zombies that would eat your brain up!!!"


    "Hmm..."


    "...What with that disappointing face... and you too blackbird"


    A black feathery bird with yellow beaks is perching at Momo''s shoulder. At its beaks, is a protruded horn that is similar to that of a rhinoceros. There are a few white colours covering its chest. Before, it could cover the entire sky just by spanning its wings. Not, it''s just as small as a baby sparrow.


    "Stop calling me blackbird! I''m Enggang the glorious sacred who protected the whole land of Borneo. How dare you call me without honour!"


    "Oh, baby Enggang is mad? Then how about, Blackie?"


    "B-Blackie?! Y-you!!!"


    "Blackie is a cute name"


    When Momo mentioned that, Enggang didn''t utter even a single word and just gulped. Somehow, the smile on the face of Momo right now is scarier than death itself. Enggang just nodded in agreement.


    "We already at the end of this cave. Momo, time to put on a show"


    Momo steps forward and exerted her mana. Although Kim and Enggang seem fine, her mana pressure would cause any superior monster and below to bow down in fear. It wasn''t the first time Kim saw Momo''s mana pressure, but he still felt astonished as of how much Momo has improved.


    Enggang who just had its first experience with Momo''s mana pressure couldn''t help itself from trembling in shock. All its feather stood up from sensing Momo''s mana. It beaks opened feeling awe. Then Kim called to Enggang...


    And Blackie..."


    While licking his lips, Kim lit up a fire at his hand. He glared at Enggang with a very unpleasant grin.


    "Take care of Momo or we''ll have fried chicken for dinner. That''s Momo''s favourite besides milk"


    "Mama and Papa always bring Momo to Kuching Fried Chicken every weekend. I really want some now..."


    Seeing how excited Momo is caused Enggang to break a cold sweat...


    ''I should have died... why I have to be a servant for these two anyway...that Kim... I underestimated him too much. For someone who could bring back those warriors in full state, would be easy for him to save my life...and even this girl... is more than meets the eyes''


    It let out a sigh and thought to itself again ''I guess following them would be fun. I should enjoy my new life... besides... I can spend time with cute Momo~''


    Seeing how Enggang suddenly squawked in a weird way, Kim smacked its head.


    "You are thinking something bad aren''t you?"


    "Y-you!!!" Enggang started to fly around Kim. "Even I''m this small, I''m the magnificent Enggang! Feel my wrath!" It continuously pecked Kim like a mosquito.


    "Grr, why it''s so hard to hit you. Annoying bird! I''m gonna smack you back! Ta-ta-ta-ta!"


    Kim tried to smack Enggang, but somehow it was able to avoid all of it.


    "Too slow, boy!"


    As both of them are engrossed with their fight, a brilliant silvery sword appeared in between which nearly cut them.


    "Aren''t you two having fun? I appreciate you both trying to warm your relationship but I''m trying to focus here. But, if you like... you can play some more.... and I will also join you"


    Her voice sounded sweet and angelic, but the aura she emanated is intimidating. Kim and Enggang glared at each other before gave out a cold laugh. They both shut their mouth, afraid of interrupting Momo.


    "That''s better"


    Momo then steps forward and stand near the exit of the lair entrance. She expanded both her arms to the side, and exuded her mana.


    "A conjurer?"


    "Yes. Although Momo a three-type user like me, her forte is her conjuring skill"


    "So, what''s her weapon?"


    "Why ask when you can enjoy the show? Watch Blackie. If Momo wasn''t injured in the first, she doesn''t even nee my protection at all"


    She looks at the sky and clasped her hands together. Then her mana exploded! Her whole body radiated with white lights. "Raining swords, Meteor shower!"


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Outside, the clear blue sky suddenly turned dark and covered with clouds. The wind blew wildly as if a storm is coming. The lich looked at the sky with an odd expression on its face. Even though, it doesn''t have a face, to begin with. The undead monsters which seem to be sleeping before, suddenly rise up again. Their number had risen to hundreds of thousands more than before. The lich then had a sudden realization.


    "This is... mana pressure!"


    Above the clouds, countless swords of different shapes and colours falling toward earth. The sword accurate pierce through several thousands of undead monsters and bury them to ground. Some didn''t even wake up from it''s frozen state yet and already had been split to half. One sword almost hit the lich but it easily deflected the sword with a barrier. Just by this sudden attack a lot, the undead forces have been reduced to half.


    "Momo!" The voice shouted with excitement. The moment he felt the familiar mana, he consciously barged into Kim''s mind.


    "Old geezer..."


    Enggang suddenly had a sudden chill when it heard Kim muttered those two words. As if, a sudden tremendous power entered into Kim''s mind. A power that could bring a disastrous calamity to a whole world, or even... the entire galaxy. Today, it learned that the word old geezer is referring to someone who has the absolute mightiest power. An existent above others.


    "You are back! *sob *sob and Momo too! Why didn''t you tell me you ugly bastard? Not that I miss you or anything. I know you miss me though..."


    "It''s only been a second and you already this annoying old geezer"


    "Aw, don''t be shy, shy, you can hug me if my real body is here. *wink"


    "Trust me, if your real body is here, hug won''t be the first thing you get" Kim rubbed his temple, as he felt a sudden migraine. Enggang felt a bit awkward because it seems like Kim was talking to himself.


    "Anyway, how did you get out of the lair without me sensing anything?"


    "You can thank this black bird for that"


    "I see. So, you didn''t want the lich to know?"


    "So, that was actually a lich? You could have told me earlier before"


    "It doesn''t matter anyway. You could have run with no problem. Besides, you seem to a bit stronger"


    "Well, I trained a bit before I go out" Kim only put on a smile while answering the voice. Although Enggang only heard the conversation from Kim''s side, somehow just by looking at Kim''s expression would make it shudder. It doesn''t even want to know what''s the whole conversation is about.


    The lich eyes flickered with excitement. If only it had a tongue, it would lick its lips showing its greediness. "I thought I would only eat the main dish, but it seems that it comes with a wonderful dessert! Stand up and fight my servants!"


    "I guess that''s my cue. Let me show you, how much I improved old geezer"


    Kim proudly steps forward toward the battlefield. It feels like he was showing off to his parents how much he had grown. The voice felt a warm sensation. It seems that it wasn''t just his growth, but also his temperment has changed a bit.


    Seeing its food served itself, the lich let out an evil laughed. It exuded more to mana and raised more undead. Even some of that has been put down by Momo''s terrifying rains of swords.


    "I thank you for not wasting my time human. I promise you, it won''t be painful" The talked in a soft manner that would make a person felt surprised that it was the same being who could govern hundred thousands of undead to terrorize a whole kingdom.


    "It seems you have some nice toys running around there. How about I let them play around with my brothers?"


    Suddenly, a hand pops out from the ground, grabbing a monster and took it to the ground. Then more and more of them appeared in the same manners, dragging long the monster with them.


    The voice felt astonished and muttered to himself "This is similar to Gaia''s...I can''t believe it only took him 5 years to become a Master of mana"


    However, the lich felt even more shocked as if its eyes would pop out. "Necromancy?! But, this is not his mana. These things... no freaking way! These humans are alive!"

 33 Necromancy and Dark Mana

    Chapter 33: Necromancy and Dark Mana


    Liches are at their peak on a huge battlefield. Especially in a war. This is due to the dark mana that they are manipulating is especially compatible with necromancy. A type of skill that is used by dark mana user.


    The first level of necromancy is sensing the soul. Able to sense spirit and supernatural activities. A sixth sense that is similar to mana sense. A skill that enables a person to detect those that are outside of our dimension. The so-called soul.


    The second level would be physical interaction with the dead. All your sense will be able to directly connect yourself to another wandering soul. The person can touch, hear, speak, smell, and interact freely with the soul.


    The third level is said to be the peak of necromancy. The ability to give rise to the dead. One might see it as reviving a dead person. A miracle. However, dark mana users would be able to tell it''s actually manipulations of not just mana, but souls as well.


    They are actually manipulating those who already past away. Unable a soul to rest in peace. Furthermore, the person who is raised will lose all of their consciousness. Becoming a loyal servant to their manipulators. For this reason, necromancy is considered to be a taboo, making people despise necromancers within any society. Becoming a cast-away in one''s own home. All for more reasons why most necromancers would ascend to lich-hood.


    Most necromancers will manipulate souls to bring demise to people. Due to the trait of these raised dead people madly move despite with severed limb, crushed organs, and even getting burnt, people started to call them the undead.


    It says that the stronger their aptitude with dark mana, the better they are at manipulating souls. They could manipulate as much as hundreds of thousands of soul. Making them a one-man army that will surely bring forth a calamity anywhere they wanted to. Some even able to raise monsters to become undead. Although most would despise them, no one would deliberately make an enemy out of necromancers.


    However, any kingdom would be against letting any one of those necromancers to step foot within their land since once they become a lich, a disaster will be inevitable as they would lose their human reasoning and become a monster. For that reason, their numbers are few. Albeit gaining inconceivable power, losing one''s humanity is not an easy choice to make.


    One of the said necromancers who achieved lich-hood and able to manipulate hundreds of thousands of monsters is currently floating in the air with its jaw agape. The power Kim utilized was seemingly similar to necromancy... however... it was as different as heaven and earth.


    "T-this can''t be... this...this... power..."


    Although reaching the third level is the peak of necromancy, it wasn''t the highest. One can actually transcend that level of mastery which also the reason why a person willing to sacrifice their human feelings. However, even among those who already become a lich for a thousand years of time still, think it''s only a myth or legend that will never be seen by anyone again. The power... to truly bringing the dead back to life.


    Although most impressions of necromancy were only manipulating the undead, a person who has transcended the highest level would be able to bring back a dead person... alive. Alive on its own. As of how he has walked the earth before. With its own thinking and power to act. And Kim just totally did that with ease. Just by giving a command, thousands of living human appeared from the earth and start to massacre the undead monsters, burying them to the ground.


    Even if undead monsters can''t be killed, mana has to be supplied to them so that they can continuously regenerate. And there''s a limit to how much a body can handle getting slashed, pierced, smashed every single time it''s being raised. In the end, the controlling necromancers would give up the body up as it would only be a waste of mana.


    However, the warriors summoned by Kim doesn''t rely on Kim''s mana. They have their own mana like a living person. Thus, Kim doesn''t feel any burden at all. The most critical point in this battle is, the intelligent and wisdom they have on the battlefield. Undeads are basically brainless servant who only serves its purpose to kill anything that stands against their manipulator.


    In a strategic point of view, undead is useless. But in a battle of attrition, undead is horrendous due to their regenerative ability. And the more people die on a battlefield, the more undead keep piling up. However, the warriors seem to be able to hold on and madly sweeping through the hordes of undead monster.


    "This is not necromancy. These people are... golems. Living with their own consciousness. But it feels like they are alive...they are alive...they are alive!!! Hahahahahahaha!!! Interesting human! Be grateful because you will be my precious test subject! Hahahahahaha!!!" The lich couldn''t hold its obsessions with knowledge, causing it to laugh abruptly. The only things in its head right now were to cut Kim open like a frog in the classroom.


    Kim let out a snort and only stand on the ground with his arm crossed. "Try me, if you can"


    Currently, the battlefield obviously to be one-sided. With the warriors and their mana tempered body bravely go through the horde of undead monsters, swords continue to rain down piercing through the undead monsters with insane accuracy. None of them ever hit any of the warriors.


    Most undead would be sliced to pieces. Some were sealed to the ground by the raining swords. The swords come with a variety of shapes and colours. Each of them has its own ability to govern the element like flames, ice, and thunder. Since the start of the ambush until now, millions of swords has fallen down from heaven!


    Albeit within a disadvantageous position, the lich didn''t falter. Instead, it seems to get excited.


    "Kid, the lich must have prepared something, be wary of its movement. They are more intelligent than most monsters"


    "Momo, make sure you preserved your mana. Although your master is strong, it''s still wise to be prepared"


    "Got it, Blackie" Although Enggang doesn''t like the nickname at first, having Momo warmly call it that makes it feel like a blessing.


    "It''s been a while since someone took my interest. You deserved my praise human!"


    The staff of the lich suddenly surrounded by dark matters. By sensing it make a person feel anxious. As if there''s a screaming voice that could drive you to insanity. Both Kim and Momo couldn''t avoid those feeling. Kim glanced at Momo to check on her.


    "Servants, come! Unite and transform. Drag these people together to the depth of hell!"


    The moment the lich finished its incantation, those undead monsters started to eat one another. As they eat, they would grow bigger and taller. The cannibalism act of the undead caused the warrior to momentarily froze in action. Some even puke.


    "Urghh... What is this? Urghh..."


    "I didn''t sign up for this brother"


    "Bro-brother! Are you okay? You look pale...brother?! Wake up!"


    Even Enggang fly in front of Momo to disrupt her vision.


    After a while, the biting stop and a huge disgustingly body of meat were formed. It has eyeballs scattered around its body. Sticking out of its body are limbs from different type of monsters. It has one giant mouth that continues to munch off other undead monsters. Overall, it looked like a giant with two huge arms and a disfigured face. A monster born straight from nightmares.


    The huge giant, shout out a deafening roar which caused the ground to shook. Then its body started to squirm madly and it''s transformed into a ball of meat. From that ball of meat, four limbs come out which made the ball to look like a body. The back started to protrude out as if something is trying to crawl its way through. Then dark blood gushing as two pair of wings appeared from its back.


    Afterwards, from above and below it, the meat started to squirm more. Finally, a head and a tail were formed. From a disfigured body, into a giant ball of meat. It now looks like a full-fledged monster that is as huge as Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra combined.


    When Kim look at the form of the monster it caused him to remember a certain vision from his memory.


    "Dragon..."


    The voice flinched a bit when heard Kim muttered the word ''Dragon''. He doesn''t know how Kim would recognize a dragon form. He only thinks that something must have happened within the lair since he was able to feel a flow of mana in his body for a while now.


    He then replied cooly "Yes, that does look like a dragon. A magnificent monster with the lowest strength is at the high-level heavenly monster. But this, in front of you is only an imitation. A fake. You don''t need to dirty your hand with such trash"


    The voice to Kim has always been a silly old geezer. But now, the voice sounded cold and solemn which make even Kim taking him seriously. The word ''Dragon'' may have changed his feelings somehow. Kim has been suspicious for a while, but he let it slip first and started to focus on his battle with the lich as Momo already started to rest to recover her mana.


    "I want to see how you handle my playful pet human. Go forth Undead Dragon! Devour these fools! Hahahahaha!"


    The dragon let out an intimidating roar which caused the ground to tremble. As if the earth itself is in fear of such powerful roar.


    "Shut up, you talk too much"


    The lich flinched as suddenly Kim appeared in front of it with his fist ready.


    "You fly too much. Let''s taste the ground a little, skelly!"


    The lich didn''t have time to prepare a barrier and get pounded straight in the face forming cracks at its skull. The lich flew down to the ground like a meteor, causing the ground to explode. Forming a huge crater.


    Kim felt a burning sensation at his fist. He felt like his skin is corroding. He checked his fist with mana sense and felt another kind of mana is covering his hands. He then used his own mana to disperse it away.


    "That is dark mana. Imprint it in your mind. It''s the power that directly sucks away your living soul and could burn you inside out. Mana comes from the soul and creates life. Dark mana, burns own soul to destroy another and extinguished life. Imprint your first-hand experience with dark mana, You will need it in the future"


    The lich who is on the ground felt flabbergasted. It couldn''t believe how its opponent could just use underhanded tricks. Before it even managed to say anything, it senses powerful densely mana is gathered around Kim''s palm. A ball of fire. Feeling imminent danger, it didn''t waste any time utilizing everything to form a barrier.


    "This idiot human!"


    Kim didn''t want to waste any time and threw his hellfire toward lich which caused a magnificent explosion of inferno!"


    The ground is now full of smoke. Kim didn''t let his guard down because he could sense that the lich is still alive. As the smoke clearing, he could hear the sound of someone coughing. Then a skeletal figure with cracks on its bone and skull, wearing a long hooded robe walks out from the smoke. The robe was so long that it actually touched the ground.


    "How could you?! You should fight my pet first before fighting! That''s not right. That''s not right at all!"


    When Kim saw the lich and heard the lich voice, he felt something was odd.


    "What are you looking at... y-you... you stupid human! Hmph! I''m a genius who became a lich at a young age! Although I looked like this now, I''m was actually the cutest girl in the world! Hmmphh!"


    It wasn''t that robe was long, but it was actually the lich who was too short. And its voice... no, she... is a little girl! And even smaller than Momo! Kim felt a bit weird when he thought of fighting a little girl. Somehow the lich sounded cute. Kim shook his head and start to focus again. Although all of these thinking is going through his mind, he didn''t show any expressions at all.


    "What are you thinking trying to beat me before fighting my cute pet! Who taught you huh?! You cheater! Ugly cheater!"


    "Ugly?! Have you look yourself at the mirror?" Kim let out a sigh "Anyway... I don''t need to fight your pet. Someone else will do it for me"


    "If you think that sword girl or those golems of yours could take down my pet, then you are underestimating it a lot. My pet is at least a superior mythical monster!"


    Kim only replied with a smile on his face. Before the lich could say anything the earth shook, and the sky is trembling. The whole world... is shaking!


    "No... you are underestimating my brothers"

 34 Earth Shaker, Relive!

    Chapter 34: Earth Shaker, Relive!


    As if time temporary stop, everyone froze in their place. The undead monsters, the warriors, the giant zombie dragon, even winds stop blowing. What was once a massive battlefield has turned silent. If there was a drop of water on the ground, anyone within the vicinity could hear it loud and clear.


    All of this occurred due to the appearance of one person. A legendary warrior who had lived his life on the battlefield and died protecting his pride and glory, his land and his loved one. The person who was renounced as the earth shaker. His single existence is like an army of thousands. Emitting an aura that is so domineering, it could forcibly make an ordinary person bow down just from his gaze alone. He is none other than Rentap.


    Enggang who is perching on Momo''s shoulder all this time only stared silently at the warrior figure in the middle of battlefield. The more it looked at the warrior, the more sentiment feeling building up inside it. Being called the guardian of Sarawak has sowed a seed of attachments towards the people. Especially Rentap, whom it has observed from child to death.


    "I never knew I could live to see the day you would stand on earth again..."


    When Rentap was fighting, obviously it would cheer Rentap and his group. Whenever the group would enter the battlefield it would let out a glorious squawked which act as a blessing toward the whole group. It would never forget the fierceness of the warriors when facing their enemies, even if it means death, an insignificant threat to those who are prepared to sacrifice their lives.


    Sadly, it who saw Rentap since Rentap was a child was also the one who saw Rentap when he fell due to old age. Imagine a man who had lived his life battling, ends up dying due to the inevitable cruel fate of old age.


    As if she could feel how Enggang felt, she patted its head, making it squawk shyly.


    "There, there Blackie..."


    But now, standing once more in the middle of the battlefield, the legendary warrior stands tall once more. Striking fear to his foe, and hope to his people heart. He is Rentap, the earth-shaker!


    The lich couldn''t believe her eyes when she sensed Rentap. Her jaw is wide open, continuing not to believe the person that has just appeared.


    "W-w-who is this human... no...he''s monster"


    There was a reason why the lich was flabbergasted. Unlike Kim who already trained to hide his mana to protect himself, Rentap mana was overflowing.


    As if it couldn''t help itself from showing others themselves. When she sensed Rentap''s mana, she could feel that his aura was so domineering that she couldn''t stop herself from gasping for air.


    "Is he some kind of a demon lord?! W-w-where did you get this human?!! And to actually control it..."


    Feeling lost for words, the lich didn''t ask and just try to accept everything. There was only one thing in her mind right now... as her eyes fixated at Kim she thought to herself ''If his servant is this powerful, then how powerful is the owner? I need to pretend like I''m fighting and run at the right moment...''


    Among all that is within the vicinity, the only person who stayed the same...was Kim. He just stood still, crossing his arm while continuing to observe the lich action. Seeing how the lich reacted he already knew what she was thinking...


    ''So you think you can run huh? I will pay you back your treatment last time by ten times. Run... try and run if you dare''


    Although it was only Kim''s thought, somehow the lich could feel like a vicious killing intent is aiming towards her. Sending chills directly to her spine. Literally, directly to her spine.


    Within the silent moment, everyone stood still as they are cautiously waiting for the act of one man. Even those mad undead monsters weren''t doing anything.


    Rentap look up toward the huge zombie dragon in front of him. With a cheerful laugh, he glanced toward Kim.


    "Bahahahaha! What a wonderful feast we are having today. You mind if I took this dude all alone, bro Kim?" Rentap talk leisurely while licking his lips.


    Kim gave a glance back and just smiled. He only nodded his head showing his consent.


    "Alone? A mere human wanted to fight my pet alone? Ridiculous! If you think you can, then try. Don''t try to come begging while crying to make it stop! Because once I let it loose, it will eat everything! E-VE-RY-THING! Hmph!"


    ''Oh shoot! That monster even has the guts to fight my zombie dragon. What should I do, what should I do...just let that dragon occupy him?


    The lich already knew how powerful Rentap is just by gauging his mana capacity. If it was only Rentap then maybe she could do something, but... there was also Kim who is still standing in front of her doing nothing. Now that she saw how powerful Rentap is, she knew that the punch just now was not a fluke. The only thing the lich could do now was to put on a false bravado.


    Another thing was those raining swords. There should be another one conjuring those swords that could kill those undead monsters in one strike. But the swords already stop falling, so the conjurer might be resting to gain mana.


    Maybe, I could make a false attempt toward that conjurer and make a run for it. But how am I going to escape this human? Look at his dirty eyes looking at my body. I feel like he could see through my skin. I know I''m sexy and all... but... but... I''m still a little girl... well I was... but... but... what is this feeling...''


    Kim didn''t budge an inch to observe the lich in front of him. He didn''t make a move because the voice keeps telling him how intelligent and crafty a lich is so he didn''t take any action yet. But... the more he looks at the lich, the more confusing it gets.


    The lich keeps on showing some weird gestures like grabbing her head with both her hands or flailing her arms ups and down. Sometimes, she would move her heads in a circle with both her arms at the side. It''s really hard for Kim to guess what the lich is thinking because she had no face to show any clear expressions. Then suddenly, he felt a fluctuation of mana.


    "That''s a teleporting skill. A space manipulation skill that enables a mana user to switch places instantly"


    "So is this little lich trying to run away?"


    "Call her little if you want but it''s still is a lich. I don''t think she''s trying to run... it would take a long time and huge amount of mana to teleport to far, far places from here... besides, that fake dragon is still there. She must be aiming for something else"


    After agreeing with what the voice said in his mind, his expression still didn''t change. Kim didn''t want the lich to know something is up. Instead, he tried to set up a trap without the lich noticing. Now that he had Mastered the manipulation of earth, he could it feel like he could talk to ground. Before, he only forced the ground to obey him, by dominating it with mana. He used his mana to control. But now, as if the ground to heed towards anything he thought of. The mana of the earth, is his mana as well.


    He set the area around the lich to create an earth coffin that would confine her the single moment she moves.


    ''A trap? This human is good... But none can fool this lich!''


    The lich then created a barrier which covers the whole trap area. This caused Kim''s eyes to flicker for a moment as he gets back to his cold expressions.


    While the lich and Kim is having a battle of attrition of mana, the zombie dragon let out an intimidating roar. Rentap gave a short last glance toward Kim and shouted.


    "Brothers, I''m sorry for being greedy. But can''t this humble warrior fight this monster alone?"


    "Our hero is back! Ohhhhaaaaa!" The warriors beside Rentap gave a loud cheer which is followed by others. They then stay away from Rentap and started to hunt down the remaining undead monsters.


    The zombie dragon pulls its head backwards and breathes out a black flame. A vile flame that doesn''t burn but causes extreme corrosion. Even more venomous than a drop of hydra''s acid.


    "That''s more like it" Rentap eyes flickered with fighting spirit. He pulls out his shield which flew towards the dragon. The shield then becomes huge which could cover the whole dragon. The shield looks like it made out of wood, and is engraved with an intricate pattern.


    The shield was strong enough to block the corroding black flame which then reflected back toward the dragon. The dragon flinched a bit but didn''t waste a single moment to flap its wing which caused the black flame to split.


    The flame then headed toward surrounding vicinity which eats up anything in its pathway. Trees, river, mountain, setting everything ablaze, which continues to corrode everything nearby. It seems that the flame won''t stop burning until the end of time.


    "That''s an ugly power you have... seems like I don''t have time play around with you... or my homeland will be gone!"


    Rentap stomp his feet to the ground, creating a massive tremor that shook the earth violently. During this time, even the people at the peninsular of Malaysia could felt the tremor. Later on, news saying an oncoming huge tsunami has caused a huge alarm at the city that will be affected. Making it a national level crisis.


    While the dragon stumbled, Rentap didn''t waste a time to charge head on to give a solid mighty blow toward the dragon body. The body of the dragon was tough, but Rentap''s power is inconceivable. The fist created a hole which caused thick black blood to pour out from it. The dragon even puked some blood as well, which dropped on top of Rentap body.


    "What is this black thing"


    Before Rentap could do anything, suddenly he was black flame enveloping his entire body with him as the nucleus. The black blood, act as an oil, which could light up a black flame instantly just by utilizing mana. It was a crafty move by the giant dragon.


    "Interesting"


    Feeling impressed, Rentap even clapped his hand which caused the dragon to flinch. Although his body is corroding slowly, Rentap didn''t falter even for a bit. He does feel pain since his new body is pretty much alive right now. But none of that could disturb his will to fight. He looks directly toward the dragon which abruptly flew high up in the air. It could feel a sudden imminent danger which caused it to retreat for a while.


    "Smart move. You might be split to half if you didn''t"


    Suddenly, a mark appeared on the ground where the dragon was standing. The ground looks like it was cleanly cut by a sword. The mark was actually that huge, showing that the cut could actually slice the dragon into two parts.


    Rentap with black flames burning his body still stood in the ground while looking at the flying dragon. It feels like he was actually wearing the black flame instead.


    As the two gazes met, one felt nothing while another one felt fear for the first time. But for a dragon to actually felt fear was never been written in history before. Making it feel it was being ridiculed by the whole universe. The dragon roared and its body is bursting with mana. The mana burned into black flames which set its entire body ablaze.


    The dragon dove down to strike Rentap on the ground. With its huge body which is falling at such speed, it looked like a falling burning meteor


    Rentap face expressions didn''t change at all. He held his parang firmly with his right hand and swing it several times to test it out. He took a stance, then moment later...


    Rentap was already in mid-air while beneath him... two pieces of giant well-cooked meat were laying on the ground and black flames that were terrorizing the place were all vanish to thin air.


    Rentap raised his right hand and shouted. "Brothers! Let finish up before our bro Kim is done! Ohhhaaaaa!"


    "

 35 Battle of Master Manipulators

    Chapter 35: Battle of Master Manipulators


    The fallen of the zombie dragon has caused the warriors to went on a rampage with Rentap in command. Rentap commands seem to be able to enhance his people strength.


    It might be due to their increasing battle morale, but it could also be Rentap passive skills that can enhance whoever follows him.


    The voice told Kim that each living being has their own personalized distinguishable mana. it''s the reason why it''s easy to find others with mana sense. It''s like a fingerprint for mana.


    Basically saying, each manas is unique and different. Thus, it''s hard for them to mix with one another. Although it''s possible to absorb others mana after killing it, the efficiency is not that high and most of it will be dispersed into nature.


    However, it''s actually possible for different mana to interact with one another. This is actually one of the basic aspects of being a manipulator. Manipulator mana inside other living beings as their own.


    For example, some mana user could cause other''s mana to actively flow inside a person body to help them regenerate. Some can cause mana to be dormant, blocking a person from wielding mana. There are cases of those who can absorb others mana without killing themselves but the mana will eventually be wasted if not used.


    In Rentap case, he could resonate his mana to those who willingly follow him, making their mana to react with each other and enhance their body. For Rentap''s case, the more people following him, the stronger they will become.


    Kim clicked his tongue after the long explanation.


    "Why must only his follower get stronger? I''m the one who gets him back to life"


    Kim complained while stomping his right leg.


    The Lich could only observe the behaviour of Kim. Although the rampaging warriors gave a heavy impact, she couldn''t do anything since Kim still keep her in check.


    Between them, there are dozen of mana skills has been prepared to counter each other. A single movement would mean an array of powerful mana attack launched in one time. It''s the same case for Kim as well.


    Kim didn''t expect the lich would end up preparing mana to attack him instead of running away as to how he thought the Lich would. At first, the Lich only prepared teleportation skill by manipulating space around her.


    Kim managed to notice the fluctuations of mana around him and prepared an earth coffin trap that would bury the lich to the ground even if it''s a flick of her single finger.


    The Lich then responded with a barrier that is big enough for her to escape before teleporting.


    Before the Lich able to focus on her teleport skill, a barrier surrounded both Kim and the lich was made to block anyone from getting out.


    The Lich flinched, but she didn''t falter. She analysed Kim''s barrier and managed to find small subtle holes. With high precision of mana manipulation, she made her mana delicate enough to be able to penetrate through Kim''s barrier. They turned into huge 5 metres long needle which attacked Kim''s barrier from the outside.


    At the same time, some kind of red yellowish liquid substance floating out from the ground. The liquid then coagulated with each other which then formed 3 red balls made from molten lava.


    Although the fireballs were as small as a human palm, it was hot enough to melt iron like butter.


    The Lich then shoots the balls of magma. Kim could avoid it, but he was still maintaining his barrier. If he released the barrier now, then the needle made of pure mana will pierce through him.


    But it was a different case for the fireballs. Although Kim could sense the destructive power of heat emanating from within those fireballs made of magma, somehow he didn''t sense any danger at all.


    Anyone would run between their tails trying to avoid the devastating heat from the fireballs.


    Alpha Cerberus maybe be powerful, but a drop of the magma from those fireballs could melt an elephant in a sec. It''s like the power of Alpha Cerberus fireballs and King Hydra''s corrosive purple flame combine.


    However, for Kim, he didn''t sense any danger at all. In fact, he felt like his body is actually eager to get hit by the fireballs as if a deer voluntarily get inside a crocodile mouth. The fireballs of magma flew apart and dispersed. Each one of them has tendrils grow all around which connected to each other to form a spider web pattern.


    The moment it hit Kim, the web of magma wrapped Kim all over, setting him ablaze.


    From an ordinary person point of view, Kim only waited to be burnt to crisp, leaving nothing but ashes. But they will be shocked if they heard the Lich next words...


    "This human is ridiculous, he''s still alive. I wonder if he''s even injured at all"


    The Lich knew none of her attacks could affect Kim even for a bit. It will only buy her some time. So the Lich took the little bit of time to focus on her teleportation again and at the same, she prepared for another attack.


    The Lich released her mana pressure which caused black clouds to gathered above her and Kim. The wind blew fiercely, and thunder rumbling with a deafening sound. The sudden change of atmosphere has caused the rampaging warriors to stop. Every attention was averted toward the black clouds. Even the fact that the zombie dragon was sliced in half by Rentap was forgotten.


    Enggang squawked and whispered to Momo.


    "Momo, prepare a barrier"


    The undead monsters suddenly died, which caused Rentap to feel alarmed.


    "Brothers, gathered your shield. And make a barrier!"


    Within the red blazing magma trying to melt his body to the ground, Kim felt like he is taking a fresh shower. All the pores in his body open up, absorbing the mana coming from the magma. He felt like his mana capacity is growing the more he absorbed it.


    "This Lich mana is powerful. If it was me from before I would get burnt in no time"


    Unable to do anything while maintaining his barrier, Kim nodded his head up toward the black cloud. The Lich skills in manipulation have caught his interest. His eyes flickered with excitement as he discovered more things regarding mana.


    "Hey old geezer, you never told me I can use mana in different ways at one time... look at that Lich, I barely able to maintain this barrier and she already preparing for another attack"


    "Well, that''s because I never need to. All I need is one attack"


    Feeling that talking to the voice is useless, Kim decided to make an experiment himself. Although he could prepare earth coffin and made a barrier, that was only because he made the earth coffin first and then make the barrier. But he couldn''t make the earth coffin and the barrier at the same time. Which is what the lich seems to be doing. Eating while doing work at the same time.


    Kim only used one skill at a time. Then use it consecutively by changing from enhancement, to manipulation, to conjuring. Sometimes he would manipulate fire then change to earth. If he enhances his mind, he wouldn''t enhance his body because it would make him lose focus. Besides, his body is already tempered by mana making it strong even without enhancement. And for conjuring skill, he only has the mental domain for now.


    Now that he thought about it, why didn''t he try to use more than one skill at one time? Won''t his attack be more powerful? Why can''t he enhance both his mind and body at the same? Or manipulate earth and fire to kill different kinds of monsters at one time.


    He could create an earth barrier while shooting fireballs from afar. He could also enhance his mind at the same time to boost his observations while fighting. If he enhances his moving speed and thinking ability at the same time, he would see everything at a normal rate while moving everywhere.


    "The future is vast"


    However, that is only in the future and not the present. Kim tried all he could, but every time he tried to make a simple flame his barrier is on the verge of breaking. In which, a single moment of carelessness has made a hole at the barrier. Even though the hole would be covered up in a second, it was more than enough for the Lich to unleash a thunderstrike that split the sky in half.


    The huge thunderstrike looks like a huge hammer of justice giving judgement to anyone beneath heaven. The blinding flash of light covered the entire sky. The rumbling sound could travel across the continent. Even those from surrounding south-east Asia countries could hear the devastating sound of the thunder which caused an ordinary person to faint.


    If Sylva saw this, he would cough several mouthfuls of blood and roll backwards ten times due to shock. Even for a master manipulator like him, the power behind this thunder is inconceivable.


    Within a split, a second the thunder fall into Kim hitting directly to his bone. The moment it hit the ground, cracks started to form, almost crumbling it to pieces. The shockwave travelled far which caused an earthquake of high magnitude hitting nearby countries.


    The gathered warriors gritted their teeth trying to hold onto the barriers. Momo sweat profusely trying to maintain her barrier with full power. She almost used up all her mana she recovered from resting. Even Enggang is helping her with the barrier.


    Kim gritted his teeth trying to disperse some of the power with the barrier he maintained till now. Luckily the barrier was already prepared so he had time to react properly. However, the thunder was unexpectedly strong and there was also the hole made from his careless attempt. So, some of the thunder powerful power hit him directly into his bone.


    "Kid! Transfer the mana to the ground!"


    With superhuman reflect, Kim tried to absorbed the thunder mana and transferred it to the ground. Dispersing the power further. There no fatal injuries, but some of his skin was burned, and he also felt numb all over. Even though the power has been reduced to half, he almost fainted which made him unable to maintain his barrier.


    The Lich took this chance to teleport. She even had the time to froze Kim''s leg along the land to keep him from disrupting her teleportation.


    Everyone was in awe seeing the supreme power of the thunder. However, seeing Kim didn''t even lose consciousness was even more unbelievable. What more amazing was, everything happened in a single breath of time and both sides didn''t even move an inch.


    This was the battle of mana between two master manipulators. However, compared to the Lich who had several more times of experience, Kim who just transcended to Master level would obviously lose.


    The earth coffin trap finally triggered due to the Lich movement, but the target was already gone. Thinking that the Lich was already gone, Kim clicked his tongue.


    "Gone too soon, there was more to learn..."


    Before Kim managed to finish his sentence, he sensed a fluctuation of mana behind him which cause him to felt imminent danger.


    "Momo!"


    Ripples formed in the sky behind Momo. A skeletal hand, holding a scythe appeared out from the ripples. The scythe seems to emanate a strong deathly aura which could corrode an ordinary person body to dust with a single touch.


    Momo who was still recovering wasn''t able to sense anything.


    "Such a waste for a cute girl like you to die this early. You remind me of myself when I was still a human. Anyway, die"


    Before the scythe could touch Momo, a glorious squawked sounded. Although not loud, it was still domineering enough to cause the Lich to flinch for a second.


    Within that split of a second, a tree suddenly grew from the ground creating a huge gap between the Lich and Momo. The tree continued to grow until the point that it was surrounded by clouds.


    Kim took this chance to enhance his speed fully to suddenly appeared in front of the Lich. Kim then gathered all his mana into his left hand. His whole body was shining with brilliant white light. Along with nature. Although he wanted to study the Lich more, seeing Momo in danger has raged him.


    "How dare you try to kill Momo"


    The Lich could only curse her fate a hundred times as Kim punch straightly to her face.

 36 Eliza

    Chapter 36: Eliza


    My name is Eliza.


    I live in a world called Faraday, within the Kingdom of Volta.


    And I live just outside of the village called Watt


    I had two loving doting parents, and a little sister named Delilah. She always followed me anywhere I went. Annoyed me much but she still my cute little sister whom I cherish a lot. Trust me when I say, if anyone dares to touch a single hair on her body I will pierce you bottom-up and feed you to the snakes then burn you alive.


    ....


    We weren''t rich but were still independent. My family runs a small business in town. We sold potions and make the cure for a variety of diseases.


    Mama made them. Since we live in the forest just outside the village, it was easy to find resources. Mother is a mana user who can enhance the effectiveness of a herb to make potent potions.


    Papa, however, is just an ordinary guy. But he is wise and intelligent. He knows his way around town and gets money from who knows where it comes from.


    One day, I saw papa whispered to a guy and he just gave a sum of money to papa then left without a word. Papa gave me a tam tam and ask me to keep quiet about. But doesn''t know that my favourite snack is bika, so mama ends up knowing anyway.


    Papa would look at me with a sad face and sleep on the couch that day.


    Enough with parents. Let''s talk about Delilah, my annoying cute little sister. She''s a bit special. Delilah can wield mana since she was a baby. I remember the day when she was born. Apart from her loud cry, we could hear screaming coming out from nowhere. While mama and papa were shocked I can''t help but hold my little sister tiny hand who was still a baby. She was looking at me and it feels like she was looking inside my soul.


    But I wasn''t scared. Delilah was still my cute little sister. It''s the same for papa and mama too...


    Simply saying, we are just one happy family living a normal life. At least that what I always thought.


    It wasn''t the same case for others thought.


    Before, we lived together with the villagers and papa doesn''t have to do any shady business while selling mama''s potions. People would knock our door in the middle of the night sometimes to ask for help.


    While papa and mama were doing their work, I would go out to play with my friends.


    Until... Delilah was born


    It wasn''t just us who heard the screaming. The whole village was alarmed with the whole situation. Everyone thought it would end in hours, but somehow from hours to days, and finally a week has passed since the screaming. People becoming anxious as they couldn''t sleep at night. Sometimes, the screaming would sound like a person getting tortured.


    It affected the whole village social system and made them unable to function properly as the screaming continues day in and day out. Children especially were having nightmares almost every single night. Even farms and livestock withered and dying. Everyone had to stop working and find the source as more people getting weak including guards. It''s a relief that monsters also stopped attacking.


    Papa and mama stayed home because Delilah keeps crying since she was born. I could feel something emanating out from her, but she''s still my cute little sister so I stayed by her side.


    The guild also sends adventurers to work out on solving the whole situations but it backfired as some who get closer to the source of the screaming become crazy and start to attack the villagers. Eventually, many adventurers left the village.


    In the end, the villagers thought it was cursed so they seek help from the capital of Volta which they responded by sending a group of priests who are skilled at handling cursed created by mana.


    The arrival of the priests was a blessing for the villagers... but for us, my family, for me...


    was the beginning of a nightmare


    They detected that the source of those screaming was due to my little sister high aptitude to necromancy and those were the voices of the dead. They say, Delilah already reach stage two of necromancy the power to interact with souls even though she''s still a baby.


    This mean, when she was born she could see wandering souls of the dead scattering around. Her necromancy also almost reach the peak of stage two that she could affect the souls around with her mana. Since she was born with huge mana capacity, the inability to manipulate those manas as a baby has made them spread around making the voice of the dead could be heard by villagers, haunted them to their sleep.


    Luckily, the priest has a way to seal my little sister mana by blocking her mana from flowing out. The priests perform the sealing which stopped the screaming. They advised my parents from not letting my little sister getting close to learning necromancy. She could learn how to wield mana, but learning necromancy is a taboo. If somehow she reached stage three of manipulating the deads then she must be banned from taking a single step within the kingdom border.


    The priests left after a feast held by the villagers.


    From that day, we were asked to stay away from the village. We could still go in and out, but Delilah was banned from entering for eternity.


    At first, everything was normal. As days went on, people start to act weird. Everyone would stare at us when I walk around with mama to buy groceries. They would whisper something behind our back.


    People stop knocking our door for potions. Even my friends stop talking to me as well.


    I wanted to play with them, but they always looked like they want to say something but keep quiet to themselves and just left without a word.


    One day when I went to school, I sit at my desk as usual. But something was off... instead of the empty glares they were giggling. That''s when I suddenly smelled something. Someone put faeces on my chair.


    I don''t understand why but I just let it go.


    So I rushed myself to the nearest water place when suddenly someone pushed me to the wall, then somebody threw a rock at me and called my sister a cursed child. Blood drips from my forehead.


    I don''t understand why but I just let it go.


    My forehead was bleeding so I cleaned my dress and went to the teacher but the teachers, every one of them... ignored me.


    I don''t understand why but I just let it go.


    I went to the toilet to wash my face, but suddenly a group of girls come in and threw a bucket of water at me.


    "Clean yourself. Some of the curses must has stick at you"


    They said while laughing. I saw one of my friend hiding near the entrance. They left, and she left with them. I heard laughter as they drifted away.


    I don''t understand why but I just let it go.


    I went back to my class, and everyone was there including my three old friends. One has a stick with faeces attached at the end. Another was holding a rock. The last one... a bucket of water. They were standing in front of me and others made a circle around us.


    ''Hello friends'' is what I wanted to say but looking at the whole situation it wasn''t necessary now is it?


    Chrissy bit her lips and decided to talk first.


    "Hey, Eliza... it''s not like we hate you or anything. It''s just that... they would bully us too if we didn''t do this to you..."


    I don''t understand why but I just let it go.


    "You are our friend so you would understand right? You could at least take this as our friend right?"


    I...don''t understand... why... but... I just...let it go.


    "I''m sorry Eliza...I''m sorry Eliza...I''m sorry..."


    Tanti said repeatedly while sobbing...


    I don''t understand... Why? But... I...but I... just let it go.


    Chrissy, Sara, and Tanti all threw their things at me. Everyone laughed at me while I stood there silently facing down the floor. I wasn''t crying, I wasn''t sad...instead, I was all confused. What did I do to deserve this? What did our family do that, people would ignore us? What did even my little sister do?


    Everyone continued to laugh until the teacher come in and they all sit in their place except for me who was still standing near my desk. I look up, and the teacher didn''t bother to notice me. He asked the student in duty to clean the floor and check for attendance. I slowly walk out reminiscing what happened to me since I came to school. I didn''t bother to look back at all.


    I don''t understand why I just let it all go?


    That was the last day I spend in school.


    Even though I lost all my friends, at least my little sister stopped crying from that day.


    No one bothered to come to us. Papa and mama couldn''t make any business. No one wanted to sell anything to us as well. Thus, we had to scare any food from the forest. Somehow we were lucky, even though we live outside the village with guards to protect, no monster ever come close to our place.


    For several years, we had to live every day trying to make it for the next day.


    Until one day, someone knocked on our door and requested mama to make potions. It seems that no one could make potions and cure as well as mama does. If they want to buy from other places it would cost too much so they willing to patch the broken bridge just to get mama''s potion. Papa also tried to make way to find good deals in selling potions. Bad and good doesn''t matter when it involved mama, me and Delilah.


    It wasn''t much but I was happy living our private life, together with my lovely family.


    One day, a customer come complaining saying that mama made a poison instead of a cure. He asked us to compensate but mama denied his claim and ask him to go away. The next day, he brought several people over to complain. But mama still held her ground and papa managed to chase them after getting beaten up by those people.


    I and Delilah would hide in the closet.


    The next day it got worst. The whole villagers came.


    The guy who visited us these couple of days walk forwards and said


    "You killed my father. He was a kind old man who would use his wealth for charity, but you killed him with this poison of yours!"


    "A cursed family is a cursed family. We already being generous letting you stay near the village. Now that you killed someone, we couldn''t let it go. Stay away from here or face the consequences!"


    The villagers keep shouting and said bad words but papa didn''t back down and ask them for the proof of the poison. The man held the poison within a bottle which mama always used to contain her product and accused her of making it. Mama took the bottle and found out something is wrong...


    "I promise you, I never dare to make poison. Someone must have changed the content! Use your mana sense and see that it doesn''t contain any hint of my mana"


    "You dare lie to us at this point you witch? I don''t know what trickery you did but it all ends here. No one will buy anything from you ever again! Let''s burn this place down!"


    The mana users of the village started to shoot fireballs which burn our house. Papa and mama were still outside, but I and Delilah were hidden deep within closet unknowing what is happening. Papa rush into our burning house and mama followed.


    No one expected they would go inside the house again and that''s when they realized Delilah and me were not there.


    "Oh no! The kids. What if they don''t manage to save the kids"


    "Good. Then all of them could just go die buried with their curse"


    By the time, papa and mama reached the hiding place, the fire has grown in rage. It wasn''t possible to avoid the flames anymore. So papa, and mama use their body to protect us from harm. Until the point, they had to drag themselves as the pain from getting burn was unbearable. Finally we reached a window near the first floor.


    Me and Delilah manage to go out, but...


    Papa and mama was already exhausted. Pushing us away from the burning house was the last bit of their effort.


    I was holding Delilah hands as I watched both of my parents getting burned alive through the window. Screaming in anguish and pain as the villagers celebrated with loud joyful cheer.

 37 Reborn

    Chapter 37: Reborn


    "Eliza~ Delilah~ come out come out wherever you are"


    I was gasping for air while hiding with my little sister. After running for almost an entire hour my whole body was drenched in sweat. Luckily, no monster approached us until this point. It was rare to have no monster around this part of the forest. However, those villagers are on hot pursuit so we still need to run. After a while, we found a space big enough for only two of us to fit inside.


    The hole is well hidden under a trunk of a tree, covered with bushes. I set up a barrier to keep away for getting detected by mana sense.


    The school has taught me many useful techniques especially survival skills. The first rule of being a mana user is to be able to protect oneself before protecting others.


    What''s the point of learning powerful attacking skills when you will die in a single hit anyway?


    The barrier level wasn''t strong but it''s good enough to hide our presence from low-rank monsters.Even so, if the villager mana-user level is only at low-rank then our village will be doomed. There should be some guard who could hold off against a superior monster in our village. It won''t take a lot of bribes to make them go along with killing both of us.


    Besides, it''s the villager whole decision. They can just brush away the rumors before it even blew away by the wind. In other words, we are going to get slaughtered if we don''t do anything and I need to save my sister before that would happen.


    Time is ticking, my breath is getting heavier. Sweat keeps dripping down. My whole body felt uncomfortable. My hands and leg can''t stop trembling. Every veins and muscle in my body is searing and writhing with pain.


    "Ahh, I want to die"


    But I can''t. Delilah is... still here. Yes, she is.


    ...


    I looked at my sister who is resting on my shoulder. Tired, she fell asleep the moment we found a place to rest. I brushed her hair softly and reminisced about the time we played together.She would stick with me like glue and annoyed me all the time. At night she would climb up to my bed and ask me to pet her to sleep. She would run to me whenever she cried with her ugly sobbing face.


    Papa and mama would pay more attention to her, but I understand.


    Delilah was special. She should have all the attention she could have.Even if it means papa and mama would take care of her more than me. Even if, she''s the reason why this is happening. Even if it means they would die. Why... must this happen to me? I didn''t even do anything...


    It''s all her fault... her fault entirely...


    She broke our family, She ruined our life. I lost my friends because of her!


    "If only you didn''t exist!!!"


    Unknowingly, tears start dropping from my eyes. It just flew down like a broken pipe. Which end up falling on her cheek, waking her from her sleep.


    "Eliza...? Why are you crying? Was I too heavy? I''m sorry for falling asleep. Sis?"


    Because of this cute little sister of mine... this lovely sister who I love so much... she can''t die. Only I could kill her. Others can just screw themselves!


    "It''s nothing. I just had a bad nightmare"


    She looked at me with her flickering eyes full of worries. She opened her arm and hug me tightly.


    "It''s okay sis, Delilah is here. Delilah will be with you as to how sis always company me when I cried"


    This little sister of mine. I love you. I''ll kill you later.


    "Somebody is here"


    I gritted my teeth and took all my pain with me carrying Delilah away from the place. My heart felt like it would explode anytime soon but I rather die running than getting caught by these disgusting people. I don''t know what my parents did but I''m sure papa and mama are not wrong.


    "You dare used my family like this..."


    Sadness, anger, grief... every feeling was raging wildly in my heart. More than the fatigue and immense pain that piercing through my bones like a thousand needles, the aching pain in my heart was immeasurable. I want power. Power to kill everyone!


    "There they are! Catch them!"


    I don''t remember how long has it been, or how many steps I took trying to run away. I can''t feel anything anymore. As if my sense of pain is already gone. As if all my nerves are dead. I don''t care anymore. Somehow I feel like I want to laugh. Maybe I should right?


    "Haha...hahaha...hehehe... hahahahahahahaha!"


    "Sister? What''s so funny?"


    "Who are you?"


    "Sister?"


    "Oh, Delilah, why are we running?"


    What am I doing here? Who is this girl again...right... she''s my sister Delilah and... my name is...


    "Eliza, Delilah, here you are! You both finally gave up on running? Give us your sister and we''ll let you live Eliza."


    ''Who are these people? Hmm, it seems Delilah is terrified. Although I couldn''t feel it, she''s clasping my hand quite tightly. She''s trembling all over her body too. I guess we were running away from these people. I wonder who they are?''


    I feel like they would kill us at any given moment, but I didn''t feel terrified even for a bit. I held my sister close to me and stood in front of her. She hid at the back, trembling.


    "What do you want with my sister?"


    The man who accused my parents seems to be leading the group. He voluntarily steps forward.


    "Trying to play ignorant with us? Everyone knows what your family did. Especially that cursed girl!"


    I didn''t know why I felt like slapping his cheek hard for thousands of time. Just his aura was irritating. Not just him... every single one of them. All of them had a vile smile on their face. I snorted and opened my mouth


    "Disgusting"


    "D-Dis...gusting? It seems that even your mouth is cursed!"


    "What is this curse you are talking about? You are just disgusting. Not just you. Each and everyone one of you is-"


    In instant, the man scabbard that was tied on his waist hit me directly in the face sending me a few meters away. The others who were with him pinned me down to the ground, separating me and my little sister. I didn''t feel any pain but looking at my little sister all alone frighten me wholeheartedly.


    "Delilah!"


    The man held Delilah by her throat and carried her up with one hand. Delilah with her small frame could only struggle helplessly like a dying fish having coming out to the surface. Flapping about aimlessly.


    I gritted my teeth so hard that blood started to drip from my mouth.


    "You trash!. Let her go!"


    "Or what? You want her so much? Take her!"


    He threw Delilah down smashing her to the ground.


    That moment, time seems to stop. Freezing everything in motion. Leaving me and my little sister behind as I watch her slowly losing her breath, dying. The man already broke her neck when he grabbed her just now. With enhanced muscles, he mercilessly threw Delilah to the ground.


    "Don''t worry sister...I will be with you until the end...for now take care"


    In that instant, rapid flashes of memories started to appear remembering my time with my family. Each one of those memories was encapsulated inside some kind of a bubble. Those bubbles then started to burst one by one vanishing into thin air. As one bubble started to pop, it felt like I have forgotten something important but I don''t know what it was. In the end, my mind was completely white after being wiped out of any memories. Except for one...Delilah my sister.


    I walk slowly towards that bubble, wanting to hold it firmly in my grasp, not wanting to let go. I don''t remember anything, but an inconceivable pain was furiously burning my heart away. I feel like if I let this go as well, it will be the end of me. I''ll be forever gone. Ceased from existing in this universe.


    As I get closer and closer with each heavy steps, I was finally within the reach of grasping that bubble, taking it away with me. Yet, the moment I touched it... my hand phase through. As my whole body goes through the bubble, it vanished in the same manner as others...


    Tears keep dropping, until blood coming out from the orifices of my face. But I wasn''t in any sadness or pain. I didn''t feel anything at all. I don''t even know why I was here... who I was in the past...the only thing I knew was these people around me are annoyingly disgusting. Like trash in the middle of the pathway, obscuring the view of people who are passing by.


    Suddenly, a burst of mana exploded out from the girl called Delilah. Along with it, everyone within the vicinity could hear endless screaming of pain coming out from nowhere. Although it seems that it only happened within that area, eventually it was known that the whole kingdom of Volta was infested with the haunting voice of souls appearing out of nowhere. The main temple had to dispatch all their priest everywhere throughout the continent.


    For whatever reason, that burst of mana seems to rush it ways toward me like an arrow made of lights. It landed directly where I stood, blasting away people nearby several meters away. Physically I don''t feel any pain anymore, but that blast of mana was trying to force its way into my soul. The searing pain which was tearing my soul away felt unbearable. However, it felt good.


    It felt like I''m having a refreshing cold shower during a hot summer. Cleaning all the specks of dirt on my body.My body emanated a bright white light which then slowly corrupted with pitch black colour. As I was absorbing the mana a transmogrification occurred on me. The skins on my bones and my hairs started to fall apart. My veins burst, causing blood to float in mid-air forming tiny air-sac of bubbles. The blood then evaporated completely without traces. Finally, all my organs stop functioning and degenerating rapidly. The only thing left was my bones.


    As of now, I''m just a skeletal figure able to move around.


    When I finished absorbing the mana. the screaming sound... I could hear it even more clearly. In fact, I could even distinguish their sentences word by word. It wasn''t human, and not monsters as well. In fact, it''s something that was human and monsters as well. I soon come to recognize it as soul when I was rummaging through the books in the great library of the Kingdom of Volta.


    And these souls... they seem to be listening to my words as well. I focused my mana and let it flow into the soul then call upon it. The soul would then reoccupied their previous vessel even if there were only bones left.


    The moment the pitch blacked mana started to recede, I flicked my fingers and the ground started to tremble.


    One or two villagers were dragged into the ground without notice. Some felt like something is touching their feet. Having crowded the whole area no one actually noticed anything. When someone started to scream was when everyone on high alert. It caused them to look around if there were monsters nearby. They were also looking left and right to do a headcount of people missing.


    Everyone was there. No one was gone. There was nothing attacking the people, was what they might think of. And they were wrong.


    As I was absorbing everything, I flicked my finger again and some of the villagers acted aggressively. At first, they only stared silently at them. Then, a fight suddenly broke within the group of people, causing chaos. Among them, skeletal figures and dead body raised up from the ground and attacked the village. Then, more and more dead body come to life. Those who got killed were raised and forced to submit to me as undead.


    On that day, Watt Village became a place of living nightmare and Kingdom of Volta fell into the dark age.

 38 Next Ten Please

    Chapter 38: Next Ten Please


    "One little, two, little three little humans..."


    "Four little, five, little six little humans..."


    "Seven, little eight, little nine, little humans..."


    "Ten little humans run around~"


    The road was filled with thorny vines covered with fresh blood. The pungent smell of dead bodies lingers around the hellish pathway. Behind them, undead chasing them mercilessly to the end without any sign of slowing down.


    The thorn brutally spiked through the bones of every single part of the body that made contact. But the torturous pain was nothing when compared to getting eaten alive by the gruesome undead.


    One fell down, unable losing so much blood while running. He panted desperately seeking for help but everyone was running for their lives. Not even a single glance back. An undead jumped on him and biting every piece of meat on his body.


    He wanted to scream but the pain was unbearable that he passed away without a single word. Only the expression of despair left on his dark face.


    Later on his eyes, glimmers with dark light and what was once a dead body, risen again becoming a part of the chasing undead. The other nine faces were horrified with the scene.


    One unable to bear and started to puke. Without the chance of being able to recover herself, two undead grabbed each of her arms, trying to take her for themselves. They ended up splitting her apart into two.


    Eight left and they were still running relentlessly with blood covered feet. Their clothes were torn apart revealing their skins full of scars. There were so many cuts and wounds until the point that there were no more spaces for a new injury. The thorns cuts on top of their old wounds, intensifying the pain.


    As times goes by, more than half weren''t able to run anymore and left their lives to fate.


    Three left running...


    Thinking that dying was a blessing when compared to this feeling another slitted his own throat.


    Two left...a man and a woman, hiding between the vines...


    "Do you think we can live?"


    "No one knows until we try..."


    "We always been together since we were a kid...thank you for always being kind to me...and...if we survive this... let''s get married!"


    The woman blushed after blurted out her confession, waving her arms up and down. The man was shocked and only replied with a deep silence.


    "I guess you don''t want someone like me as a wife..."


    "No... it''s not that... it''s just..."


    Suddenly, several hands appeared between the vines and grabbed the woman from behind.


    The woman cried pleading for help as the undead bit her to the bone. The man gave her a single glance and ran away.


    "Who wants to marry an ugly girl like you?"


    Angered, the woman tried to struggle herself out while raging in despair. She forced herself out without caring what happened to her body. She spat out blood screaming in anguish!


    "I gave you my everything you bastard! I.. I gave... ughh.. every... ughh..."


    Her eyes turned bloodshot. Her limbs that were caught torn apart from her body. Although she seems alive, there was only the scent of dead coming out from her body.


    "M-m-monster!"


    From ten, only one left running for his lives. It only took five minutes for nine of them to get eaten to death and raised again becoming undead. But the short five minutes was the longest moment for this one person who was struggling to get away.


    His body all worn out. It looked like he''s been running for days without eating or sleeping. His feet were covered with the colour of red. Every step he took, stains of blood would be left on the ground. He gritted his teeth and continue as tears continue to drop thinking about the death of his comrades... and the fate that brought him here...


    It all began after they killed the little sister, Delilah.


    The entire world suddenly enveloped with a painful screaming voice that could make you pull your hairs out. The voice sounded like hundreds of people were brutally tortured at the same time.


    A huge density of mana exploded from Delilah, shooting towards her big sister, Eliza.


    He can''t forget how much his mana sense was reacting to the mana surrounding Eliza. Although he had years of experience as a mana user, he never sensed the powerful aura that comes out from Eliza''s mana. It was sinister... and dark.


    Dark to the point that there seems to be nothing could be sensed from it. No feeling, no emotions. Void from anything that existed in this world. The darkness swallowed her whole changing her entire body into a living skeleton. Even so, she could be distinguished because she still had the clothes she worn.


    That time he looked toward Eliza, and Eliza was looking directly deep into his soul... looking at him with her empty eyes socket.


    And it wasn''t him alone. Everyone who was present had the sensation of Eliza looking directly at them at the same time. It feels like there was hundreds of Eliza yet there was only one. While locking their eyesight, she grinned sweetly and yet... it was horrifying for those who were there.


    She laughed...and he could hear a multitude of laughter coming out from nowhere...


    It seems to be Eliza who was laughing, but the voice seems to come in every direction. No matter how much he tried to concentrate and focus on his mana sense, he could not pinpoint the source of that several laughter.


    The longer he heard the laughing voice the more anxious he became. His body felt heavy as if some kind of burden was put down on his shoulder. He was worn out and exhausted so suddenly that he might faint anytime. Within his heart, a feeling of guilt, regret, despair, and various kinds of negative emotion swelling up. He wanted to throw up.


    Then, from his friends to his family, everyone he knew started to attack each other. Biting each off as if they were doing an act of cannibalism. He was fully in awe watching the gruesome scene happening in front of him. Blood spurting, organs hanging, limbs were flying all over the place. It feels like a festival of blood. A great massacre.


    Without a moment of notice, the ground shook, and hundreds of hands come out from the ground taking hold of the villagers who came for the execution. Sounds of laughter then reverberate intensely as the ground below shook and started to split apart.


    From there...


    dead bodies rose up, trying to drag him and along with other villagers to the deep abyss. Except for Eliza.


    Just by a single look, everyone could see that she was the centre of it all. Commanding all the undead that was coming out from the ground.


    He didn''t get the chance to analyse anything and already he was the verge of dying. Or so he thought...


    Eliza brought the few survivors and gather them with the other villagers. She locked everyone within a dense domain of death. Every second feels like a week has passed.Unable to get out of the domain, people were enraged and becoming more anxious. Some unable to bear with the despair of the neverending nightmare and killed themselves. Slit their wrist and throat, hang themselves to death.


    Eliza laughed observing the whole scene. She took a long paused before she finally decided to play a little game. She flicked her finger and thorny vines started to grow excessively, covering huge kilometres of area.


    "Listen well, I''m going to give you a chance to live"


    "Who would want to hear you, you cursed-"


    The man who tried to retaliate turned into a blob of meats.


    "I didn''t tell you to get to choose. I''m telling you that you could live. What a disgusting bastard?!"


    Other villagers stayed away and didn''t even put an eye towards the blob of meat.


    "Each time, I''ll let ten of you try to run away from my precious undead. If you are able to reach the end of the vines then you will live. Simple right? So who would be the first ten?"


    Most of the elderly only left their lives to fates but younger felt like it''s unfair to end their life like this.


    A girl comes up to him, and hold his hand, smiling.


    "We are going to survive"


    He nodded, and the next thing he knew was that he was left alone running, betraying her. Unable to hold his emotions, he cried while running. But all of that was pushed away when he finally saw the end of the thorny vines.


    He glanced back checking the undead who was chasing him. He smiled and wiped the remaining tears from his cheek. He was worn out, his muscles was screaming of agony having being push to the limits for long hours.


    One leg out. He couldn''t hold his nervousness. He was in front of the door, but somehow everything moves slowly as if the time has froze. There was no reason for him to fail, but somehow he had the bad feeling that within this split of a second something might happen.


    Then, he trips from one of the vines with his face fell flat on the ground.


    ''Shoot'' He cursed in his heart thinking how stupid he was.


    Losing all his hope, he just laughed and continued to lay there for a few minutes. And that when he realized, the ground was flat. He rolled his body around and saw the vast land covered by the thorny vines with the smell of blood lingering.


    "I didn''t know I could do it... but I survived! I''m alive!!! Hahahaha!"


    He laughed and laughed until the point he could pass out from being too worn out. His tensed body finally relax himself and his eyes started to close slowly. Exhaustion finally took over him.


    "Maybe, I''ll rest for a bit...nothing would happen, right? Just a bit"


    The man fell asleep after disregarding the hellish road he been through. He felt cold... and chilly... in fact, the chilliness could be felt grabbing around his body. His chest was heavy and it was hard to breathe.


    He opened his eyes to see the dark sky. He tried to move, but he couldn''t. It felt like nails were stuck by his hands and legs. Slowly, he could feel a creeping sensation coming out from the ground under him. It then slowly moves towards his head, passing his ears covering his cheek.


    He tilted his head a little to look toward his body and saw that a chubby man was sitting on his body, munching his innards. At his arms and legs, more undead was having a feast until he could see his white bones. He wanted to see more, but the creeping sensation moves toward his eyes, and he could see fingers with some that were disfigured.


    Another creeping sensation crawled toward his mouth pulling his lower jaw down. The fingers he saw drilled into his eyes blinding him from the world. The mushy eyes pierced through and blood spurted out. The man wanted to scream but his jaw was already pulled down too much until the point it broke away. Leaving only half of his face.


    The rest of the undead continue to eat him away until he was risen again by Eliza as an undead.


    Then everything was silent.


    Eliza was floating in mid-air while watching the whole event. She even projected the whole things that were happening to the villagers. She clapped her hand feeling pleased. She doesn''t understand why, but seeing the suffering of these particular villagers was satisfying.


    "Next ten please!" She said in a bashful manner.


    One of the villagers was enraged and questioned her


    "You told us you would let us live if we reach the end of the vines. Why did you have to kill him? He was clearly outside the area!"


    The moment he finished talking, two hands grabbed his two legs, immobilizing him in his place. Then two undead rose from the ground and started to munch on him slowly. Eliza flicked her finger again causing blood burst out from the orifice of his face. rendering him motionless.


    Everyone was stumped and shocked, feeling puzzled with all that has happened.


    Eliza then projected her voice towards the villagers


    "Next ten please!" she said while grinning sweetly.

 39 Love

    Chapter 39: Love


    My name is Eliza. At least that''s what people called me before I had some fun massacring those disgusting bastard... I don''t remember anything but the villagers seems to know me well?


    Well, I don''t care as long as I get to play with them. They were the start of my reign over this country.


    From a couple of dozens of villagers to hundreds of thousands, people became my undead servants. Nowadays, I even manage to bring back monsters to life. Monsters and human, both are becoming my fascinating prey.


    Seeing them dancing in between my little fingers was joyful to my eyes. Even more so, when they start screaming from pain. It was more satisfying if the prey was strong. Especially that so-called dragon.


    Strong, prideful and arrogant. I had some tough times, but learning all those mana skills from the kingdom of Volta gave me a huge advantage. In end, the prideful dragon begged for mercy with a knife at its throat. Exhilarating.


    Taking away life, was delicious. Playing with them was more exciting. But life is limited and there are a few lefts. What should I do?


    "Oh well, let''s just torture them first"


    I took my time peeling every skin on their bodies, cure them and repeated with my game. In the end, they died from mental exhaustion. Now there was nothing left.


    What should I do? I''m starving.


    With nothing left for me to kill, I went and travel all around the world reading ancient scriptures and books. That''s when I found out the existence of other world and the ability to manipulate dimensional space.


    The universe is vast and rich with life. The taste must be various as well. If I had a tongue I would unconsciously lick my lips by now.


    I don''t know how many have past, but it doesn''t matter. The joy I would feel from devouring the whole universe would be worth the burden is what I thought. I continued to seek enlightenment of space manipulation.


    As I grew closer to the power I seek, my mana sense grew larger, enable me to sense a little distance outside of my world.I grinned bashfully knowing that this was the first step of manipulating space. To move in distant places, I need to be able to sense that much distance.


    As of now, I could teleport everywhere in this world if I was able to manipulate mana. If I wanted to travel to another world, then I have to be able to sense that much distance as well.


    I lost track of time practising until the point that all my rotten undead servants have completely decayed. Leaving them nothing but dust. That moment, I could sense huge fluctuations of mana from the nearby world.After all these years, practising and preserving my mana finally the moment I''ve been waiting for has arrived.


    There are only two ways to get to another.


    One was by simply flying from one world to another. However, the empty space is hidden with a great number of unknown variables. With each and one of them could potentially be deadly. One should have a certain amount of power, various skills, and large capacity of mana to be saved from those unknown factors.


    The second is by teleporting. Which is safer than the first one. Just by leaping one whole body from one world to another, he or she could arrive safely to their destination. However, one must possess the ability to mana sense in a great distance to manipulate the space at the other world. And also, the mana that is used to compensate the teleportation is more than one could imagine.


    It''s the reason why Eliza has been storing her mana for so long. And also the reason why this is the moment to use all that mana. The awakening of a world.


    When a dormant world awakens, it will release a rich densely mana that has been kept for who knows for how long. Throwing one boulder would produce a wonderful splash than throwing thousands of pebbles one by one, even if all those pebbles would have a larger amount of weight than the boulder.


    Because of that, it is easier to detect an awakening world than a nearby world.


    Furthermore...


    Awakening also means the birth of life and mostly, low-class monsters would be formed. Even human has only started to experience mana. Going to that world equal to having free food!


    "Wonderful! This would be a feast for me!"


    Eliza concentrated her mana sense. She then exploded with a huge density of mana that covers her entire body and shot towards the sky like an arrow. That moment the earth shook, causing the sky to split! During that same moment as well, in another world, a sky split in the same manner. The portal to another world has formed.


    She gritted her teeth ferociously to maintain the teleportation portal until the point there''s only a hair breath of time before she would be drained of mana. She didn''t feel physical fatigue but having to use that much of mana has caused her mind exhausted until the point she almost fainted. Her vision was blurry, but she kept pushing herself forward with her dream to slaughter and eat every living being in the next world... and the next world... and the next world until life was no more.


    Finally, she passed through the portal and everything was pitch black. She gathered all her strength to accelerate some more until she saw the light at the end of the tunnel. All her the bones at her spine were tingling. Often when we see a closed door we want to open to see what''s inside. She didn''t read many records of anything of another world made her heart throbbing with excitement. Besides having blast massacring the life of another world, getting the chances to seek new knowledge was also one of her motivation.


    "I''m going to have lot''s of fun!"


    Then, a crisis appeared without notice. The lights were getting smaller, signalling the portal was closing soon. If it''s closed it would take her more time to get it open again. The problem was the dark tunnel. It''s an empty void, with nothing inside. It may seem to be not that harmful, but the only reason Eliza was able to fly through was her undead lich body. If she was another human, even the same or greater mana capacity, it would be instant death.


    The tunnel was nothing because only nothingness could exist. No heat, no life, nothing. Not even death itself could exist. She may be safe now, but she already felt the pressure with her body corroding just by being inside the tunnel. Even if she could live for eternity as a lich, she would remain as dust which eventually becomes a part of the nothingness.


    With the last spurt, she used all her mana to push through until the point she couldn''t see, hear or feel anything left. This was it. Her final effort. There was nothing she could do anymore except for leaving herself to fate. But then again, even fate is equal to nothing in the empty spaces.


    A drop of water fall on top of her white clean forehead. She opened her eyes to see the dark sky. From that one drop, more drops of water fell on top of her. She then could hear the deafening sound of thunder rumbling. A storm is coming.


    "Where... am I?" She mumbled.


    The plants and trees look similar to one she saw in her village before but the air was somewhat unfamiliar to her. She expanded her mana sense and couldn''t detect anything of what she used before.


    "Did I made it? Am I in a different world?"


    She got up and flew in the midst of storm and thunder dancing in the dark sky. She looked around and set her eyes in one direction. It was...life. A living person. No... two living people. Moreover, there hundreds of thousands of monsters closing into the two people.


    "It seems like I don''t need to spend much time to relieve my craving"


    Eliza flew towards where the two living people are. Along the way, she was shocked by the huge sudden explosion of mana coming from one of them, What was more shocking was among those huge numbers of monsters coming towards them, more than half of them were dead.


    "What is happening?" She thought too herself feeling curious. Although she was a bit aware of whatever was happening, she didn''t feel threatened at all and continued to fly along with her original destination. The more she got close the more dead monsters could be seen lying on the ground miserably. With each monster she saw, she flicked her finger to raise them as undead monsters.


    "This person must have a huge capacity of mana. That would be a good appetizer for me...."


    Unable to hold her excitement she flew faster while thinking of various kind of different way of torture she could try. Other than space manipulation she also read many interesting ways of killing and torturing people as well. Especially when she read the ancient scripture. Her hands were trembling due to the excitement.


    Finally, she found a young man carrying a small girl behind her back. She sent one of her undead to see his reaction and found it amazing that the young guy could effortlessly beat her undead with a single move.


    "Interesting"


    She followed through and sent swarms of undead chasing him over and over again. No matter how many undead she sent to him, with no futile he would beat the undead with brilliant moves. The more she looked at him, the more she was getting interested. Until the point that she was eager to see what he''ll do next. She felt like a schoolgirl seeing a cool boy from the next class. Trying to pass through that class every second she had just to take a peek.


    And it wasn''t just his moves that caught her interest but also how quick his thought was. It wasn''t long before he knew that someone was manipulating those undead monsters to chase him. He even craftily hide in the forest until the point it would take her some time to detect him.


    "Wonderful... how wonderful! Show me more!"


    But then, when he ran into the lair, she was a bit upset.


    "Now I need to wait for him to come out? That''s no fun!"


    Few days have past and he still didn''t come out, but she was still waiting, floating in the air. She hugged her body while stomping her feet.


    "How dare you make me wait after you excite me that much? I''ll make sure to have more fun with you when you come out!"


    A week has past and he still didn''t come out.


    ''What is this feeling? Why am I waiting this long for a single person? I can just kill others first and come back to him. I don''t know anymore... somehow I want to see him first before all else...anyway I''ll just sleep first"


    Amidst her slumber, suddenly the sky was roaring.


    She opened her eyes and see that a myriad of colourful swords raining down towards her undead monsters. Finishing them off one by one. In a split second, most of her undead was already buried into the ground. The swords even manage to seal their body, blocking Eliza to raise them again.


    Moments later, numbers of people suddenly appeared from the ground and rampaging towards her undead. Killing more of them. Somehow they have the same feeling as their undead monsters, but alive. Not dead.


    ''These people were not undead and someone is... manipulating them? No. They are their own will, and someone has brought them to life! Who?''


    That moment he noticed familiar mana she felt before. The mana that can cause all of her bones tingling. Then she focused her gaze at one young man. He was Kim!


    ''It''s him. I knew you were this cool''


    Without a moment of notice, Kim appeared in front of her.


    ''Kyaaa! He''s here. In front of me. In front! He must really eager to see me as well. What should I do? What should I say? Should I say hi? I should say hi''


    "H-"


    ''Eh, he p-p-punched me!''


    That time, Eliza was already down on the ground after getting punched by Kim to the face. She stood up and grinned.


    ''What a wonderful gift! Let me repay you with my Zombie Dragon!''


    ''Oh, the zombie dragon come out but he still looked at me that intense?''


    ''When will he stop looking at me. Does he like me...too? Too? What do I mean by too? No no no... I don''t like him... right? He''s a human so I should hate him? Why should I? But it seems he wanted to play with me with his mana. Then how about a small thunder!''


    ''Oh my he survived. My dragon was killed but he survived. So cool, so cool, but this girl... who is this girl? I would get her away first... die...die...die... die!!!''


    "How dare you try to kill Momo?!"


    Then another punch hit her face. After she was sent flying she looked at Kim with a face full of disbelief.


    ''I thought you like me too, so I repay you truly with all my heart. So why are you mad? You like that girl more then? Or maybe...''


    "I see, so I need to show you how much I like you then"


    Kim was confused after hearing her words. The lich laughed madly as her body exploded with mana causing a tremor.


    "I will show you...I will show you...I will show you..."


    Behind her, bones appeared from the abyss with the darkish vile aura surrounding them. The bones flew around as Eliza as the core. More and more bones appeared, which finally formed a 30 metres tall pillars. The bones shake violently and spread apart viewing Eliza who was floating in mid-air.


    While laughingshe pointed towards Kim


    "I will show you how much I love you!"


    Momo and Enggang glanced at Kim with a weird look.


    "I don''t know too!"


    "That''s my disciple!"


    "Shut up!"

 40 Hot Burning Passion

    Chapter 40: Hot Burning Passion


    The humungous figure of a skeleton covered the entire dark sky. It was wrapped with a robe made of mana. A sinister aura that could drive an ordinary insane emitting out with no restraint. Even the warriors were also affected almost losing themselves to madness.


    Kim sensing this ordered them to go back to the ground except for Rentap who refused to do so. Rentap seems to have a stronger mental strength than his comrades. But he''s at least a bit affected by the ominous aura. Rentap gave a thumbs up with a bright smile saying he''s okay. Then he sat down to meditate, trying to recover his mental state.


    Kim nodded and rushed towards Momo at lightning speed to check on her.


    "Momo how are you feeling?"


    "What''s the matter, Master? Is everything okay?"


    Kim tilted his head slightly after listening to her answer. It felt like she wasn''t affected. No. More like, she can''t feel anything at all. Her cute face with plumpy cheek stayed unfazed without any changes in the colour of her eyes. Still as clear as a tranquil lake.


    "It seems her mental strength is strong, to begin with, or... her heart is too pure to be affected by this sinister aura. She can''t fall down to madness if there was nothing in heart and soul that could do so..."


    Enggang answered gladly with a squawked of relief. Then it gave Kim a wary glint.


    "How about you boy?"


    "Master?"


    Kim leaned toward Momo with a smile and pet her head.


    "Don''t worry about me. You can look after Uncle Rentap"


    "I''m not an uncle"


    Being a person who had experienced war and killing, he carries a tainted heart. The devilish sinister aura could easily penetrate his sane state of mind, slowly corrupting it.


    Kim focused his mana sense pointed towards Rentap to check his condition, inside and out. He might be saying okay, but human always underestimates their own weakness and injuries. It''s the reason why someone would neglect health care at the hospital.


    To be honest, Kim himself was unsure how long he could maintain his mental state. At least he could still do logical reasoning.


    "I''m okay, bro. No problem. Except for that one giant hell ass skeleton standing there laughing like a mad man... or a girl. It creeps me out that huge things actually sounds like a little girl"


    The three was checking on each other while the sound of laughter filled the dark sky. It should be daytime, but the mana pressure coming forth from Eliza forced the sky above them covered with endless darkness.


    The darkness that could drive people to insanity.


    "It''s her domain born from her conjuring skill. I''m not sure what it is kid, but it could directly penetrate one''s mind. In this case, this lich can manipulate the dead and control the mind of the living"


    Without a moment of thought, the skeleton smashed its giant hand toward the three. Kim gritted his teeth and employed a barrier. Rentap took out his shield to add another layer. The huge skeletal hand smashed the barrier and produce a powerful shockwave that caused cracks to appear.


    From those tiny cracks, a silver line passed through which then grew into a five-metres longsword, piercing through the sky towards the forehead of the giant skeleton.


    The giant skeleton swung its other hand to produce a fierce wind which slightly moved the trajectory of the sword. The sword flew through the giant skeleton face, leaving a slight scar.


    The wind continued to dance wildly until it formed a tornado that could swallow an entire town. The tornado kept on spinning until the atmosphere become too hot that flame burst out to produce a flaming tornado.


    "Shoot"


    Kim gritted his teeth and jump out from the barrier, with both of his hand at his sides producing two small fireballs.


    "Both of you, get far away from here!"


    Rentap grabbed Momo and sit her properly on his shoulder. He then ran away leaving powerful shockwave that caused a huge tremor shattering the earth beneath. This caused some part of the flaming tornado to split apart which weakened the main one.


    Seeing Kim was left alone on the battlefield, made her jump in delight.


    "Darling! You actually stayed to accept my burning passion for love! Now die for me!"


    "Damn it. That huge thing with girly voice really doesn''t match. Just begone already! Hellfire!"


    Kim shot his charged fireballs towards the flaming tornado to cause an overheating would melt any iron like butter. The heat grew tremendously which cause instability in the atmosphere, dissipating the tornado. However, the random flow of heat has produced a raging firestorm instead. Producing domain of flame that was as hot as the core of the earth.


    Eliza twitched, and employ barrier to maintain her composure within the blazing storm of fire. But Kim remained unfazed. Within the devastating hot temperature, his resistance to the flame was surreal. He felt like he was taking a refreshing bath.


    "So you wanted to play with fire so much? Come!"


    Kim unleashed his mana spirits which were covered with flames. They started to send a barrage of attacks against each other. Kim unleashed a fist imbued with flames that split the sky. Feeling imminent danger, Eliza blasted a huge flame to go against the power of the fist. The two attacks clashed and erupted with blazing flame.


    Kim didn''t waste any time to shoot hundreds of hellfire fireballs towards Eliza. Eliza made a gesture which her mana spirit would follow as well and a roar of a dragon could be heard. A flame dragon then pierced through from the ground, circling around the huge skeleton figure. The skeleton grabbed the dragon by its tail and swung it like a whip.


    The giant skeleton uses a hundred metres fire whips which dance around like a flying dragon around the flaming disaster. Kim shoot out fireballs with each as terrifying as the destructive force of Alpha Cerberus fireballs... or even stronger!


    Here and there deafening explosion could be heard as if a nuclear war was ongoing.


    Hundreds of metres from the world of blazing flame, two people and a bird were surrounded by a myriad of undead monsters.


    "It seems that skeleton didn''t forget about us"


    "Uncle, you can rest first if you want"


    "I''m not that old, and I won''t let a little girl fighting while I''m here. That''s not cool"


    "It''s okay uncle, I know you are not strong now. Momo can take care of you. Master told me to"


    Enggang only giggled hearing their conversations. Rentap then let out a sigh.


    "I don''t know anymore!" He started to rampage through the undead monsters shattering one after another with the power of his tremor. Momo skillfully wields two swords, slashing away her enemies while jumping around with her acrobatic skills. Sometimes, she would throw her sword to pierce through the head of an undead monster. Other times, she would summon her sword to rain down from the sky and pierce through the ground, unexpectedly appear out of nowhere.


    Her conjuring skill was getting sharper after she woke up from her coma. Her sword conjuring was close to perfection. As if a real sword has appeared.


    "She''s almost there... at this rate, she would become a master. A master conjurer, that''s impressive"


    Among the three types of mana user, a master of the conjurer is extremely rare. While most enchanter and manipulator has a similar trend on how their skills are utilized, conjurer skill is unique to each individual. It''s really rare to see two conjurers with the same skill. Thus, it''s harder to become a powerful conjurer since no one will be able to teach you unless their skills are the same.


    Rentap and Momo seamlessly fought through the hordes of undead monsters. Until... they heard the roar of a dragon.


    "Seems like it''s going to be harder...there''s two of them now"


    Rentap unsheathed his parang and charge toward the two dragons. Momo saw Rentap and ask him to stop. With her short leg, she bounced towards Rentap and finally jump on his shoulder.


    "Uncle, focus ahead. Momo will take care of others" She smiled toward Rentap, giving him a thumb up. Rentap give her a thumb up back and continued to charge towards the two dragons!


    Momo closed her eyes and clasped both of her hands together, unleashing pure fearsome mana. The amount of mana she released was too much that it was almost inconceivable.


    The voice noticed this and can''t believe his mana sense. "It seems that another one will become a Master. For two of them to show this remarkable feat... I must be an awesome teacher!"


    Momo raised both of her hands and thousands of swords raining down from the sky, piercing the undead monsters left and right. Stopping them from getting close to both of them. Meanwhile, those who were obstructing their path would get slashed down instantly within a hair breath of a second. Blink and that''s the end of your life.


    From tens to hundreds to thousands, more and more of them were slashed down mercilessly either by the sharpness of Rentap''s parang, or the infinite number of swords storming down the scene.


    "Bahahahahahahaha! Are you having fun, princess?"


    "Go, uncle, go! Faster!"


    For one point of view, it''s just a girl and her uncle having fun.


    "Kill them all!"


    Yes, just a girl, and her uncle having fun... or the devil itself came to brink forth destruction upon this land. No different.


    As they went closer, one of dragon flew in the sky and another opened its mouth to breath out a corrosive purple flame. Rentap employed his shield to make a barrier. Causing the rampaging devils to stop in their tracks.


    "Leave this one to me, uncle."


    Without a moment of hesitation, Momo left the barrier and run to the side of the dragon. The dragon noticed her movement and aim its breath towards her. She didn''t faze even a second and let the flame hit her.


    "This is it? I''ve faced worse!"


    She conjured a sword at her right hand and shoot it straight towards the dragon exposed mouth.


    The dragon stopped its breath and raise its arm to block the oncoming sword. But the sword was strong enough to actually pierce through its arm.


    "Don''t you dare to look down on me monster"


    Momo looked like a mouse facing an elephant in front of the zombie dragon. Small, yet terrifying.


    "For a warrior like me to get left behind by a princess...my brothers would laugh at me"


    "Come to me, dragon! I will head you, face on!"


    The flying zombie dragon caught to Rentap''s taunt and dive down for a suicidal attack.


    Rentap put his parang near his waist, performing an iai stance. Closing his eyes, he breathes deeply as if he was one with nature itself. Gathering the mana of his homeland.


    I am'' the hero of this nation. My name is Rentap the earthshaker!"


    The whole was in a tremor, as Rentap slowly unsheathed his parang to slice the dragon. But suddenly, just before he performed his slicing motion, the dragon suddenly stop moving and slowly vanish in thin air.


    During that time, the undead monsters went back to the ground as if they were dead again... only two of them and Enggang were left on the battlefield. Then they felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. Their lips and throat were dry and it was harder to breathe. Enggang flapped its little wings and flew around. Moments later it once again perched on Momo''s shoulder.


    "The air... is very dry. It''s not just here, but almost everywhere is getting dry"


    It then looked toward Kim and Eliza. But what it was looking was not them fighting. Instead, the sky on top where clouds abruptly gathered.


    Snow started falling and melted instantly. Some even managed to reach the ground before evaporating in the air. Obviously, the snow wasn''t ordinary. Kim noticed the changes in the atmosphere and saw that more snow was falling and each was imbued with familiar sinister mana. It was that damn skeleton mana, he thought.


    Eliza was in a huge disadvantage since her resistance to the flame was inferior when compared to Kim. Even if she could hold on with her barrier, but her mana would get depleted sooner. If she was some other manipulator she would just wait and try to beat Kim using the flame the surrounding both of them.


    However, a master manipulator like her who had lived for so many years could make an island appear in the middle of the sea, creating an advantage within a disadvantage.


    She released her mana spirit, causing herself to be exposed to the blazing red world.


    Kim looked towards her and saw her smiling face. He doesn''t know why her face seems obnoxious... maybe because it''s a smiling skeleton?


    "Aren''t you passionate about receiving my love, dear?"


    Now, he realized why he suddenly felt obnoxious... in fact, he has all kind of negative feeling in his head now.


    Eliza winked at Kim and waved her finger.


    "Blizzard"


    Outside the blazing red sea, a sea of water vapour circle around like storm and slowly turned into a massive blizzard. Overpowering the flaming domain.

 41 Time to hatch

    Chapter 41: Time to hatch


    The red light coming from the burning flame of Kim Hellfire and Eliza flaming tornado started to quenched with the brilliant white frost. The flame itself seems to be freezing.


    Without her mana spirit, Eliza herself was standing within the gaze of Kim. She held her staff and waved it around making the blizzard blowing as she pleased. She started to move and spin around graciously as if she was dancing. Her dance could make any person feel entranced, without they even realized how chaotic the blizzard has become. They may get frozen before they even realized what was happening.


    Although Kim felt astonished with her movement, alas she was still a skeleton which ruined the moment a bit. Have to blame the Helliwudo for portraying the image of a skeleton as a creepy figure. But to Kim right now, that dancing little dancing skeleton who sounded like a small girl was seemingly cute.


    He slapped his face to get back to his sense.


    "Ha-ha-ha choo!"


    Kim rubbed his red nose amidst the cold storm. As a child, he always read about the story of a snowman who came to life to befriend a child who made him.That time he would innocently wait for the snow to come. Until he learned that snow will never land on Malaysia. Still, he would continue to imagine how wonderful it would be if the pure white snow would suddenly fall on this land.


    Today, his dream came true. He never felt or touch, or even seen snow with his own two eyes. Looking at how white the place has become, make it feel like he was in a whole new world. And the first words that came out from his mouth was...


    "COLD!"


    His arms and legs were numb. He couldn''t feel his face. All he could hear was the snowy blizzard and the clattering sound coming from his teeth smashing against one another. He only had extreme heat resistant but not cold resistant!


    Even with all his clothes, he felt like he''s having an ice cold bath in the middle of winter without a single strain of thread on his skin. He tried to produced fire but it was extinguished the instant he made a spark. He strengthens his mana barrier, but it was a futile effort. The painstakingly cold pierced his entire body like a thousand needle. Numbing the entire cells of his body.


    "This...this...is...un...un-fair!"


    Kim tried to hold his composure but the whole situation was extreme to him who lived his life in a country that only has two seasons. Rainy and sunny.


    The moment Eliza stopped her dance ritual, the storm slowly recede along with her. The gushing wind that blows the snow away was perfectly synchronized with liza dance movement causing Kim to be alarmed.


    The blazing crimson red that was once covering the whole area was buried under the white snow. Which means only one thing...


    "This whole area... is her domain"


    Standing close to the centre of the whole area, she stood there without a single trace of snow on her robe. She looked at Kim with a vile grin causing him to tremble violently.


    "H-h-how is it my dear? D-d-do you n-need m-me t-to get close to y-y-you... and warm..you up? hahaha-ha.."


    "W-what d-do you mean? A-aren''t y-you t-th-the one who is trembling now??"


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    Both of them were trembling and hugging their body due to the piercing chill. But none of them wanted to tell each other that it was super cold!


    "M-me??? C-cold? Hah! *cough* I''m just a skeleton I d-don''t feel ha-choo! Cold!"


    Although Eliza only consisted of bones, her body still responded well with the cold as how she couldn''t perfectly resist the heat. She was in the same condition as Kim. Except that, she has more experience facing harsh winter than Kim. Kim on the other hand only had extreme heat resistant. He never faced cold before. Even if both of them were at a disadvantage at this point, Eliza was still in the upper hand. Taking a slight advantage in every mean possible is the basic step as a mana user.


    "Ha-ha-hachoo!"


    "Are you okay uncle?"


    There were no more undead monsters near them as they were annihilated. Since Eliza was focusing on maintaining her condition in the cold, she couldn''t waste more mana to revive the undead anymore. Rentap and Momo could go and help Kim now, but they could also keep themselves warm and comfortable.


    Momo ground the leaves she picked up in the lair and made some warm tea.


    "Here uncle, take a break. And cover yourself more. Would you like some too blackie?


    "Yes, please"


    The voice could only observe their behaviour and let out a sigh.


    "I want some tea too..."


    On the other hand, Kim and Eliza were still trash talking at each other. In the end, Kim gave up, when Eliza would subtly put in some flirtatious and suggestive words while winking and grinning. But he didn''t let his gaze away from Eliza for a second.


    "W-why are y-y-you looking at me so intense...it''s ..it''s...still too early..."


    She looked down while poking both her finger together, wriggling her body side to side. Like a shy inexperience little girl...while covering her face, she told Kim


    "I still need to k-kill you first... and you can h-have m-me all you want when I-I revived you again kyaa!"


    Kim felt like slapping his own face, but it was too cold for him to move arm now. Instead, he just let it slide while he did his preparation. If this would advert her attention then he didn''t care if he could finish her in one attack. Afterwards, he will do ''anything he wanted'' as what she asked for...


    "I''m gonna beat her skull several times after I''m done with this"


    "What did you say, darling? You w-want...to..to.. spank me hard??? Kyaa!"


    Kim cursed in his heart but didn''t lose his focused as he let his mana flow into the ground. Although the white snow was the lich domain, the entire earth of Sarawak was his! His eyes shone with brilliant light and with all his energy he stomped his right leg to the ground splitting the earth apart causing a fissure that could swallow a whole football stadium!


    "So you could still control the ground..."


    Again Kim felt like slapping his face realizing how stupid he was. That lich can fly! His ambushed was a failure but his determination didn''t stop there. Despite the cold, he pushed his arms downwards and buried it to the snow, touching the ground. Then two massive hands appeared underneath Eliza, trying to slap her like a mosquito.


    The hand movement was too fast that if you blink you will surely be smashed to a pulp without knowing what happened. She let out a snort and unleashed her deep red mana that was similar to the colour of blood.


    "Ice throne, absolute zero"


    The whole area froze. The air, the wind, the earth, everything inside the white domain freeze in its place. Kim was frozen as well. And to him who was viewing this whole thing felt like even time and space has frozen.


    The two hands that were supposed to crush her stopped instantly. She gently touched it with her finger and it was entirely turned to snow dust.


    "Y-your m-mana capacity is huge, b-but... you still an amateur when c-com-compared to me. I lived for more than hundreds of y-years manipulating mana. I-I even cross dimension to get h-here. B-Be honoured t-that... you going to be my loveliest servant. Time to kill you, darling!"


    Kim''s heart was racing furiously. Unable to lift even a finger, he could only see the approaching lich coming to kill him. A skeleton, covered with a robe, she held a scythe with one of her hands... her body emitted the dark deep red mana which could cause a person to fall in a state of madness. He felt like a death god has come to take his soul away.


    "That look in your eyes, delicious... I will shower you with love! Hahahahahahaha!"


    ''The look in my eyes?'' Kim thought to himself. With his heart beating faster and faster, there was only one expression he would show to the monster that''s going to kill him soon...it was fear.


    ''5 years ago, I was prepared to kill myself. Now, I''m scared of dying... I guess my heart got softer throughout the years...'' And that moment he thought of Momo who always beside Kim wherever they were travelling.


    ''It''s okay...she will be fine without me. Rentap and his boys are there anyway...''


    He tried to accept the inevitable death but still, he could not stop feeling distressed.


    ''What is this feeling? Is it really fear? It''s not because I''m worried about Momo as well? What with this unpleasant feeling?''


    As the lich getting closer and closer, the negative feeling got worst. The unpleasantness became extreme. He was anxious. He was anxious to the point he wanted to split open his head.


    ''This... it''s not that I''m afraid of dying... it''s just that... I want to... I want to live!''


    "So you do have the desire to live now?"


    "Old geezer..."


    "I don''t remember raising a puny weak little kid like you"


    "..."


    "If not because of me being your master, you would have been burnt to a crisp by a mere dog."


    By the time the voice was talking to Kim, Eliza was already standing just in front of Kim. She swings her scythe sideway aiming toward Kim''s neck.


    "Please, accept my love"


    "Enter your domain now!"


    At this time, Kim was sitting cross-legged in the middle of black empty space. In front of him, a gentleman wearing a black tailored suit stood gallantly, unleashing a domineering pressure. He raised one of his hand and suddenly a paper fan appeared out of nowhere. He swings the paper fan downwards, smashing Kim''s head. Kim felt like a one-tonne metal pipe was crushing his skull.


    "I didn''t raise a weak disciple"


    Boom! Another swing to Kim''s head.


    "There''s nothing I can do now. That dirty lich was just... stronger than me"


    Boom!


    Rubbing his head from the pain, Kim looked at the man with an intense gaze. At least let me die peacefully he thought.


    "Kid, you are way stronger than you thought. I told you that you never used 100% of your power, didn''t I? Well, that''s because the first thing I taught you was to control your mana like an egg, keeping it to yourself. That was only because your control was weak"


    Now that Kim thought about it, he naturally covered himself with a barrier so that his mana would not be leaked. The reason was that he would attract too many monsters even in his sleep. Even if he could easily destroy them, holding a cup of water for too long would soon tire his arm out.


    By now, he got too used to it that it felt like his second nature to contained his mana like this.


    "That time, you just awaken. You didn''t have full control of your excessive mana. Now, you already a master. You must have realized how sharp your mana sense has become. Can''t you feel and see mana more clearly now?"


    Kim actually doesn''t know what a master was... but it''s true that he was able to utilize his mana more freely. Before this, he could only sense and see the flow of mana, but now he felt like he could actually touch the mana and affect its flow.


    It''s like choosing the sushi he wanted from a conveyor belt. There is a flow, and he could choose any of it to be his.


    "Remember when you lose control of yourself?"


    He would not forget that time when he almost killed himself and Momo.


    "That time, you were utilizing 100% of your mana but not at the same time. Because you lose control. But know it''s going to change... last time there was a crack, now it''s time to fully hatch it open. It''s time to let loose!"


    The moment Kim came back to his sense, the scythe was already reaching his neck.


    "Breath kid!"


    Kim forgot about controlling his mana and unleashed it all without restraint.


    That time, Eliza shook as she saw cracks forming on the surface of Kim''s frozen body. A burst of mana exploded from Kim, melting the whole snow domain.


    When she saw the thawed Kim, she felt an imminent danger. She wanted to pull back was too late because she already swings her scythe. Shoosh! The scythe passed through Kim''s neck without resistant. She looked back and Kim was already gone from her sight.


    Then she extreme killing intent that made her knee to lose balance, she almost fell to the ground. The moment she turned around, a fist reach her cheek, causing her to fly away hundreds of metres away...again!

 42 Undead Dead?

    Chapter 42: Undead Dead?


    The direct blow to the face has sent Eliza hundreds of metres up in the air. After getting her sense back, misty white snow flew around her stopping her in her tracks. The snow wildly covered her entire body and slowly dispersed in thin air.


    Including Eliza herself.


    Kim felt an imminent deathly aura approaching from behind and unleashed his mana to protect his entire body. His mana barrier was not as thin and gentle as it was before. Instead, it''s gushing it feels like a wild beast sensing danger. Ready to take down anyone who was approaching.


    Eliza who already behind Kim was ready to slice him in half with her deathly scythe. The scythe was her creation during the time she slaughtered her entire world. All of the souls, blood and bones of the people she killed has been gathered in one place. Releasing emotions full of grudges. An ordinary person would get his mind eaten alive if he was standing within the vicinity of the curse scythe.


    Using her enhancement mana, she gathered all her power to give one full swing. The blade that was tens of metres long looks like it could slice earth in half.


    But...


    Kim who reflectively unleashed his mana barrier has forced her to stop in midway. The blade wasn''t able to even reach him. The moment it touched Kim''s mana barrier, a metallic screeching sound filled up the entire region. Eliza looked at her scythe and saw the blade was slowly chipping away.


    She didn''t pull back. Instead, she had the intent to fight back. Gritting her teeth, she unleashed the utmost limit of her mana with excitement.


    ''This man...never cease to amaze me''


    She was in awe looking at the back of the man who made her fall in love. While she was staring at Kim back, he turned around and she felt like her heart was beating again. She felt like she was alive!


    "Die for me, my dar-"


    When Kim was facing her, it wasn''t what she had expected. The charming man she had imagined to keep by her side forever wasn''t the man who was standing in front of her now. It felt like Kim was a giant who could swallow her whole. Behind him, a silhouette was formed. It wasn''t Kim mana spirit. It was only an image formed from his ridiculous powerful mana. At this moment, even an ordinary person could see the image.


    The image was not Kim''s human-like mana spirit. It''s more like a monster. A monster who stood on top of the food chain. Kim looked like a sovereign emperor who had the whole universe under his foot. Although the silhouette was blurry, Eliza who had lived for long years and had a vast knowledge of the mana world instantly recognized the image of the powerful being that was formed behind Kim.


    Her mana sense went to an alarming state. She had no time to think. Everything she felt right now was incomprehensible. The only possible thing she could sense now was death.


    "Me... and undead? Fear death?"


    Her body is not those of a living being anymore. For an undead to die is a preposterous thought. But now her entire body was uncontrollably shaking out of fear. Her grip became weak which in end released her precious scythe. She manipulated the space and teleported away from Kim, letting her scythe to be crushed to bits.


    That one scythe that took her the souls of one whole world. Her pride and joy. She would risk everything to save her scythe but today... fear get the best of her.


    Others might simply think that it was just a powerful weapon which you can''t anywhere. But to Eliza who created the scythe understand what it meant to be stronger than her weapon. The soul is the core of mana. All mana was generated from the souls. Which means that this one scythe contained the purest form of mana of one whole world. To destroy the scythe would take a strength that was equivalent... no! More powerful than one whole world!


    "This man... is he really human?! Ughh-"


    As soon Eliza appeared several tens of metres away from Kim in the mid-air, she suddenly felt a tremendous pressure falling on to her, slamming her straightly to the ground.


    BOOM! A deafening ringing sound filled the sky. Cracks were formed on the ground with Eliza as the centre of it.


    "H-how can...his mana pressure be this strong!" The pressure was too strong she barely couldn''t talk.


    Even the entire snow domain which she controlled before has melted and vanished into thin air.


    Like a devil reincarnated from the depth of the abyss, Kim slowly approached Eliza steps by steps. Every step he took, the ground shook. The pressure becomes stronger, and a small crater formed underneath Eliza. She felt like a mountain is crushing back. She gritted her teeth and tried to teleport, but space was distorted causing the disoriented flow of mana.


    For a Lich who could travel from one world to another, weren''t able to comprehend the mana that surrounded her. The reason was, every mana within the vicinity was within Kim''s fingers. She couldn''t believe that Kim was able to overwhelm her with his control of mana.


    Her bone started cracking as she used her leftover mana to summon a thunder to stop Kim in his place. She knew it wouldn''t even damage him, but it would still leave her with an opening for her to escape. Her deep dark red mana covered her entire body, this was her final chance!


    The sky turned dark. Cracking sounds could be heard within the cloud. BOOM BOOM BOOM! The roaring sound of started to fill up the dark sky.


    "Bro Kim!"


    Rentap who was holding a cup of tea felt unrest in his heart. He took a sip.


    "Master will be fine, I could feel Master mana is shining ever brightly. He has become unimaginably more powerful now" She took a sip.


    Enggang didn''t bother with their conversation while looking towards where the battle took place. It took a sip.


    Flashing white light shoot down directly at Kim who was standing on the ground. The roaring sounds of thunder covered the entire sky. If Sylva was watching this, he would feel ashamed of calling himself a master manipulator of thunder. Even he would run away without hesitation.


    But Kim remained unfazed. He stood there, and let his mana flow. That moment, Eliza who was supposed to run away didn''t run. Instead, she remained there laying down. Even if she lived for another thousand years after this, she may not be able to witness what she was seeing now.


    "Kid, listen. Although you are three-type mana user, your affinity as manipulator is significantly higher than others. Which was similar to me. I will tell you the secret of manipulating mana. Being a master will make your mana sense so developed that you would be able to actually touch mana. But I''m not raising a master. Your Master has governed the whole universe...and you shall govern the mana of the universe!"


    As Kim''s mana flow into the thunder it slowed down and scattered apart. The scattered thunder then flows around Kim like a tamed beast. Kim moved around his hands, and the thunder would follow suit. He understood well now what the voice told him in his mental domain just now. It wasn''t about manipulating the fire, thunder, ice, or nature. It''s about manipulating mana.


    Usually, a mana user would use force to break another user attacks. But what Kim is doing now was entirely different. He was taking over Eliza mana, using his mana. Meaning, he manipulated her mana which summoned the thunder!


    Eliza always thought that Kim was overwhelming her with his control of mana. But now, she realized that this was a whole new level of mana manipulation. Her vast knowledge of mana couldn''t even conceive on what was happening. The only thing that comes into her mind was


    "Sovereign of Mana"


    The man who stands before her looks bigger than he ever was before. Her entire fear was not something that was made up, it was genuine and true. She couldn''t hold back her feeling anymore. That fear has changed to admiration.


    Kim looked straight at her with a nonchalant face. "Any last words?"


    Eliza smiled and winked at Kim. Seeing her behaviour, he already regretted asking and readied his stance without waiting.


    "I love y-"


    BOOM! An axe kick straight to the lich face. Crushing her to bits which flew away along with the dust.


    The lich was finally killed.


    "Master!"


    Momo jumped on Rentap back and pointed towards Kim. Enggang perched on her shoulder.


    "Uncle! Let''s go!"


    "Do you think I''m a horse or something?"


    "Giddy up!"


    Rentap felt intense headache, but somehow, it felt nice to play around with kids. Made he thought about the peaceful time before the invasion.


    "Hold on tight princess!"


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    With bulging muscle enhanced by mana, he ran towards Kim with Momo riding his back. The moment he started running, a sonic boom could be heard as the place where he stood was distorted. The ground was trembling with high magnitude.


    Although the distance was tens of kilometres away, it only took him several breaths to reach halfway. when they could finally see where Kim was, Rentap suddenly felt a chilling sensation piercing through every bone of his body which made him wanted to stop. But the speed he was going would inevitably make him travel several more distance. He instinctively unleashed his shield to slow himself down and covered Momo within his embrace.


    EXplosive sound ringing with the full front crashed with his shield. A screeching sound produced from the resistance the shield was making. Although they were slowing down, the shield still thrusting forward with devastating speed. As they get closer and closer, his body felt heavier and heavier. As if they were trying to run into the deep sea.


    Cracks start forming at the surface of the shield. The imminent danger has caused Rentap to feel alarmed. Rentap, the owner himself personally know how powerful his shield is. He gritted his teeth and used all his power to push himself back.


    Finally, the shield broke. Rentap, Momo and Enggang were facing the pressure head on! Fortunately, due to the pressure, they slowed down enough for Rentap to pull all of them away. He ran back until the pressure wasn''t significant enough to endanger them. And that was still several kilometres away from Kim.


    "Is that really, his mana pressure?"


    "It is... that is Master mana. I never forget how it felt"


    "But he wasn''t this strong before... that time he didn''t even use his full power to fight me?"


    "No. He did. At least, that time that was the extent of his power he could use"


    "What do you mean Lord Enggang?"


    "Momo was there any moment when Kim would lose control of his power?"


    "Master control is exceptional. He could control his mana till the point no one would sense his mana even if they are several steps away from him. But..."


    Momo eyes went glistening as she looked down.


    "There was one time when Master was corrupted by his dark history. It was the reason why we were chased away into the lair"


    Enggang was reminded of how Kim ran into the lair holding the injured Momo in his arm. Enggang healed Momo fully so it remembered everything clearly. It seems that there was some story besides the chasing undead monsters before he entered the lair.


    "It seems that whoever guided him has focused on the control of containing his own mana. I''m guessing his mana capacity was too huge for his own good. If he tried to use all this mana without proper practice, his body would not be able to stand it and eventually, he will burst inside out from his own mana pressure. Now that he become a Master, he should be able to control a portion of that... but this much mana... even a Master would have a hard time..."


    Momo made some kind of a slicing motion with her arms. Then out of nowhere a tip of a sword appeared. At first, it looked like a normal sword, but then when its body started to materializing, calling it normal was far from its huge appearances. The sword was tens of metres in height and length. A small girl handling a sword fit for a giant would make anyone eyes to bulge out.


    "No more words! Let''s just break the mana pressure!"

 43 Sovereign of Mana

    Chapter 43: Sovereign of Mana


    "Goliath!"


    The moment Momo mana exploded and the huge sword responded by flying towards where Kim''s mana pressure could be felt. Rentap had a shiver, chilling through his spine as the huge sword flew just above his head.


    "Princess...gonna grow up as a fine woman!"


    Rentap let out a hearty laugh and prepared his iai stance. Focusing all his mana for one powerful slash. He seized all his sense, waiting for the right moment. All he could hear now was the sound of his own heartbeat and the flow of mana. One breath two breath... and finally, Goliath collided with Kim''s mana pressure and produce a deafening clanging sound of metals.


    At first, it seems that Goliath was able to pierce through but after a while, it slowed down. Sensing that Goliath was struggling to break through, Momo gritted her teeth and held both of her arms upwards. The sky suddenly turned dark as black clouds gathered above them. Chain of lighting wildly jumping around. There were some would leak through and crushed the ground below.


    Her eyes radiated with a purple glow. Her hair floating around in the air. She unleashed her mana and a thunderbolt stroke down to the ground. The thunder wasn''t able to pierce through but still, it managed to cause distortion to Kim''s mana pressure. That, however, was only the strayed aura of the real thing.


    She made a downward motion with his arms and more straying lighting hitting Kim''s mana pressure.


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    "Heaven Punishing, Azure Sword!"


    With the four words, another giant sword, blue in colour appeared from the sky. It shot down to the ground like an arrow, slamming to Kim''s mana pressure. Enveloping Kim like a lighting dome, trying to pierce through Kim''s mana pressure that acted as an invisible barrier.


    Conjuring both of these swords was prove to be a huge burden to Momo as she started to cough out some blood. She didn''t falter and continue to focus on her mana or the sword would disappear. Cracks were forming, but it seems that Goliath was already breaking apart. Soon as Goliath was gone into thin air, Rentap opened his eyes.


    "Forgive me for unsheathing my parang to you my brother, but you need to snap out of it!"


    The ground started to tremble as Rentap slowly unsheathing his parang.


    "Break!"


    He made a slicing motion and the world started to shake violently!


    The slice was pointed directly at where Goliath made some cracks. Rentap was waiting for this moment to break Kim''s mana pressure entirely. Within this tense moment, Enggang squawked furiously.


    "Are both of you a fool?! If both of your attacks go through that what will happen to the boy?!"


    That moment, Momo and Rentap look at each other with a shocked face realizing they made a big mistake. Their face turned white and sweats profusely drops from their head to toes.


    "Uncle! What should we do? I always thought master is strong enough to handle our attacks!"


    "Bahahahaha! He''s tough. He should be f- umph!"


    Enggang gave Rentap a full swing to his cheek using its wing. He then flew towards Momo and gave her a light peck.


    "Stop speaking nonsense, he just fought an otherworldly being that could devour a whole world. Momo, cancel your conjuring now!"


    "Y-yes!"


    The azure sword vanished in thin air when Momo cancelled her conjuring...but...the ferocious lightning was still lingering around, covering Kim''s mana pressure like a dome made of thunder! Momo could only watch hoping the thunder would dissipate soon. The lightning itself might won''t be able to break through but, Rentap''s attack was unstoppable.


    "Warrior! Why you always attack with your full power?!"


    "Bahahahaha! It''s bro Kim, I should at least use that much p- umph!"


    Another wing flap straight to the cheek.


    With Rentap''s attack alone, it may not be able to break through, but the mana pressure has been severely weakened with Goliath powerful piercing blow and was still harassed by the azure sword lingering aura of lighting.


    Soon not long after that, Kim''s mana pressure started to dissipate as Rentap''s attack continue to force through. The ground was split apart and the air was distorted due to the massively powerful attack. As the attack continuously dominating the mana pressure, the lingering thunder of azure sword joined in, forming a ferocious dragon!


    Both of them can''t stop rubbing their eyes when the saw their attack combined! Sensing that there was no way for them to stop the attack they both put their hands at the side of their heads and yelled at the same time


    "Oh my goodness!!!"


    Kim was standing there with his eyes closed.


    "This is..."


    "Your mental domain"


    "But...why it''s"


    "Different?"


    It used to be a dark empty void space which makes you feel like the domain is endless. If the floor were gone, you might endlessly fall into the abyss that was not there. Currently, Kim was standing in a vast plain grassy field. He can see the blue sky above him, but there were no clouds nor the sun. Although there was something, still it felt empty.


    Then in the middle of the field, he could see bright red light flickering. He left the young man, and rush towards the light. Soon as he got close, he could see the light was flickering and waving about.


    When moved nearer, he then realized that it was actually a flame. He finally standing in front of the flame and the young man was already behind him.


    The flame was floating above the ground. It looked like it was alive. It was small like a campfire but burns gallantly like a god waiting to be worshipped. The Kim got close, the flame flickers as if it was trying to kneel before Kim.


    Kim touched the flame out of curiosity. The flame seems to be happy around Kim as it danced around in excitement. Instead of getting burnt, he felt a warm familiar sensation enveloping his body.


    "This is... my mana?"


    "Yes"


    "And here...why is it so different?"


    "Here is your mental domain kid. Before you only contained your mana and they weren''t able to form themselves. Now you finally set them free"


    "If this would make me stronger, than why didn''t you taught me earlier?"


    "Because you were weak. You won''t be able to handle all that excessive mana alone even with my mana memory. With all that power your body might explode before getting killed by a monster. Now, none of that matter... the moment you become a master, I knew you were ready to climb to the next stage.


    ''sovereign...''


    The word sovereign suddenly pops into his mind when he heard the lich muttered it just while in battle.


    "No time for explanation, you just need to experience it yourself. Wake up kid... have a test of your own power...this time, no more holding back...let it all out. Feel the mana. Make it yours!"


    Kim could hear the voice laughter as he slowly faded away from his view...somehow it sounded like the voice was feeling satisfied and prideful of himself which kinda made him felt a bit annoyed.


    Kim doesn''t truly understand what the voice meant by feeling the mana. Does that mean that he was containing his mana without him noticing it? Is it because it was already in his nature to contain his mana without leaking anything?


    Now that he thought about it, one of the first thing the voice taught him was too contained his mana to protect himself... he scratched the back of his head and gave up thinking.


    ''I will just do however I done it before. I need to feel it myself!''


    He cancelled his domain and the scenery changed drastically. Kim was about to observe his surrounding when suddenly his mana sense detected powerful mana bursting toward him.


    ''Shoot that lecherous lich was still alive?''


    But that maa felt too familiar. By then he realized the shocking and pale face of Momo and Rentap


    "Master will be okay, right?"


    "Bahahaha bahahaha bahahaha..."


    Momo was having a monologue while Rentap already out of his mind feeling regret.


    Kim let out a sigh.


    ''I will ask them about it later''


    Without wasting any more time, he focused his mana sense toward the oncoming attack. Just as how he was able to grasp the lich mana before, again he was able to see the same thing with the attack coming from Rentap and Momo altogether. He knew it was them because their mana was distinguishable like fingerprints.


    There weren''t any voice, smell or taste...it was just the flow of mana. Some kind of a unique pattern that made mana owned by a person. It''s like having the copyrights of one own''s mana. Even for Kim, he had his own pattern. Kim was able to see and analyse this pattern by using his mana sense and the same thing when he was fighting the lich. However, this was only possible after spending some time with the mana user. Kim was able to determine the lich mana pattern while fighting her.


    However, the most impressive was about to happen now.


    Mana user could sense and wield mana as their own. Masters could feel mana and has full control of their own mana, wielding them to the utmost power they currently hold. For a sovereign of mana like Kim and the voice himself, they weren''t just able to distinguish others mana. They could also manipulate that pattern into their own mana.


    This was why the lich who was a master that was in her own league could lose control of her own mana. Kim already made them his own.


    However, even if one could understand the pattern of others doesn''t mean they could take control of others mana freely. It''s claiming your rights, we must pay for what we want to own and that payment was by overthrown the user mana with a higher pool of mana.


    Basically, Kim needed to invest a huge amount of mana which was bigger than the mana of a Demilich that has absorbed the mana of her entire world, that could control hundred thousands of undead monsters, that was able to travel to one world to another. Although the lich last attack was lacking in terms of her full strength it was still a huge scale attack.


    Doing the same thing he did, he followed the aid of his mana memory and simply release his mana.


    The mana clashed with the oncoming attack but instead of exploding, they actually converging. If one would explain the situation was, it looked like a cell undergoing phagocytosis. Like a certain slime monster devouring its prey.


    Kim mana''s enveloping everything, resonating with it and finally absorbing the mana. By then the scattering thunder dispersed and swirled around Kim''s body. His hair rose due to the statics.


    "Master!" Momo shouted with tears in her eyes. She couldn''t think about how her master would scold her after this. "Maybe no milk in a week? NOOOOO!"


    Despite the amount of mana that was unleashed by Kim, he could still feel the crushing pressure of Rentap''s attack. He amplified his mana which caused the swirling spark to burst into blinding white lights. His pulled back his left hand in a spear form and enhanced his muscle.


    With bulging muscle the thrust forward to face the beckoning power of Rentap''s might. The collision of both attacks has caused the space to be distorted. If an ordinary mana user were to be within the vicinity of the impact his fleshy body would be ripped to pieces.


    BOOM BOOM!


    Sound of explosions ripping apart the entire area.


    Kim then gathered his mana and the earth shone brilliantly. He could feel like he was one with the earth. He rose both his arms upwards and tow giant hand made emerged from the earth appearing beside the colliding force. The hands closing into each other to contain the ferocious mana. The hands were trembling trying to go against the force that was resisting its way.


    Kim took a deep breath and unleashed more of his mana.


    During that Momo and Rentap was also shining in the same light.


    Even other warriors who came back to the earth suddenly rose up again when their mana sense was stimulated by Kim''s mana.


    "Brother Kim"


    "Brother Kim"


    .


    .


    .


    "This... is his power? So strong yet... it''s warm"


    "Yes, this is Master mana. This warm feeling he gave me since the day he saved me"


    Without no one noticing, the whole island of Borneo was shining with the same brilliant light. The massive mana was completely contained and exuded a powerful beam of light that shoots into the sky. It wasn''t just the earth, even heaven was resonating with Kim''s mana.

 44 Its time to go

    Chapter 44: It''s time to go


    People from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore was close enough to be bathed within the magnificent lights.


    "Sylva... what is happening?"


    "I''m afraid this humble old man never seen this in his entire lives..."


    Ray has been living with Sylva in his entire life. Sylva has been around ever since the father of the current king was around. For someone as wise as him unable to conceive what was happening at the moment... Ray was completely blown away by the scene unfold in front of him.


    "There''s no time to waste. We need to get the confirmation of other ASEAN countries now"


    "Yes your highness"


    During that same time, 5 phones rang out simultaneously which belong to the guild master of each ASEAN countries including the guild master of Malaysia. Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand had severe aftermath after the catastrophe which caused them to aid each other to form a single powerful force. Indonesia lost its Kalimantan area which was swollen by whatever happened in Borneo. Others are the Philippines and Singapore. Brunei has long gone from contact after the catastrophe. Everyone assumed the whole country faced a similar fate as the people of Borneo as a whole.


    Johor, Sulawesi Indonesia, and South Philippines were chosen as the rendezvous point for the first attempt to enter Borneo. Each point was consist of several A-rank mana users and elite B-rank mana users. There was also some backup send by the United States, European Union, Africa and South America. They were only a small group of people who were enough to collect information.


    Currently, they were all waiting for the final confirmation from each guild master at the rendezvous points and they all saw the shining bright light that pierced through the heaven before the day they enter Borneo.


    Everyone stop doing whatever they were during that time. Not a single words were uttered. Time fell silent. Frozen solid. Except for everyone mana sense which became violently disoriented. Ordinary people could only see the light as a beautiful phenomenon like viewing the aurora.


    For high-rank mana users, they can''t help themselves from breaking a cold sweat. How utterly shocking was the mana unleashed by whatever it was in Borneo that every mana users near the island were trembling? A dreaded fear swallowed their heart which made them felt of wanting to kneel on the ground.


    "Sir"


    "Ah, Hassan. I didn''t notice you were here"


    Hassan entered the room and respectfully bowed down to both Ray and Sylva.


    "The preparation is ready. Tomorrow, at 9 a.m. each point will send two groups of elite mana users to lead by an A-rank"


    It took Ray a while for him to clear his mind. To be able to witness the glorious white light consist of dense mana bursting to the sky would make every man and woman have a faltering heart.


    Moreover, the particular source of the white lights was where the destination of tomorrow missions. Everyone in the vicinity would be able to the same thing that was unfolding in front of his eyes. He couldn''t imagine the state of mind of those who will participate tomorrow.


    "That''s great. Thank you for your hard work Hassan"


    "Would you like to give them your command themselves sir?"


    "It''s okay. I trust that you can do so Hassan. I will leave the task to you. However, I may interrupt whenever I see fit. Is that okay with you?"


    "It would be my pleasure instead, sir!"


    Hassan bowed down with his knee on the ground to show his respect and gratefulness.


    "Stand up Hassan. You are like a brother to me. There''s no need for formality"


    Hassan stayed silent without giving any reply. After a while, he stood on his feet.


    "I shall take my leave then. Tomorrow I will head to the rendezvous point near our place before sunrise"


    He gave a slight bow and turned around to leave the room.


    The moment Hassan left, Ray let out a deep sigh.


    "For a person of this world to be loyal to me like that... such a pity..."


    "He should be grateful to be in your grace, your highness"


    Ray didn''t give Sylva any remarks. He walked slowly toward the window of his office on top of the Petronas Twin Tower.


    "Tomorrow after sunrise, we will begin"


    "Yes, your highness"


    ---©\©\©\


    He scanned to the whole corridor to see if anyone was passing by. Noticing not even a strand of hairs he sure that the coast was clear. He checked the CCTV and walk to its blind spots.


    He knocked the wall with some kind of a systemic rhythm and a man appeared from his shadow.


    "I''m here"


    "Zane"


    "How''s the preparation?"


    "No time to chat Zane. I will move before sunrise. Keep track of their movement. Report anything suspicious"


    "Sure. I pray for your safe journey Hassan"


    "Likewise"


    Zane simply blended into the shadows. Another look the shadow seems to be alive. However, it would only be a simple thought that suddenly crossed into one''s mind. Hassan looked at the shadow where Zane once stood and walk away.


    ------


    Kim was sitting on a boulder with his leg crossed. In front of him, Momo and Rentap were sitting in a seiza position trembling. Their heads down both looked down to the ground. Enggang was perching on Kim''s shoulder pecking its feathers.


    "Blackie told me everything that happened"


    "Master... we are just..."


    "And you just rushed in to attack?"


    "..."


    "Come on bro Kim, look how strong you''ve become"


    Rentap was about to laugh heartily wanting to celebrate how Kim has become stronger but instead, he went silent from Kim cold stare.


    It was indeed only an act to save him from killing himself...but if he wasn''t strong as he is now.. wouldn''t he die at that moment after surviving the awful fight with that crazy skeleton? But if he was weaker... he will still die at the moment from his power.


    At that moment, he heard a loud cough that caused his whole body to tremble. If only he could forget his thought just now. But then, the voice spoke to him


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    "You could just admit it you know"


    "What are you talking about? I don''t understand"


    "That I''m a good master"


    "..."


    "I prepared you well for this"


    "..."


    "Not even a simple word of gratitude? This arrogant bastard" *sob sob*


    "Thanks" Kim suddenly whispered.


    (The voice) "what?"


    "Master... are you okay? Momo is very sorry!"


    If someone looked at how cute Momo is now, even if it was her mistake, everyone will think that Kim was the villain. Momo was about to say something again when Kim approached her and pet her head.


    "I''m glad"


    Momo who was worried looked up to see Kim''s face become more worried!


    "Master... master... did I disappoint you too much? Why are you crying... why am I crying too..."


    Unknowing she just hugged Kim, and Kim put her into his embrace. They had experienced a lot of life and death situations for 5 years. What happened was the closest they thought one of them to be knocking their death door.If Kim didn''t react fast enough, Momo might lose her head. If Momo didn''t smash Kim''s barrier, he might not wake up forever.


    Even if it was a mistake, Kim appreciated what she did. No one would be able to get in the middle of their close relationship. No one would understand what they have been through. To be the only living human being within the monster-infested land, with no other help from others. The sleepless night they had when they began their journey, terrified from getting eaten the moment they lose to drowsiness.


    Every single day, death seems to wait. They thrive, but no one could imagine how much they had struggled together. If one of the other would be gone, who knows what another one would do.


    "Warrior let''s take a stroll"


    Rentap rubbed the tears off his face and decided to leave the two people in their world. He employed his shield to create a barrier so that no one could interfere. Then several dozens of humanlike figure appear from the earth. They seem to resemble what Rentap was wearing.


    "Not one monster could get near this place. Protect our brother"


    "Oha!"


    The warriors of the past circled the barrier and stand guard the whole night.


    The moonlight shone upon both of their faces. The midnight breeze blew providing comfort in the hot tropical land. Kim and Momo hugged each other to sleep after crying the whole day.


    The voice didn''t utter a single word the whole night. Instead, he focused on his mana sense to cover the entire land of Borneo.


    "Just as I suspected... one of my seals was gone after the kid finished the lair"


    The voice tried to push his mana sense way pass the limit which results in a setback to his real body.


    "Look at me... rushing to get out this much...I thought that feeling already died several hundred years ago. But seeing both of them..." The voice looked at the sleeping Kim and Momo with warm eyes.


    "I need to get out from here soon as I can. Before they come"


    Rentap was sitting on the ground crossed legged. He looked very calm and composed. Still, he seemed to emit an aura that tells make you want to kneel down. On top of his shoulder, a small blackbird was perching.


    They both were drinking a warm cup of thick black tea.


    "This taste bad..."


    "I agree"


    "It looked easy when princess made some"


    "Her tea is wonderful"


    Even though it was bad, they both still took another sip. Somehow the bad after taste was actually addicting.


    "Why this tea tastes so bitter?"


    "Well it keeps you awake anyway"


    "True"


    "So what do you want to talk about Lord Enggang?"


    "It''s about this land"


    When Enggang mentioned this land, Rentap already knew how the topic would go. He finished his cup of ''thick black tea'' and poured some more.


    "Is this even tea? Urghhh"


    -----


    Night finally comes to an end. As the moon goes, the sun comes to paint the sky with a bright yellow light. Sunrise. The designated time to enter the land of Borneo.


    "Alpha ready to go"


    "Beta all pack and ready"


    "Charlie waiting for command"


    "Sir General. All three teams are at your command"


    Hassan took a deep breath of fresh air as he watched the bright orange light of sunrise covering the entire horizon. His was trembling with excitement. Not because this was a major first entry to Borneo... but due to the fact that this was the first rescue attempt to people of Borneo.


    The reasoned he join the military army was because of his passion to protect his country. He still couldn''t forget the lives of innocent citizens were taken away without notice.


    People were getting left and right. He couldn''t forget the countless number corpses he pass through when he followed Prince Ray Varhem to take over Malaysia.


    It was horrendous to see splattered blood and organs everywhere on the ground. The awful smell of decayed corpses lingers for months. Sometimes they would encounter a village under a raid of monsters.


    People would scream in panic, getting eaten alive, and children cried looking for their beloved parents. Hassan couldn''t bear the despair faces of those traumatized citizens.


    It such a pity, that the country wasn''t able to dispatch enough force especially in the rural area.Leaving them stranded without any aids.


    His heart to save others have pushed him forwards.. passing way his limits for several just to save a single soul for the entire 5 years since the calamity. Even though he had contributed much to the country, he still had one more regret.


    Since the word dragon had flown into his ear, there was one thing in his mind. How are the people of Borneo? It was hard to dispatch to that land as it was separated from peninsular Malaysia. Surely they faced more casualty then other places in Malaysia.


    Hassan has always hope there were survivors and this might become the beacon of hope for them. Hassan clenched his tightly and grab the microphone in front of him.


    "It''s time to go!"

 45 Chapter 45

    The sound of a large spinning blade imbued with mana cut across the sky. Three Black Hawk were supplied by the United States government for today missions. They are several elite mana users who are joining the ''infiltration'' so it''s no wonder that the United States would provide a bit of their help.


    "Tools of the earth is fascinating"


    Balara, one of the A-rank mana user from the kingdom of Varhem is one of the ten personal knights of Prince Ray Varhem. Although he wasn''t the best of the ten, he boasts the strength within the upper league of A-rank users. To be selected as a personal knight of a person who may be the ruler of a kingdom is no simple matter. Today is his first time riding a helicopter.


    A man covered with silvery-white clad of armour replied Balara. He is one of his best men.


    "Indeed Sir Balara. The knowledge of the earthen is marvellous. They could fly and even step outside of the world without mana. Unfortunately..."


    The man stared at the so-called earthens who was sitting at the passenger bench and snorted.


    "Without mana, they could only dream to reach the sky"


    "Maybe we could convince his highness to bring some of these tools back or..."


    Balara looked directly toward the pilot with a sinister grin. The pilot almost broke from focus and caused the helicopter to crash but he resisted it well. Good thing he was a mana user himself. Even so, a C-rank like himself couldn''t go against an elite A-rank mana sense. In fact, every other mana user who was a B-rank almost fainted from that single glance. If all of them here was there to fight Balara no one could ever hope to survive.


    Except for one person, Kanta, the representative from Canada. He is actually an A-rank mana user originated from the Lipan Kingdom. He only sat down in his place calmly without bothering with the commotion. His mission was only as an observer. In fact, he won''t even step in to fight unless it was necessary.


    Balara looked toward Kanta and snorted.


    "Hmph. At least there is another person here who''s not a weakling"


    The helicopters smoothly fly to Borneo without a hitch. Due to the combination of mana and earthen engineer, technology has become more impressive than ever. For example, this helicopter could fly without facing any air resistance. They could also fly without any gas or oil since the source of energy is mana stone. Just by imbuing one mana into the stone could generate enough energy to fly the helicopter.


    The only downside is, the pilot must be a mana user with a large capacity of mana to supply enough energy for sustaining itself in air. Worst thing worst, any other mana user could lend their mana to add more fuel. However, the skill of a pilot is still required to fly the helicopter initially. So it doesn''t matter what rank the pilot is. As long they have the skill they were an asset since most people from the other world couldn''t fly any aircraft.


    "Sir we have reached the entry point"


    "Report on the command centre. How''s the other two?"


    "I receive a transmission from General Hassan. He said to embark in 60 seconds. 59...58...57"


    "Good" Balara licked his lips. "I couldn''t wait to slaughter those monsters. I could sense how powerful the mana emitting from this land"


    While the transmitter continues to count, the other two team consists of mana user from Indonesia and the Philippines are also going to be lead by the personal knight of Prince Ray Varhem. Each one of them is at least as strong as or even stronger than Balara.


    The count past the halfway mark. Besides the elite A-rankers, every other were trembling. Although they have experienced facing monsters for almost 5 years since the calamity, their mana sense couldn''t stop being at an alarming state. The story of Borneo is almost like the folklore story that people told to scare away children from doing foolish things. Except that, the story of Borneo is real and approved by the majority.


    There were several extraordinary events that occurred within 5 years. The tremor that shook the world. The sudden change of extreme weather which occur occasionally. The shining white light that could brighten the dark night sky. And of course, one of the most powerful species of monsters in the universe. The one that is powerful enough to be a ruler of an entire world. All of it happened within the land of Borneo.


    One of the Malaysian whispered to his friend.


    "I wonder what kind of a monster is a dragon. To be able to do all of that..."


    "I heard that a dragon is a very viscous looking monster. One that could make you faint from being scared with a look. It has red eyes, sharp fangs and claws. The moment it opened its mouth to unleashed a roar, an entire city will be destroyed"


    "Oh my god... I want to go home"


    "And the light we saw yesterday... that was only the residue left when it unleashed its mana"


    "Dragon must be a terrifying monster!"


    ----


    "Ha-ha-ha-choo!"


    "Are you getting a cold Master?"


    "No... suddenly I felt an itch at my nose... hachoo!"


    "I heard that only an idiot catch a cold"


    "I said it was an itch! Hachoo!"


    "It''s okay Master. Momo still respect you as a Master"


    "..."


    ----


    10 seconds left before the infiltration. Everyone couldn''t suppress their nervousness. The briefing that was given by General Hassan for the plan already included the death of at least half of them which was around 70%. It''s no wonder they felt like shitting in their pants now. Even with all the rewards, most of them felt regret for coming here. That 70% may just be some attempt to boost their confidence even for a bit.


    Balara was full excitement which caused some of his mana to leak.


    "Remember that we are only here to gain intel sir"


    "I know but that weak-ass general told us to kill anything that deemed to be a monster right?"


    Balara''s man chuckled. "Of course sir"


    "Then show me what you got Borneo!"


    The moment the counter reach zero, everyone within the vicinity turned silent. Even Balara had a serious expression plastered on his face.


    Hassan who was at the command centre already gave the command to start but no one was moving. Hassan didn''t get any response as well. He felt something was wrong and contacted them again.


    "Alpha, Beta, Charlie, status. Over"


    Again there was only silence.


    "Status!"


    "Alpha. Sir... I don''t know how to report to you, sir. Over"


    "What do you mean? Over"


    "Beta. Same here sir. Over"


    "Charlie. Here too sir. Over"


    "Then what do you see? Over"


    "Beta. Nothing...sir...over"


    ''Nothing? What do you mean by nothing?!'' Hassan didn''t quite understand the replied he get but somehow he felt something was terribly strange... somehow he had a bad premonition.


    He checked the radar that could sense the mana of each mana users. It could also differentiate between human and monsters, where blue dots are human and red dots as monsters. There were only mana users... However, some kind of interruption occurred at three-points surrounding Borneo. All of it was approaching to where the three units were.


    "Mana sense! Expand your mana sense now!"


    "Alpha. We are sir. In fact, our mana sense just voluntarily expands itself..."


    Having taught by Master Sylva himself, Hassan knew that when a person mana sense reflectively acts up, the danger up ahead would mean a life-threatening situation!


    "All units fall back immediately...Alpha? Beta! Charlie?! Withdraw! Damn it!"


    Hassan clenched his teeth and slams the transmitter in front of him. Unfortunately, Hassan was a bit too late in giving the command. They already lost connections. He could only hope the blue dots flickering in the screen would never disappear. As long they are still there, there is hope!


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    Now he could only entrust the knight of each unit to make the right decision. Each second past was like an hour to him as he waited for the blue dots to go back to their respective departing country. Still, there was no movement. Suddenly...


    "Sir! Three monsters appear...and the mana..."


    The size of the dots represents the mana capacity. The government could use the radar to assume the location of monsters and the rank of the monsters. Thus, they could send the appropriate numbers of mana users and rank to handle any emergency situation.


    Today, the plan was only to gain intel and usually elite A-rank who considered to have a strength that was close to an S-rank and dozens of B-rank would suffice to protect a city from hordes of hundreds of High-rank monsters. Unless all hundreds of them are superior monsters... or... one of them is a mythical monster.


    The red dots continue to grow larger and larger until the point that the blue dots of each unit were swollen inside.


    "Sir! A high-rank mythical monster... no! 3 of them! All 3 of them are high-rank mythical monsters!"


    Hassan could only imagine how it would be to be inside that helicopters.


    -----


    "We lost connection, Sir Balara. How should we proceed?"


    According to the adventurer guild, the person with the highest rank will take command as the captain of the team. At this moment, either Balara or Kanta should take responsibility. Kanta only remained silent. Balara didn''t even give him a single glance and let out grinned.


    "Prepare for combat. We going to smash this monster to a pulp for having the nerve to appear in front of me"


    The door of the helicopter opened. Balara stood near the door while holding the rail.


    "Show yourself, monster!"


    The sea began to rumble violently. The air became heavy, making the mana users desperately trying to breathe. Even Balara was having a hard time. The pilot was not able to maintain himself anymore and lose his grip from the handle, causing the helicopter to abruptly fall. Eventually, it stopped in the mid-air due to someone supplying his mana to a mana stone. He was Kanta.


    "Balara, we need to withdraw. That monster is way above you. Even with all of us combined our power would mean nothing. Issue the order now"


    Balara is a brute but he is not a fool. Pure strength is not the only criteria to become a personal knight of a prince. As much as he hated it, he truly understands well how strong this monster is.


    Regrettably, he finally issued an order.


    "Withdraw"


    That time, a black spot appeared on the sea as something was fast approaching the surface. Eventually, this black spot grew larger and larger until it was as large as half of the football field. Balara pupils grew larger as he saw how big this monster was. Even though he could feel like he won''t win, his heart was pumping with excitement to face it head-on.


    Other mana users were stunned. They have never seen anything as humongous as what is lurking under the sea. Even after 5 years of relentless fighting monsters, the scene that lay upon them was hard to fathom.


    The sea started to bulge upward and dispersed to show a sea-serpent monster as big as the black spot. It continued to raise up until it reached the altitude of the flying helicopters. Everyone was shocked to see the appearance of the monster, especially the local mana users.


    "Naga! Naga Putih!"


    "Naga Hitam!"


    "Bakunawa! It''s Bakunawa. Run! Run!!!"


    The Filipinos, Malaysian and Indonesian, all have different cultures and folk story, but they all could recognize the three sea serpent monsters with different names. Some say it is a protector of the sea, some say it is the bringer of destruction or even the ruler of the sea. These three are naga, the mythical sea monsters of south-east Asia.


    They surrounded the island as if they were protecting Borneo. Naga Putih was standing near the Peninsular Malaysia, Bakunawa near the Philippines and Naga Hitam near Indonesia. All three of them unleashed a vast amount of mana that would force people to kneel in fear.


    Seeing how strong these monsters were, all three of the Black Hawks flew away in max speed.


    Naga Putih unleashed a terrifying mighty roar towards Belara''s team of Malaysians. As if it was telling them to stay away or they will die. Feeling that he was looked down, Balara held his hands up and an axe appeared out of nowhere.


    Noticed a fluctuation in mana, Kanta shouted at an alarming tone.


    "What are you doing?! Do you want to die?"


    Balara snorted and ignored the warning. He imbued the axe with full power enhancement. Just before he''s going to throw the axe, a blue stream of light pass through and a hand plop on the floor. Then blood spurted from his mouth and body.


    "Damn... you..."


    The upper part of his body slide down to the floor, and the bottom half fell into the sea.


    Other mana users were also sliced into pieces. Kanta was the only one who managed to survive but he was in serious injury. Even though the helicopter itself has already been sliced apart his left hand was still on the handle not wanting to let go. He could only laugh at his own helplessness.


    Again Naga Putih roared and another blue light stream toward him. This time instead of making a shield he focused on enhancing his observation.


    "So that was it..."


    A blue jet stream of water that moved at remarkable speed. The water shoots through his chest and sliced his body into pieces. The three units have perished.

 46 Chapter 46

    "Damn it!"


    If Hassan wasn''t a calm and collective person he would already smash the radar screen in front of him. He kept himself cool and called for his aide nearby.


    "Sir General"


    "Report to Prince Ray. Mission failed. It''s unwise to get close to Borneo now"


    "Any other thing sir?"


    "Find the family of the deceased. I shall tell them personally"


    "Yes sir"


    -----


    5 years ago, Borneo became a wasteland at the start of the calamity. A new kind of species called monsters keeps appearing due to their thirst of mana. They start to go rampage and destroy everything in their path. Thus, become the source of the calamity. Eventually, they stop after absorbing sufficient enough mana. The calamity finally saw a standstill in a year. Afterwards, the earth underwent a new age called the age of mana.


    After destruction comes the birth of new life. Although most human has died, vegetations start to flourish and covered the entire land with greenery plants. Forest, rivers, and mountains are filled with mixtures of animals and monsters living together in an ecosystem. This is all due to the earth supplying mast amount of mana to nature. In fact, the environment now is at peak condition in recent years.


    Moreover, Earth mana was so huge that it seems to be infinite. The moment a forest is burned down, a new sapling starts to grow. Grass has already appeared in the area where Kim battled with the lich. What was once a battlefield has become a huge green meadow. Near the centre of the field, Kim is standing still while looking at the clear blue sky.


    Then several black spots appeared in his sight. The number of black spots slowly becoming larger and larger until it covered the entire sky. These black spots were actually swords. Thousands of them raining on Kim. And it didn''t stop from just that. It is made up of several layers of thousands of swords coming from behind.


    "You are not holding back aren''t you?"


    "Well Master did say you gonna give me an extra bottle of milk," Momo who was standing quite a distance away from Kim said it while licking her lips.


    "Aren''t the swords going to hit you as well?"


    "Will it?"


    The first layer of the swords merged together into one point in the centre. Followed by the layers of the sword behind it. Looking from the side it becomes a pointy shape. When looked from far enough distance, it resembles a giant sword falling from heaven.


    "Raining swords formation, coiling snake!"


    When Kim heard the name of the attack he felt a bit jealous that all her skills have a brilliant name when compare to his. Although he didn''t understand why a coiling snake, he only thought that it had to do with the sword formation.


    "I guess I''m much more of a simple person than I thought"


    When Kim was about to unleash his mana to go against the falling swords, a loud boom followed by a huge tremor as Rentap rushed towards him with a punch.


    Kim deflected the punch sideways and transmit the enchantment into the ground. Forming a massive crater by his sides.


    "I used to break your arm with a single punch of mine. Look how strong you become since that day bro Kim"


    Kim replied with a smile "Thank you brother Rentap"


    "No point holding back then. Haaaaa!!!"


    Rentap has a small stature, but his body is compact. Full of muscle. He used full enchantment which made his muscle to bulge with red shine. His eyes become white and flickering with flames of excitement.


    "You are the first to face my full power bro Kim! Let''s dance under the falling swords! Bahahaha!"


    Neglecting the falling swords above him, Rentap bravely challenged Kim in a fistfight. Kim of course with respect accepted the duel knowing that Momo''s attack is coming right at him.


    "Hey, I''m still here you know! Hmph!"


    After deflecting the punch, Kim didn''t waste a single moment to send an uppercut towards Rentap''s solar plexus. Being the man he is, Rentap let the punch through and took a direct hit. He didn''t flinch nor did he faltered. Instead, he grinned widely when receiving the punch.


    Kim, on the other hand, felt like he was punching a mountain. A sudden vibration transmitted into his arm and flow into his entire body making him feel painstakingly numb. This is the special trait of Rentap mana pressure, the earth shaker. The moment he released his mana pressure, the entire living being on earth would unknowingly tremble from pure pressure.


    Kim gritted his teeth and stomped his feet to the ground, flowing the mana away from him. The land, the air, the entire place shook. Just from enduring the mighty pressure from the earthshaker has caused a glimpse of an opening which was enough for Rentap to deliver a massive blow to Kim''s chest.


    But the punch only went through without any resistance. Kim already above Rentap leaving only an afterimage behind. He did a jumping axe kick straight to Rentap hind neck, forming a massive crater to the ground below. Rentap stand strong to resist the kick without letting his knee touching the ground. He turned around quickly which made Kim flinch just by looking at Rentap face.


    The way Rentap was standing, his entire form looked like a wild beast. His eyes show that he was ready to go on a rampage. What made Kim flinched was the huge smile on his face that made he knew that Rentap was enjoying this moment. Maybe this was the true nature of a warrior, after all. Letting the thrill of battling other courses through his veins. His blood is thirst in excitement, wanting for more. Somehow, Kim also felt the same thing.


    Rentap grab Kim''s leg and threw him in the air at massive speed. It didn''t inflict Kim with any damage but the momentum of him flying away has reduced Kim control of his own body.


    "Tch. I forgot it was two against one!"


    The falling swords have already started to approach Kim at a terrifying speed. The first layer of thousands of swords rushing through. Kim manipulated the ground beneath him and made an earthly wall enhanced with his mana to block the myriad of swords.


    The wall grew larger and thicker as more and more swords stabbing the hardened block of ground. At the same time, Kim was still being blown away from getting thrown by Rentap.


    Before he could gain his control back, the second layer of thousands of swords divert itself from the wall and rushing towards Kim from the side. The trajectory of the swords bent to strike Kim.


    Vines appeared from the ground to form a net which caught Kim, stopping him in mid-air. He landed on the ground and instantly trees started to grow beside him. Those trees grew and elongated toward the oncoming swords to receive it.


    The swords stuck to the trees, but the remaining more circled around it. The way Kim sees it, it feels like the swords are moving like a snake. He made a gesture with his hands and branches upon branches grew like small arms catching the flying swords.


    Tut tut tut tut tut tut tut tut tut tut tut tut


    The sounds of swords stabbing into the trees went on continuously without a single moment of break.


    Out of nowhere... Boom! An explosion.


    Kim looked toward the source of the explosion and saw the huge hole in his harden earthy wall. A black silhouette jumped out from the hole and rushed towards him like a preying tiger.


    "I''m still here bro Kim! Bahahahaha!"


    Hearing the familiar laugh, Kim could only smile back. Forming his martial art stance, he put up his arm forward, ready to take on Rentap.


    "Then come!"


    Rentap went further with his body enhancement which surprised Kim on how strong the legendary warrior truly is. Before, he only fought his spirit. Now that he is alive and kicking, he has full control of his power.


    Of course, the moment Rentap released more of his mana, Kim felt the trembling from Rentap''s mana pressure. But this time it wasn''t fear!


    During the beginning of the calamity, he only fought because he was desperate to survive. Now that he became powerful and have a strong sparring companion, he could only appreciate the thrill of battle. Bits by bits, his personality changed by the years.


    Kim took a step and in a split second, they are now in front of one another. They both send a punch which directly hit one another. Then another punch and another then another. Blood started to drip at the corner of their grinning mouth.


    The remaining swords merciless rushing towards Kim like a swarming bee. Even though the swords are directed toward him, Rentap was within the range of attack. Momo conjured a blunt blade that won''t be able to slice but it will still hurt like getting thrown with a rock when it hit. Still, Kim won''t let himself get hit easily.


    While exchanging punches Kim jumped around with acrobatic skills to avoid the oncoming swords. Rentap, on the other hand, didn''t care and let the sword hit his body that was bulging with muscle. Even the swords weren''t able to interfere with their face-off.


    After the endless attack, deflecting and avoiding Rentap sensed something was wrong. He felt like he was getting weaker and weaker while Kim hasn''t shown any hint of getting fatigued at all even though he was fighting with two people at the same time.


    When he looked closely, it seems that Kim wasn''t just avoiding the swords but he was also slightly touching them and the swords will completely vanish in thin air. Feeling suspicious, he expanded his mana sense and found out that his mana was slowly dissipating...no it way flowing away...towards Kim!


    "He''s...absorbing my mana?"


    By the time he was able to grasp the whole situation Kim already finished dispersing all Momo''s swords. Kim noticed that Rentap has stopped moving and he casually walk toward him.


    "Should we call it a day then?"


    Rentap scratched his head and laugh wryly.


    "I thought I was the one who didn''t use my full power, but it seems like I was overestimating myself"


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    Kim replied with a smile.


    "Let''s go, Momo is waiting"


    They both walk back as the sun sets behind them. The sky was decorated with orange light with a hint of a purple colour. Momo was sitting on the grass, sipping a bottle of milk while Enggang was perching on her shoulder. They both calmly enjoying the setting sun. Momo greeted Kim and Rentap and Kim joined her.


    Rentap was welcome by the other warriors. It seems that they have been doing some constructions at the place. There were houses made of wood and also a giant hall that seems to be a meeting place.


    With mana, everything was done at a quick pace. Some of the warriors were manipulators with a high aptitude towards nature. They could manipulate the land, trees, wood easily. Kim even lent some help by teaching them how to utilize their power.


    With a river flowing and forest nearby, soon this area will become a beautiful village surrounded by nature. Now that most of the monsters have been slaughtered by Kim, there was little disturbance. Besides, most of these warriors could kill a superior rank monster single-handedly. It would be wise for a mere monster to stay away.


    They even managed to find some animals that didn''t evolve into monsters and were still alive. They also harvested some edible fruits and plants within the surrounding area. It seems that animals and plants have become more nutritious and have high vitality due to mana. They already have a plan set for farming and poultry.


    Kim and Momo have been living their live roasting monsters and eating their meat. When both of them were served with food cooked by the warriors, they couldn''t hold back their tears.


    As the day was getting dark, Kim set up the campfire by igniting the firewood with mana. The flame was huge enough to cover the entire area. Today the warriors prepared a feast for everyone and everyone ate to their heart content.


    "So, you going to stay?"


    "Yes. Lord Enggang told me to"


    "You could follow both of us if you want"


    "True. But this was my decision and it wasn''t forced. Lord Enggang did tell me I could go outside anytime if I want. But who will take care of this land? I died fighting for this land, we all did. I''m grateful to be living to see how well it is now. Somehow the land becomes purer than it was before... even though there were many destruction and death happened..."


    Kim gazed at the starry sky as he was listening to Rentap. Momo was already sleeping after eating too much.


    Since the calamity, never did he let go of his regret and anger...watching his friends died. Watching the lifeless body of his family. Burying them to the ground himself. He is mad. Mad to the point that he wanted to kill himself to get rid of his madness.


    But in the end, he learned to accept how it is and think of it as the birth of a new life. A new world. A new era. He has nothing of what he has before. The people that surround him now is his new family and friends. Even though it changed, this land was still his home.


    Even though awakening of mana is a natural occurrence, a forced awakening would be deemed to bring destruction to people of the world. Those who are responsible have dyed their hands in red. Nothing would change the fact that they the reason why the people of the earth have lost most of its population. For Kim, his revenge would compensate the life of the people of the earth.


    Kim entered his mental domain after fully rested from fighting the lich. That time, the voice told him he found the way to break the seal that isolating Borneo from the outside world. Before this, Kim and Momo have tried several times to leave but there is some kind of an illusionary barrier that made them return to where they came from.


    The voice told Kim he needed to kill three guardians to break the seals. Fortunately, Kim already killed two of them accidentally. Now he only left with one. The Lord of Chimaera.


    ''

 47 Chapter 47

    Slowly over the years, the world has changed as people adapting with the invisible energy called mana. People wielding unusually power and the sight of monsters has become common now. This year also the first year where the mortality rate of human has decreased as more and more people awakened to become a mana user.


    Still, it''s not rare to see people dying every day. Especially in rural places where the troops from other world people are not there to help the earthens. Only people who live in the main city such as Kuala Lumpur are getting the benefit due to the limited numbers of other world people came to earth.


    Monsters are frightening, but desperate people are the worst. Humans would do anything to survive. The world of mana has caused people to live with the strongest being on top and the weak are mere fodders. A new hierarchy has been born based on power. It was worst for earthen as they have to bow to otherworldly "heroes" and pleased them however they wanted to be pleased.


    -----


    Momo was sitting on a boulder bigger than herself just outside of the village. Her beautiful purple hair flutters as the wind blew. Her eyes flicker with a faint purple glow as she continues observing towards a certain direction. Kim may be far away from her, but she could always sense his warm mana.


    She wanted to follow but Kim didn''t let her. He told her that the voice asked him to go alone and this would be some kind of tribulation he has to face by himself. Momo insisted to go but Kim only patted her head and told he will come back soon. He smiled at her and told her to get ready to cross the sea.


    "No need to worry about bro Kim, princess. You how strong he is... that Chimeara or whatever won''t get him"


    "Uncle... it''s not that I''m worried about Master losing...it''s just that I''m afraid Master would lose himself"


    -----


    "So this guy is the Chimeara you were talking about?"


    "Yes, kid. Like Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra, this one is also a special kind of Chimaera. The Lord of Chimeara, Chimeara of the origin, "


    There are many folktales regarding Chimaera across the globe. Unlike Hydra or Cerberus, depending on the culture of which region or which country the way how Chimaera is always different from one another.


    However, one thing is the same. Chimaera is a monster that consists of different parts of animals. Another thing that the majority of books, video games or movie depicted Chimaera with the main body of a lion.


    The one Kim seeing in front of him is a lion which you can find easily on the internet. Despite the gigantic size, it is just an oversized lion. It doesn''t have any other features like the tail of the snakes, or eagle wings and talon or scally body. No zebra leg. No extra heads like elephant or monkey. Just a one-headed huge lion.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes"


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    "Have you seen Chimaera before? Or you just forgot how it looks like, old geezer?"


    "Even if I''m blind I could sense this monster to be a Chimaera from another part of the world, brat. But it''s like what you thought... it''s weird... this one look more like a wingless Sphinx"


    Hearing the word Sphinx, Kim''s ear twitched.


    "But I never saw Chimaera of origin as well...something is wrong here"


    "Well there''s only one way to find out"


    Kim unleashed his mana while readying his stance. Sensing a sudden fluctuation of mana, the so-called Lord of Chimaera responded with an intimidating roar that would strike fear in the heart of many living being.


    But Kim resisted. He wasn''t the weak him six years before.


    The roar almost didn''t affect him at all. Except that, he could still feel the unpleasant feeling as if something is trying to grab his soul. Instead of fear, he felt irritated. Unpleasant memories started to flash into his mind.


    He could sense the overlapping image of Alpha Cerberus and King Hydra on top of the so-called Lord of Chimaera in front of him.


    Now he understood what that unpleasant feeling was.


    Back then his knees would fail him. Unable to stand properly with his whole body trembling due to fear. He could only watch all of his friends die in front of him. But today, knowing the being in front of him is related to the two monsters that killed his friends. His blood is boiling from his thirst of revenge.


    All the cells in his body are telling him to rip the monster in front of him apart, flesh by flesh.


    "This feeling, I''ve been holding it for a long time... I know you are only a product of a devious plan but I still blow off my steam somehow!"


    Kim waved his arm apart and two mountains appeared the Chimaera sides trapping it like a giant wall. However, the Chimaera was too big that it looked like it could easily leap through the mountains with ease. But the mountains were only a distraction to bind the Chimaera legs with trees that grew out of nowhere.


    Angered, the Chimaera let out a roar and two more heads appeared on its body. One looked like a dog and another one looked like a snake. It was the head of Cerberus and Hydra with a lion head in the middle. Kim was astonished by the scene and felt like the voice wasn''t wrong at all. However, he didn''t have the time to think about it as the three head started to open their mouth. Each of them forming three fireballs of different colours. Red, purple, and lastly, white.


    Kim prepared his fireballs which emitted extreme heat. Kim put up his hands and the three fireballs were dancing on his palms. He faced his palms toward the Chimaera.


    Both of them shoot their fireballs which burns the entire area as the two attacks collided and exploded. The explosion has covered the whole place with smokes which blocked each other view.


    The Chimaera expanded its mana sense to try to locate Kim but failed due to the disarray flow of mana from the explosion. Noticing a sudden fluctuation of mana, feathery wings grew from it back and the fur on its legs hardens and become a sharp scales that cut the tree from binding it. The Chimaera then flew away before getting squished like a mosquito by the two mountains beside it.


    The Chimaera flap it mighty wings, sending a strong gust to clear its view. However, Kim was already gone. That moment, it felt a sudden chill piercing through its bone. As the air temperature dropped, snow started to fall. The Chimaera fur grew thicker to protect itself from the cold. The fur even changed its original brown colour into white.


    "The Chimaera of Origin is truly in a different league than a normal Chimaera. I''m sure you already guess it as well kid. The source of its power"


    Kim who was hiding within the falling snow continued to observe Chimaera. After a moment of silent, Kim gave the voice a short reply.


    "A Conjurer"


    Before the voice said anything Kim continued


    "Its body is naturally strong. So it''s not an enchanter. This monster must be a two-type user. Manipulator and Conjurer"


    Within his sealing place, the voice smile faintly, feeling proud of his teaching.


    "Aren''t you grate-"


    "What? I can''t hear you. The storm is getting noisy!"


    The snowfall has become severe. Added with strong wind, a calm snowfall has become a violent blizzard trapping the Chimaera inside. After the fight with the Lich, Kim has gained more insight as a manipulator.


    He understood that, for a mana-user, what''s important is their source of power which is mana. It doesn''t matter whether a person is an enchanter, a manipulator, or even a conjurer. They all have the same source of power which is mana. However, everything within the universe has different patterns of mana flow.


    When a person can understand just a bit of the pattern would enable him or her to use a certain portion of mana. When a person can fully grasp the pattern, he will gain mastery and become a master user. Thus, a master user usually would have a single type of mastery due to how hard it is to understand even one pattern of mana flow.


    However, what Kim had transcended that. Instead of understanding the pattern of mana flow, he gained control instead. It''s like making all the exam questions and knowing all the answer instead of studying for the test.


    Although not much, Kim could manipulate almost anything as long he could understand the flow of mana.


    The blizzard he produced is not as much as the fire which he manipulated for many years. So the Chimaera was able to free itself with a gust of wind from its wings. They both landed on the ground at the same time, keeping an eye to each other.


    "How come Chimaera is stronger than Cerberus and Hydra. Aren''t they suppose to be similar?"


    "If Cerberus and Hydra were alive they would be this strong as well. You are not the only one getting stronger after 6 years. Can''t you see how empty this place is from monsters? It might have a feast absorbing the mana of the monsters near this area. You were lucky to fight both of them at their weakest form"


    The Chimaera let out a roar and giant lizard tails grew from its back. Then two strong limbs which looked like bear arms grew by its side. A turtle shell with spikes on its back. Horns that was similar to behemoth protruded from the main lion head in the middle. What was now just only a giant lion has started to wear its shining armour. Moreover, it may have more to offer.


    "You telling me to stop feeling each other out huh? That''s good... that''s good!"


    Kim suddenly rushed toward the Chimaera with a burst of mana. The Chimaera felt intimidated as it struggled to escape from Kim''s mana pressure. The Chimaera felt threaten and let out another roar which summoned a barrage of lightning strikes that directed toward Kim.


    Kim did several side steps while running towards the Chimaera leaving only after image just before the lightning managed to strike him. Some of the lightning was even sent back to hit the Chimaera. Angered, the Chimaera let out its mana and grew more vicious-looking and bigger than before. At this point, the Cerberus and the Hydra which Kim fought can''t even compare. Kim is just the size of an ant in front of the Chimaera.


    The Chimaera also rushing in like a raging bull. Both of them head towards one another bursting with mana. Blood in Kim''s vein began to boil madly making his heart beating with excitement. At this point, he forgot the urge of revenge and only wanted to enjoy this battle.


    "This is more like it! Come!"


    ----


    One year has passed since the Borneo incident. It was considered as the worst exploration mission since the start of the calamity.


    Taking responsibility, General Hassan publicly announced his retirement and the torch was taken by one of the personal knights of Prince Ray, Varius. He is the strongest S-rank mana user among Prince Ray personal knights, placing him in the first rank.


    Many were suspicious of why Hassan would take early retirement because of that one single mistake. Especially when the one who took the title was not earthen.


    Some say Prince Ray has always plan to find a way to get rid of earthen from getting involved with any kind of administration happening in the country. But there were some rumours regarding Prince Ray wanted Hassan as one of his knights.


    The rumours did spread a while, but then soon flew by like the wind.


    No one would expect 3 mythical monsters would appear near Borneo. Even Prince Ray or his trusted advisor Silva themselves would fail if they were taking command.


    What had happened has happened. Ex-General Hassan has been off the public scene since then.


    -----


    He never felt regret retiring from the general position. The only thing that hurt him the most was the fact that he couldn''t do anything for those who had lost a member of their family. The only reason he took that position was to protect the citizen of Malaysia. But if he couldn''t save the lives who just fall last time, then why bother anymore?


    He knew he couldn''t just sit back and watch any longer. Being a General under Prince Ray wasn''t the right place for him. Right now, he has one more important mission to accomplish.


    "You have arrived"


    Hassan looked toward Zane who suddenly appeared from the shadow and gave him a nod. They then proceed along the corridor together towards a giant wooden door which was engraved with a pattern that resembled a tiger


    Hassan knocked the door in a certain way and the door opened by itself. Light shone to both of their faces as they see a group of people who seems to be waiting for their arrival.


    "Welcome, leader!"

 48 Chapter 48

    "We didn''t know what was coming"


    A candle was standing on top of what seems to be a tin of assorted cookies in the middle of the dark living room due to blackout. Ahmad was sitting in front of his children telling them his story while his wife was preparing the dinner with a gas stove in the kitchen.


    Ahmad is a fisherman who lives in a rural village beside the sea. During the calamity, most animals had become vicious, including pet which eventually turned into monsters. However, near the beach, they weren''t that many land animal and most sea critters aren''t able to go on the land. Thus, they had fewer casualties when compared to inland. It''s quite common to see one whole family survive.


    Looking at the flickering eyes full of curiosity, Ahmad began to turn up the notch in his story.


    "The storm was wild, the sea was violent. The dark sea is home to unknown dangers. But your dad and other uncles had to go out to earn for a living and catch those damn fishes! Ouch!"


    A plate flew straight toward Ahmad''s head, making him felt a throbbing pain.


    "No bad words," His wife told him as she was smiling.


    Despite being an enchanter, Ahmad didn''t have the aptitude to become an adventurer to earn a living. He is a low-class D-rank who couldn''t even go up against a flying chicken monster by himself. That was true for other fishermen in the village as well. They had to go out risking their life venturing the sea to catch fishes. It was fortunate for them there are more fish which stays as fish rather than becoming monsters. And most sea monsters live deeper in the sea.


    "Looking at how bad the weather was, we decided to turn back. However, we were too late... the storm was already coming. The raging wind mercilessly struck our boat and rip it apart. We all had to hang on a floating plank for our lives. But that was only the beginning of danger..."


    During the short silence, the children begin to get closer to hear more of their dad''s story. Their mother left the stove to let the food boil for a while and sit beside Ahmad to join the storytelling. She poured hot milo in cups for all of them to drink while waiting for the food to finish getting cooked.


    "We heard a sudden scream out of nowhere. Uncle Razak lit his fire to brighten the surrounding. When I finished counting heads, one person was missing. Just as I was about to tell Uncle Razak, another scream!"


    The children flinched as Ahmad was shouting.


    "We were confused and your dad had a feeling that I might not see all of you again..." He said with a saddened tone as he looked at his wife and children.


    "The sea shook, trembling violently...gushing out of the water... a monster"


    Even though they were still small during the calamity, growing up in the world mana has significantly increased the impact of the word ''monster'' in this world. Before, folk stories are often told to teach lessons to children or make them behave from doing dangerous and foolish things. Nowadays, every story has truth in it.


    When they heard that their dad was helplessly hanging on a small wood while facing a monster in the middle of the sea, shivers pierce through their spine. The younger one got closer to her mother and grab her arm.


    "A giant octopus with eight long tentacles that could send wriggle you to death. We could see crewmates who were vanished moment ago, struggling to get out of it. The monster opened its mouth showing lines of razor-sharp teeth. It let out a roar which almost made your dad fainted. Knowing I was in the sea I managed to stay awake! Good thing the sea suddenly turned cold"


    "D-did..did dad die?"


    Ahmad gave a slight cough and continued to tell the story.


    "The monster was about to eat my friends when suddenly the tentacles holding them were cleanly cut by a flying a sword!"


    When the children heard about a flying sword, their eyes flickered with excitement. Seems like their worries about their father has gone just like that. Ahmad was a bit disappointed but seeing how their mother smiled and nodded to him, he decided to continue.


    "Yes flying sword wen whoosh and the tentacles were cut off. But, instead of falling into the sea they fell on a solid floor of ice!"


    "The sea froze?!"


    "Yes, the sea froze!"


    ---


    A spine chilling sensation pierce through his bone due to the drastic drop of the sea temperature. To his shock, the seawater around him has turned to ice. Whilst in a state of confusion, a voice of a young man came to him.


    "Uncle! Are you okay?"


    Ahmad looked behind him and saw two young people, a boy and a girl was standing on the ice. Both of them was wearing black robes with a hoodie that cover their head and their entire body. On the girl''s shoulder, a small blackbird was perching comfortably. Even though they look young, Ahmad somehow can feel an overwhelming presence from all of them, including the bird.


    The boy lent his hand toward Ahmad and pulled him out of the water.


    "It must be cold in the water"


    "Master look, an octopus. It looks delicious..."


    The girl said it while licking her lips.


    "We haven''t eaten for a while since we started crossing the sea. How do you like your seafood? Should we just boil it or burn it?"


    Ahmad, unable to comprehend the conversation between those two couldn''t utter a single word. Then suddenly, the monster roared and released its mana pressure. He and his crewmates couldn''t bare the power and had their body stuck to the floor.


    It seems that the monster was angered from having its meal interrupted by those two. Ahmad used the last of his to speak to them.


    "Thank you for saving me...no us just now. But I heard the monsters in the sea are at least superior. Please run while you still can"


    Instead of replying, the two of them continued with their conversation. Just by the look, they were way into it that they didn''t even hear a single word from Ahmad.


    "Master, how about both? And we could share with them as well?"


    The girl made a single gesture with her hand and in a flash, the giant octopus was cut into pieces. The boy then put his forward, shooting flames toward almost half of the pieces, while others fell into the sea. The girl then made another gesture sending dozens of needles which pierce into each of the pieces. The pierce flesh of octopus then flew toward her. She then had a big chomp.


    "Oh, master! This is well cooked"


    Ahmad couldn''t agree more as he could smell the nice scent of cooked octopus lingering in the air. Not just him, but everyone there could smell the nicely cooked octopus.


    "I''ll go boil the rest of it. You go check if anyone is injured. Hey, stop munching!"


    "Ohkay masher" *Nyam *Nyam


    The girl finished the octopus in her mouth and went toward Ahmad.


    "Are you okay uncle?"


    ---


    "That''s how I survived from getting eaten by the giant octopus-like monster. We were lucky. If both of them were a second too late, most of us would be eaten alive or get our bones crushed!"


    After he finished saying that, he took a sip of hot milo from the cup that lay on the floor in front of him. His children who were getting excited from listening ask their dad with glistening eyes.


    "Those two must be strong!"


    "Yes. They are both young, but very strong. Stronger than any people I ever met before. And..."


    "And?"


    "...you both have them before..."


    The children looked at each other feeling confused from their father''s statement as if they were trying to find answers from each other face. ''When did we ever met people as strong as that?'' Much less two, even finding one is close to impossible. There''s only a hand of people who could easily kill a superior rank monster by themselves. Among them, the number of people who could one-shot a superior monster can be count with ten fingers. Most of them are currently in the city of Kuala Lumpur now.


    "Dad, tell us, tell us! Who''s the two of them are?"


    "Ah, time for dinner!"


    At that crucial moment, their mother has started to serve food for dinner as if it was planned all along. The children pout their cheek feeling dissatisfied. Little do they know that Ahmad wasn''t planning to end his story here. Ahmad took another sip and told his children


    "They asked me to not spread anything about them but...one thing I can tell both of you"


    The children still making a pouting face pretending to not having any interest in what their father was going to tell them when in fact their heart earn for an answer. Or even a clue! But Ahmad who was cheery a moment suddenly show a very serious expression as if they did something wrong.


    "When I asked them how they got here, they said that they walked. Just walked on the sea. They didn''t tell me their destination but..."


    The children heart beat faster and faster as they get close to knowing the identity of a strong person who they might have met before.


    "They said, they came from Sarawak"


    Again another question mark appeared on top of their heads as they are trying to figure out where they heard of a place name Sarawak. If they are strong people there then it should be a popular place. The answer they get however was more surprising than what they expected as their father slowly whispered to them the most taboo word in the earth right now.


    "Sarawak...is a part of Borneo. Both of them walked there from the forbidden land Borneo"


    ----


    "Master *nyam* *nyam* do we have more of the fried squid?"


    "What fried squid? *nyam* *nyam* it''s an octopus *nyam* nyam*"


    "Master! What''s that in your mouth?! You told me we only have the boil one left!"


    "Well, yes. After I ate we only have boiled octopus"


    The two of them continued to much the fried octopus they got in the last fight. Even though they prepared both fried and boiled octopus, the fried ones taste much better. The fishermen whom they shared their food also had the same opinion.


    After killing the lord of Chimaera, the barrier which separated Borneo from outside has finally opened. When both of them getting ready to leave Borneo, Rentap and his men have already decided to stay with the ambition of rebuilding Borneo due to the request of Enggang.


    It took them almost a week just to cross the South China Sea to Malaysia peninsular. Since the earth has been growing since its awakened, it would take them both shorter time if they were crossing the original distance of Borneo to Malaysia peninsular. Nevertheless, they had reached their first destination by living off eating what they call seafood monsters along the way.


    The sixth day of the week, they sensed the presence of human which caused their heart to beat with excitement. After living their lives in constant risk of death within a land full of monster, they finally could see another human beside the warriors.


    Good thing they were managed to sense those fishermen as they might get eaten if they didn''t rush to the scene after sensing the presence of a monster.


    As gratitude, the people in the fishermen invited to the village and welcome them with a feast. It was fun as they greet more and more people and shared how the world has changed since the calamity. Momo also went to play with the other children, accompanied by Enggang whom all the children called ''Blackie''.


    Even though they were asked to stay for a while, but Kim has already decided to depart as soon as he can after hearing some stories from the villagers about the hero from another world who came to rescue the people of earth.


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    Momo understood her master decision and decided to follow. The villagers offered them a lot of food for their journey, but they could only bring what they could hold. Now with a determined look on his face, Kim looked at Momo with a serious expression on his face.


    "Momo"


    "Yes, master?"


    "Let''s get ourselves some money!"


    "Yes, master!"


    With flickering eyes, they walk toward the sunset with burning passion


    One voice silently whispered to himself


    "Hah these kids"

 49 Chapter 49

    "Master"


    "Yes Momo"


    "Where are we going?"


    "Just walk"


    "But we''ve been walking for days"


    "Just walk"


    "But"


    "Then let''s run"


    "..."


    The two young people continue on with their journey after reaching peninsular Malaysia. After six years isolated from the rest of the world, they finally embarking their adventure outside of Borneo.


    However, the situation they were facing was not as how they thought it would be. Ever since they set outside of Borneo all they did was walking.


    They had crossed the sea by walking on ice for days. There were some encounters with monsters but the monsters were much weaker when compared to those in Borneo which didn''t satisfy their boredom from walking. The monsters were too weak that it ended in a flash!


    By the time the number of monsters they fought reach to hundreds, they had to hunt for the monsters themselves since the monster stop coming and they need to fill their belly.


    Good thing they managed to sense some stranded fishermen who were being attacked by a monster octopus which ended their long-lasting journey. Little do they know that the same thing is happening again on the land as they walk toward Kuantan, from Kuala Terengganu. At this point, even the monsters have stopped attacking, as if they were the monsters.


    The fishermen village where they were before is situated by the beach in Terengganu. The fishermen took Kim and Momo to their hometown as gratitude for saving their lives.


    During that time, Kim managed to get some pieces of information regarding the current situation on earth. Even though most info Kim got was about Malaysia, he could assume that similar thing is happening in other places since the era of mana is very new to anyone on Earth.


    Considering that the so-called heroes or the otherworldly people who came to earth are the ones that were mentioned by the voice, they may have the similar modus of operation in other places and almost the same goal why they are here.


    Another thing he suspected was the weird reaction Ahmad had when Kim mentioned both of them came from Borneo. Not only he was shocked but his body was trembling with cold shivers just by listening to the word Borneo. It almost like the word Borneo itself is a disaster. Kim didn''t inquire more and Ahmad even told them to keep this a secret between them. Not even the other fishermen knew about this matter.


    "It seems that to them Borneo is a forbidden place. Seeing how weak the monsters are around here, it''s a no wonder why no one even visited us in the first place."


    "Does it mean we are much stronger than the people here master?"


    "Who knows? The universe is vast. There are also those so-called heroes as well as S-rankers. The old geezer did mention how different people have different aptitude with mana. Making them much stronger than others"


    Even though he was showing a seemingly cold expression, he was a bit excited to see how other people were using mana. He was also interested in how knowledge is applied in the current world when he saw lightings in houses were powered by electricity generated by mana.


    This mana came from an orb called mana stone which harvested the mana from nature and converted it to electricity. It will then flow into electrical appliances like a light bulb. The mechanism was similar to how machines work before with only using mana as the source of energy. But there was no waste, as the heat would be absorbed to nature and again go with the cycle.


    He could even sense the electromagnetic waves being transmitted more efficiently using mana. It helped a rural village like the fishermen village to have stable and faster internet connectivity. Watching YuTube or streaming on NitFlix has never been this less stressful.


    One thing he wanted to see was the progress with transportation. The boat the fishermen were boarding still uses oil as their fuel. Ahmad told him that the sea was dangerous to explore so only the military is provided with mana powered transportation like boat and ship to stop civilian from venturing the sea. Car was dangerous as it may attract nearby monsters. It''s better to walk or ride on tamed monsters to commute by land.


    However, in a big city like Kuala Lumpur, public transportation has adapted to mana technology. It is safe since most cities are protected with an anti-monster barrier. Albeit small, the same barrier is protecting the fisherman village as well. Kim is very much interested in this part because of the book that he read which depicted teleportation as a mode of transport.


    Back then, the theory was laughable but to him, it was fascinating. Now that mana has evolved and people are adapting with it day by day, there''s no such thing as illogical anymore. The sky wasn''t the limit anymore! Kim is only able to move faster than an ordinary could catch. It was only a mere instantaneous movement with explosive speed. It couldn''t be compared with how the crazy lich teleports from one place to another.


    After walking for days without stopping, he wishes he could teleport as well or maybe use a faster or more viable mode of transportation. He now has more reason to visit Kuala Lumpur. Unable to hold his urge, he started to run with Momo by his side. They have been like this for almost half a day now.


    "Momo hide your presence"


    Momo nodded without a question.


    Both of them concealed their mana close to perfection and hide on top of a tree. A mana user might even mistake both of them as two ordinary people. Within their sight, a wolf was standing in front of a three-person group.


    Undergoing monsterization, the wolf has grown as tall as 3-metre in height, making it larger than any of the person standing in the group.


    "I told you a high-rank Wolf would be here. We could force it to call its pack and finish our mission swiftly" Said the person with a bulky build standing in the front most. He seems to be the leader of the group.


    A slender man behind him had some doubt "Wouldn''t it be hard to force a high-rank monster to corners? Isn''t it better to just kill it and slowly reduce their strength?"


    "I''m a B-rank! I can stand on par with high-rank monsters. All you need to do is stand there and support me got it? Besides, only the strongest wolf would stay alone in front of the pack. The rest must be easier to handle once we killed it"


    The man didn''t give any response with doubt still intact in his heart. The other person just nodded in silence. They took out their weapon and get ready for battle.


    "Battle formation!"


    The bulky man acted as a vanguard and shouted to provoke the wolf to attack him. The wolf gave him a glance and didn''t move an inch. The man felt insulted as he felt like the wolf doesn''t even bother to pay attention to him. Or maybe the wolf is just scared?


    "If you not coming then here I come!"


    The man enhanced his body and rushed towards the wolf, like a bulldozer. At the same time, the slender man creates a mana barrier to protect the bulky man. The other person suddenly vanished without a trace.


    "Master... should we just watch?"


    "Let''s just see first"


    The reason why Momo wanted to help was that the leader of the group had made 3 wrong assumptions which could cost them their lives. The first one was, the wolf in front of them is a superior rank monster. It took Kim and Momo just a glance to measure its strength. It''s clear that the bulky man doesn''t stand a chance fighting the wolf head-on.


    The bulky man thrust his sword forward to try and penetrate the giant wolf strong body. But the wolf didn''t show any response at all. The bulky man had a smirk on his face.


    "Underestimate me and you are dead!"


    To his shock, the giant wolf let out a howl which stops him in his place. He is paralyzed and couldn''t move a single muscle. From that single howl, the wolf has bound him with enough fear to cause him to paralyze. His giant sword drop from his hands. Even though he could see death was approaching, he couldn''t even shout for help.


    Before the wolf could get closer an arrow was shot from its blind spot at incredible speed. It was the other person who vanished in thin air. The person concentrates on his arrow hoping it would at least injure the wolf and give chance for his leader to broke free from the paralyzed state. The next moment, however, would make all 3 of them regretted their decision for fighting the wolf... no... the monster in from of them.


    As the wolf deflected the arrow, it stood up with its hind leg a human. Looking at this, the 3 of them was trembling in fear. That was their second mistake, the wolf they are facing is actually a werewolf! Everyone knows, that the weakest werewolf is at least a superior rank monster. Even an A-rank wouldn''t win unscathed. However, their nightmares haven''t finished yet.


    Even though being an adventurer could give you fame and fortune, but it is an unstable and risky job. The unexpected will always happen and people always die from misjudgement. Even with good judgement skill, people could also die for simply being unlucky.


    Their third mistake was, the fact that they found the werewolf was false. It was simply the werewolf found them who found them. All of the three mana sense become chaotic as they realized the situations they were in. As they see pairs of red eyes appearing one after another, blocking their path of escape. They could feel the bloodlust coming from those pairs of eyes. Each one of these wolves is at least a high-rank monster.


    A wolf is natural predators which hunt in a pack. The Alpha Wolf, the strongest of them would lead the pack in a hunt. Not only they have an excellent nose that could detect their prey from miles away, but they also have the natural ability to conceal themselves. After the awakening, monsterization had made these wolves becoming deadlier than ever. Even more terrifying is their numbers. These group of wolves appearing now would easily cause chaos in a small city.


    Sensing that they are being surrounded, the group can only taste despair. No miracle would be able to help them now. Unless a group of A-rank numbered to a dozen would suddenly pass this forest, then there is no possible way for them to survive. All of them were on their knees unable to leaving their life to fate.


    Fortunately, fate was on their sides.


    Two of the wolves were about to munch off the head of the slender man and the archer but a huge amount of blood suddenly spurted from their neck and they instantly die. It was only a moment but the archer was able to see some kind of a sword went through the neck of the wolf and vanished in a split second. If his speciality wasn''t speed, then he would think that an invisible force suddenly killed the wolves.


    The slender man heard the voice of a girl calling to him.


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    "Are you okay, uncle?"


    He was confused to see a girl with purple hair and violet eyes appeared out of nowhere gave him a pure smile. He felt like his nightmare had turned into a dream.


    "Are you a goddess from heaven? Have I die?"


    The werewolf felt alarmed and turn its focus toward the top of a certain tree. However, it wasn''t able to sense anything out of ordinary.


    "Hello, Mr. Wolf. Are you looking for me?"


    The bulky man was shocked to see the back of a young boy suddenly appeared in front of him. But the man couldn''t unsee the terrifying monster in front of him who is several times bigger than the young boy.


    "Run kid! It''s a superior-rank monster!"


    The werewolf heard both of them and didn''t waste its time swinging its powerful claw towards Kim. The man felt grateful towards the young boy for trying to save his lives, but it was a pity a good-hearted young boy to die early for saving someone like him. He couldn''t watch what was going to happen. If only he wasn''t paralysed, he would throw himself to the front and let the young boy run.


    "Hmmm?"


    Even though the werewolf swung his claw, there was only silence. Was the cut too clean? He forces himself to raise his head and open his eyes. The moment he saw what has happened, he knew his judgement was wrong again.


    Kim casually blocked the werewolf sharp claw with a lift of a finger. He smiled and looked toward the bulky man.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yes, sir!"

 50 Chapter 50

    Kim never had any grudge against monsters. At the beginning of the sudden calamity, he was shocked and too angry by the fact that his family and friends have been killed by monsters.


    With mind cluttered by his quest for vengeance, he will kill monsters on sights. After much killing, he gradually understood that monsters kill to survive. It''s their instinct to find food and try to live in their way.


    Kim has seen different species of monsters who live in the same habitat without any interest in eating one another. There are even some monsters which consume mana from nature instead of ripping each other apart.


    As days go on, Kim would only attack when the opposing try to harm him. Or if he just hungry and wanted some thrill from battles. Other than that, he wouldn''t touch a single hair of a monster with no reason.


    For Momo, the monster which ate her was the one that saved her from her crisis. If King Hydra didn''t keep her in its stomach she might be killed by other monsters. She even lived off chewing its burnt meat with her life hanging on a thread.


    Without realizing it, the prey has become the predator. Each of their strength has placed both of them on top of the food chain. Even with all their strength they only hunt for monsters when they need food, and leave them alone if they are not disturbed. To them, monsters are just more powerful animals enhanced by mana.


    In other words, they don''t kill when it''s not necessary.


    Shocked, the werewolf dashed backwards to create a safe distance. The moment its claw felt the sensation of hitting a hard iron wall when it was blocked by a single finger, it knew the person in front of it was dangerous. Kim always keeps his mana locked inside of him without leaking any of it. Even upon contact, it''s hard to feel a slight hint of his mana.


    Momo could also hide her mana, but Kim is a sovereign who could freely control his mana as if he is breathing. If someone would get close to Momo and focus their mana sense, they could sense the overflowing power of her mana. But it would still be almost impossible to detect Kim''s.


    But this time, Kim deliberately leaked his mana when the werewolf tried to strike him. Of course, he doesn''t need mana due to his extremely tough body. It wasn''t a show of power or anything like that. It''s some sort of mercy. A simple form of warning.


    He smiled and looked straightly at the werewolf eyes.


    "I''m giving you a chance Mr. werewolf. Run or face me. Your choice!"


    At the end of the sentence, Kim projected his mana pressure to all the monsters present. Momo already grouped the other two-person and made a mana barrier behind Kim and their leader with a bit of a distance.


    The three-person group couldn''t fathom what was happening and could only watch as they were shocked to see all the high-rank wolves and a superior-rank werewolf didn''t dare to move a step forward. They couldn''t sense anything from Kim, but they still feel that he was overpowering the monsters.


    The man who shoots the arrow thanked Momo and asked if it was Kim who saved them. Momo just nodded without a single word.


    "But, I clearly saw a sword was thrown toward the wolf in front of me just now. He doesn''t look like he''s carrying any weapon now. Is he a conjurer?"


    "Sword? What do you mean Teng? I didn''t saw any sword?"


    "..."


    Momo didn''t give him any reply and offered both of them some tea.


    "T-thank you miss"


    "You still not backing off Mr. werewolf? I''ll give you 3 seconds run or I''ll kill all of you. Got it? 3...2..."


    "Awoooooooooo!" The werewolf howl.


    Hearing the howl of the werewolf, Kim took back his mana pressure and all the monsters ran away in fear, except for one. The werewolf.


    "So you are still here then? Why are you getting all excited for Mr. werewolf? You have something more to show me?"


    The bulky man was already released from his paralysis and wanted to help Kim but a tree suddenly grew from the ground and pushed him toward the group behind him. He saw his two other companions and happily call out to them.


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    "Teng, Ling, both of you are safe. Thank goodness!"


    "That goes to you too, Wong. Who is that guy? Is he an A-rank?"


    "I don''t know... I couldn''t sense any mana from him. But I don''t think a single A-rank could stand a chance against a group of wolves lead by a werewolf. Even a dozen number of A-rank wouldn''t win against them unscathed"


    Ling was shocked by that statement as he knew what it means. The young man who was standing in front of the werewolf is indescribably powerful. He may even be an S-rank! As they were discussing, Wong finally noticed a young girl with purple hair and eye. Similiar with Kim, he also couldn''t sense any mana coming from Momo.


    "Are you with him?"


    Momo silently nodded.


    Wong, Teng and Ling didn''t know what to make of this situation and silently observed the young man in front of them. To them, he is their saviour. They just have to put their trust in Kim. They couldn''t deny the fact that if the young man dies then all of them will follow suit.


    Somehow, they didn''t even think of running away even if the could. Somehow, their heart couldn''t stop believing that the young man will win for sure.


    That was until the werewolf started to howl with a devilish voice that could deteriorate a person soul. Its aura was sinister. No light was shone in its eyes. The colour was the blackest it could get. A glance into its eyes felt like getting suck into a black hole.


    This feeling of the void... of nothingness felt surreal. As if the world itself has gone.


    A purplish-black flame started to burn the body of the werewolf. Releasing smoke from its burning body. Impressively there were no burn scar or even any hint of the werewolf getting hurt by the black flame.


    The smoke then gathered around and slowly forming a giant demonic-looking wolf that could stomp a city into the ground with a single foot. Wong, Teng and Ling couldn''t help rubbing their eyes over and over again as they were trying to comprehend the scene that was forming in front of their shock faces.


    It was the formation of a mana spirit. No, it''s the released of its mana spirits. The werewolf already has its own mana spirit. An adventurer who has a mana spirit would be considered as an elite A-rank which is a step behind of an S-rank. A monster that has a mana spirit would mean that it is a monster that would ascend becoming a legendary monster and above. Mana spirit is basically a projection of what a monster will become when they ascend in the future.


    In simple word, only an S-rank would be stronger than this werewolf.


    "This is not good! We must help him!"


    Wong enhanced his whole body and prepared his equipment. He rushed forward but alas, an invisible iron wall was stopping him from moving further ahead. Even with full power, he wasn''t able to break through Momo''s mana barrier.


    "What are you doing? You don''t want to help your friend?"


    Momo didn''t show any hint responding. Instead, it was Ling who replied to him, "Wong...if we can''t even pass her barrier how could we help him?"


    "But..."


    "I know what you are thinking about Wong. But look at how calm she is..."


    Frustrated he threw his sword to the ground and sit on the ground with his leg crossed, pouting his mouth. He then took a sip of the tea that was served by Momo earlier.


    "That''s a scary aura you have there Mr. werewolf"


    The werewolf becoming more devilish-looking every second. Its already huge figure become bigger than it was before. Two of its sharp canine teeth showing as it became too long to keep in its mouth. His razor-sharp claw looked like it could cut iron like butter. His furry body was covered with a purplish-black flame that burns infinitely. Black smoke coming out from its mouth when it breathes. Its pitch-black eyes can only fill one heart with despair the moment anyone took a glance. And behind it... a giant demonic wolf that could crush a person like ants.


    "Awoooooooo!"


    With a hellish howl that is full of terror, the werewolf made a slashing motion with its claw, sending a purplish-black flame toward Kim. Kim only stood there and easily deflected the oncoming fire. The flame shoot forward, almost hitting the group behind Kim. The three of them had their eyes bulged when they saw the massive flame that didn''t stop burning even after the trees beside them has gone.


    A second later, they heard a loud smashing sound. They turn their head again toward the battlefield and now had their jaw agape. The moment Kim deflected the flame, he instantly moved beside the werewolf and smashed the huge monster to the ground, making the shattering pieces flew to the air. The impact scattered the dust, blocking the vision of the three people.


    But it didn''t last long as a sudden burst of a purplish-black flare reduced the dust to nothing. The clear view of Kim who was still in the air with his body burning was shocking for Wong, Teng and Ling even though the owner of the body himself looked calm.


    The werewolf looked more demonic than before with its burning fur. A loud demonic howl that sounded like a shriek from the abyss ringing as the werewolf jumped toward Kim, planning to shred him to pieces with its sharp claws.


    It released its mana pressure that could tear an ordinary mana user apart. Luckily, Wong, Teng, and Ling were protected by Momo or they would have been dead in seconds.


    Kim didn''t back down and decided to have a front clash with the werewolf. He dashed forward leaving a trail of purplish-black flame behind him and instantly appeared several metres apart from the werewolf. The werewolf didn''t falter with the sudden appearance of Kim in front of it. Instead, the werewolf looked more determined than before.


    The werewolf called forth the power of its mana spirit and a faded image of a wolf sharp claw, burning with a purplish-black flame that was several times larger than the werewolf body surrounding its claw. Kim didn''t even flinch and punched forward. At the same time, the flame that was burning his body turned red crimson which covered his entire arm. It''s a fight between fire and fire!


    The clashed has exploded with a burst of flames that burned the surrounding in flames including the heaven and earth. At this point, no one could see anything to tell the outcome of the clash. One thing was obvious. The flame...was crimson red! Not even the slightest hint of the once dominating purplish-black flame could be seen.


    A moment later, a figure crashing down to the ground like a meteorite creating a deafening sound that could be heard several kilometres away. Even within the barrier, the three of them could feel the vibration from the impact transmitted through the ground.


    On the air, in the core of the red crimson flame, a figure slowly falling down. With flames surrounding his entire body, Teng, Wong and Ling feel like they were looking at a god of flame descending to deliver punishment. Slowly the flame started to recede completely, leaving nothing but ashes of surrounding trees burnt to the ground.


    Teng, Wong, and Ling couldn''t believe their eyes as they see the one who was standing now was Kim and not the werewolf. To their knowledge, even an S-rank would have trouble fighting with a superior monster with a mana spirit. However, not only Kim just took the monster down by himself, he even had a clear advantage. He didn''t even look like he was having a hard time. Not even a single hair on his body was burnt.


    The three of them shook vigorously when they saw the feat of a young man in front of them. They were unable to say anything until Wong finally brave enough to approach Momo and asked


    "Miss, who is that young man?"


    Momo who was sitting elegantly took a sip of her tea and answered.


    "He''s my Master"

 51 Chapter 51

    Hearing the word ''Master'' all of them sprayed the tea in their mouth. They wouldn''t dare to feel comfortable in front of the young girl again as they never know how strong a disciple of a monster-like master would be. Even if she was weaker than them, who would know what would happen if they had discontent the young girl even the slightest bit?


    The temperament of a strong person is always unpredictable. Within this era of mana, one with power rule. It was obvious that both Kim and Momo were the two strong one in this case. They had to face this kind of situation before since mana taking over the earth. During the early calamity, it''s the battle for survival. The world of the fittest. Weak, then you get trampled on. Not by monsters, but worst. Human selfishness and greediness. One can only think for oneself. Lick other shoes to gain favours.


    Even worse when the so-called saviours of the otherworld started to bare their fangs. Robbing off earthen from their women and treasures. Taking over their lands. The imperial knights were noble and well mannered since they are directly under the command of Prince Ray.


    But the otherworlder that came afterwards, has ruined their lives for so long. Even though Prince Ray had issued a command of sending them as protection for the earthen since the imperial knights were a bit underhanded, they were still out of control. Complaints have been sent but it was nearly impossible to take action for every wrongdoing considering how many people they are in Malaysia with all the otherworlder people coming.


    Judging by Momo''s vibrant purple hair and eyes colour, they could assume that both of them are people from the otherworld. Which increased their anxiety more. Still, they couldn''t neglect the fact they were saved. Even with all the bad reputations of the otherworlder, there were still those with the heart of gold.


    At this point, it doesn''t matter what kind of person that saved them if they could live to see another day. The three of them continued to observe the battle again as they knew even if the werewolf was down on the ground, doesn''t mean the match was over. Fighting against a monster is not the same as fighting against a human. Even if it is defeated, it would still try to kill again and again. Let it run and it will come back stronger or hunt weaker human. There''s only one solution.


    "What are you waiting for? Kill it before it''s too late!" Wong shouted.


    Werewolf is a superior-rank monster not just because of its strength but mainly due to its extreme vitality. Even if its limb was cut, it could regrow it again.


    "Regeneration huh? Interesting. I haven''t fought any kind of monster that could heal itself that fast, besides that snake"


    After recovering its arm, it made a howl and a sudden burst of mana exploding from the werewolf. Its mana spirit appeared again looking more clearly than before. The mana bursting from its body was more powerful than before but it seemed to be struggling. As if the werewolf was pushing itself passing its limit. It''s probably was an all-or-nothing attack. A final struggle against Kim at the cost of its life.


    Kim could only sigh. He took a step forward and suddenly in front of the werewolf with his palm touching the solar plexus of the werewolf. The moment Kim''s palm made a contact the purplish-black flame was extinguished instantly. At the same time, the earth trembled and a small dome forming around Kim and the werewolf obstructing others from viewing what was happening in the inside.


    "I never knew enhancement could even change the features of your body. This is fascinating but what I wanted to know more is why you are attacking another human"


    The werewolf eyes flinched in a moment a smile carved on its face due to exhaustion. Feeling its mana been drained slowly out of its soul, the werewolf finally gave up struggling and accepted that the young mans'' power was inconceivable. The fur that covered its entire body slowly fall apart leaving a bare-naked muscular man standing in front of Kim with a calm face. It became him.


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    Kim thought it was a good thing he didn''t bring Momo inside. He tried to divert his gaze but the tower of babel was so large that it was hard to left it unnoticed. Kim put his best effort to direct his eyes into the man eyes, waiting for an answer. Instead, the man replied with a question.


    "How did you know I was human? Is it the reason why you holding yourself back from killing me?"


    "Nope. Just feel like it"


    "I sided with monsters to attack human. Don''t you despise me?"


    "I don''t know you. Why would I hate you? Why do you being a monster or human matters? What I do know is that you could kill them in one swift move without them knowing. Why bother luring them here?"


    "Hmmm... I never wanted to kill anyone. Neither did the wolves"


    "Then why were they hunting you?"


    "It''s a question I''ve been asking myself as well"


    Outside the stone dome, the three men were sitting within Momo''s barrier in a docile manner. Behind them, Momo was sitting comfortably while observing them. They come up to a conclusion that Momo might be a powerful mana user as well since she could hold three of them in check without breaking a sweat.


    Suddenly, Wong could sense Momo neared him within a second. ''When did she approached me?'' He thought. Teng was impressively shocked as well since his mana sense was much more sensitive than the other two from his practice with his bow.


    "Why do you wear this giant metal thing around you? Isn''t it heavy?"


    "T-This is called armour miss. You might be young in term of battling monster, but even Master rank mana user needs protection when they fight against monsters. It may slow me down a bit, but I will be more protected!"


    Little do they know, Momo has been battling monsters since the early days of the calamity. She''s actually a veteran when compared to them. It''s the reason why she couldn''t comprehend the effectiveness of wearing something that could slow her down. She and Kim only wear the clothes they founded while travelling around Borneo. They both only went with a more practical and comfortable route when choosing their garment.


    However, what both of them didn''t know was, their body might be stronger than any human-made armour on the earth. They don''t even need them in the first place. But Momo has some interest because it looked cool to her. She looked toward Wong with her puppy eyes, making the person feeling flabbergasted.


    ''I''ve seen this kind of eyes before with my kids''


    "You can touch them if you want"


    After getting approval her eyes shone with excitement. With an ''ooh'' sound she rubbed her palm against the armour as if she was touching an expensive car for the first time. Looking at how excited Momo was, Wong gave a sigh of relief. ''Good. She''s just a little girl'' He thought. Until...


    "So, if I punch you, you won''t die right?"


    That one sentence has sent a striking chilling sensation that made his whole body shivering from fear. Momo made a punching motion which stopped just before she hit him.


    "It was a joke haha...it was a joke...hehe"


    Looking at how Wong is behaving like a mad man, both Teng and Ling made a small distance from him.


    Momo was actually planned to really punch him, but she stopped when she saw there cracks formed even before she touches his armour. Thinking he might ask for compensation she naturally gave up her intention. Wong was too scared to notice there was a crack.


    Momo then slowly walk towards Teng while looking at his bow and arrow. Noticing where she was staring he instantly hugged his weapon. Teng has always taken care of his bow and arrow like his own child. He cleaned them every day, and make sure to maintain them before a quest. He even put them by his bed when he sleeps. Never in his life, he would let anyone touch them. Until today. He lost... to the curious puppy eyes.


    ''She was too cute!''


    Ling could only look at the miserable fate of his friend. He could only feel grateful that it was not his turn...yet. A terrifying thought suddenly entered his mind.


    "You pull this string to throw this pointy stick around?"


    "Yes, it''s called a bow and arrow"


    "Hmmm? Why don''t you just throw them? Isn''t that much more convenient?"


    "The string will create an elastic force which will send the arrow flying at sharp speed with less energy"


    Momo asked because she saw how Teng pulled the string of his bow. The reason why she thought it''s inconvenient was that she thought it would be easier to send the arrow with mana like her sword conjuring. Misunderstood her confuse face, Teng bravely opened his mouth to ask a question.


    "Don''t you have them as well in the otherworld?"


    "Otherworld?"


    "Yes, aren''t you from the otherworld miss?"


    "Hmm? What do you mean? I came from Bor..."


    Before she could finish her answer, the sound of cracking and falling rocks coming from the stone dome could be heard. It was finally opening. Ling let out a sigh of relief but suddenly notice Momo was staring at him as if she was saying ''You are next'' He could only smile wryly and turn his eyes toward the falling rocks.


    To their disbelief, the werewolf was still alive and it was standing with Kim within its reach. Their eyes were bulging from shock.


    "W-why?"


    With a swift move, Momo quickly passed three of them unnoticed. They didn''t realize she was beside Kim until she herself spoke.


    "Master. Are you done?"


    Kim gave her a pat after her greeting. She glanced toward the werewolf and both of their gazes were locked. She smiled and gave it a slight nod then turn her towards Kim again.


    "Did you tamed Mr. Werewolf, Master?"


    ''Tamed?!''


    That short remarked from Momo has caused their jaws to fall on the ground. They thought nothing would be shocking than what they had experienced today. They had a near-death experience from hunting monster wolves. Seeing a werewolf with a mana spirit. A young man who could single-handedly fought the said werewolf. Not only the young man easily defeated the werewolf, but he also tamed it?! At the same time, the three of them face-palmed their own face ''Aiyaa!''


    Never have they experience this kind of event within their lifetimes and now it was happening at once. The townspeople may not believe them but it sure will be a good story to tell their grandkids in the future. At this point, their logics had all gone into the drain.


    "He-He really tamed it?"


    "There''s no way right?"


    "Don''t you think the werewolf was a bit nervous when the miss gaze into its eyes?"


    Wong let out a sigh. He decided to give up on all reasonings. What important was they were their saviours. He walked towards Kim and Momo and the other two followed. When they were near them, Wong was about to kneel on the ground when Kim suddenly stopped his action.


    ''Not only this young man is strong but he is also benevolent'' He thought. But once he raised his head up to look at Kim, it wasn''t what he had expected. Vicious killing intent coming from Kim has succumbed three of to fear. It wasn''t even mana pressure. It was only pure killing intent and they already couldn''t do anything.


    "Why did you hunt the wolves?!"


    "I-it was a job. A job given by the guild from our town. T-they said to kill all the wolves which prey on the townspeople and scavenge their foods..."


    "Is that all?!"


    "T-t-they also told us to bring back the wolves heart as p-proof"


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know. Please don''t kill me. I''m going to wet my pants''


    Kim retracted his killing intents and gave Wong an innocent smile. Teng and Ling weren''t saved from that torturous moment as well. Their legs gave up they collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.


    Kim looked toward the werewolf and talk to it. "I need to further see things to confirm this Mr. Werewolf"


    The werewolf slightly bowed to him and fled from the area. The three of them wanted to question Kim''s action for letting the werewolf but they weren''t able to mutter a single word to go against him. Instead, Kim was the first to ask them.


    "Bring me to your guild"


    Without a slight moment of hesitation, they replied with pure determination.


    "Yes, Master!"


    Hearing the word master, Kim instantly looked toward Momo who replied to him with a tee-hee. She had a burning red cheek afterwards.

 52 Chapter 52

    It was late afternoon. Three grey wolves mobilising through the forest with agile speed. They swiftly avoiding one tree and another, jumping through bushes without a moment of hesitation. Even hours has passed, no kind of obstructions could become hindrances in their tracks.


    Riding on top of the three grey wolves were human. Kim with Momo, Teng paired with Ling, and Wong by himself for being the heavyweight among them all. Their destination was Kuala Terengganu.


    After getting the answers from the three-person group, the werewolf silently left and three grey wolves appeared immediately afterwards. To be precise, they were sent by Mr Werewolf himself.


    "T-t-there''s no in hell way we gonna ride the wolves... right????"


    Ling was shivering with the thought of riding a superior-rank monster wolf which could kill him at any given time. But seeing how casually Momo approached the wolves and brush their head like a tamed animal the negative thoughts were dispersed. He took a bold move and approached one of the wolves which in turn bitten his arm with pleasure.


    "Ahh" Blood started dripping from his arm and his face becoming paler every second. In the end, they were forced to ride the wolves after Kim threatened them with ''another'' method of travel. Terrified, they rode the wolves with ''few scratches''


    Teng who was riding with Ling couldn''t take his eyes off Kim and Momo. Now and then he could see that one fruit and another appeared out of nowhere. One time it was Manggis, another time it would be rambutan. They could even leisurely enjoy some tea while at it. What more frightening was they were not oblivious of Teng watching them. One time, when he was glancing, both of them gazed at his face at the same time which made him stumbled and almost fell to the ground.


    They stop near the town in the forest to avoid any attention from the guards. Among the three wolves, the one who carried Wong look like it was beaten and battered. Feeling sorry Wong feed it some water from his water bottle and brushed its head while it was drinking. Momo also gave some fruits she collected on their way to the wolf she rode with Kim.


    Looking at how warm the atmosphere was, Ling tried one more time to pet the wolf he rode. This time... his hand was safe. But his head was bitten and blood dripped everywhere.


    "Oh my god, Ling!"


    Teng was about to shoot some arrows when Ling gave him a thumbs up signalling he was okay. Teng could only sigh when looking at Ling''s body flailing around aimlessly.


    "Hey Teng"


    "Yes, master"


    "I''m not your master"


    "Okay Sir"


    "I''m younger than you. Please call me Kim"


    "Surely young master Kim!"


    Kim gave himself a facepalm listening to Teng''s respond. He could only stare at the preparator called Momo who brainwashed these three men a while back to address him as Master.


    He never asked Momo to call him master before and even tried to stop her from doing so. It ended with failure. Well, at least he got used to it since there''s only two of them. Now that three more people have joined the cult he''s more worried about what will happen in the future. It could only get more awkward. Explaining would only get worse so he just put it aside for now. At this point, there''s nothing he could do.


    "So how do we enter a city? Is there any requirements?"


    Last time, when he visited the fisherman village, there were mana barrier which could hide them from getting sensed by monsters. There were not many people in the village so it was easier to hide them. During the travel, Kim found out that since the city has more people, it was more likely to attract monsters. So, including the mana barrier, there are also assigned guards belonging to the knights of Varhem Kingdom. Surely they need to provide some kind of documents to pass.


    "Nothing special. Just show them your ic and they will let you pass. Unless you are a criminal, there won''t be any problem"


    "ic?"


    "Yeah, ic. Your identity card. Don''t you have them? Everyone at the age of 12 is required to make an ic"


    Kim knew what an ic is. When he was 12, his father brought him to a government office in Simpang Tiga to make one. Does Malaysia today still using the same one?


    "Can I see yours?"


    "Hmm? Why? Don''t you have one?"


    Teng''s eyes went up and down trying to inspect Kim. It''s weird enough that Kim asked him how to enter a city. Now he also asked him to show Kim his ic. Something felt suspicious.


    "Don''t tell me... young master Kim... you... are you from"


    "!?"


    "from a village?"


    "Why? What''s wrong coming from a village?"


    "I just assumed that since most villages don''t have the chance to visit a city to make an ic. Your village probably don''t have an official guild so you probably come here to make one"


    Kim doesn''t know what Teng was talking about but it seems to go well with the situation so he only nodded in agreement.


    Teng was making some kind of a pose while putting his fingers on his forehead. He looked like he was from an anime with characters that possessed supernatural abilities coming from a unique being that develop based on their will.


    "No worry young master, I shall assist you along with my teammates. Yare, yare"


    While still making the same pose he flashed his blue ic to Kim.


    It seems to be similar as it was before. Except for one additional detail.


    "Rank-C?"


    "Hehe. It seems you noticed young master Kim. I may not look like it, but I''m a rank-C mana user. Of course, compare to young master I''m just a weakling. Wong, there may look dumb but he''s a B-rank. Ling is also a C-rank"


    "..."


    "It''s normal to get shocked by our high ranks young master"


    "No... it''s just that"


    "Say no more"


    "What is this rank thing?"


    "..."


    Teng didn''t know how to respond. For someone in this era who doesn''t know what rank is.... that person must have been living in a cave within these past few years! It''s either that or...


    "You never heard of rank before?"


    Wong who has been listening to their conversation get close to them after he took care of the wolf he rode. Ling also joined the fray with his head fully bandaged. Kim didn''t answer Wong the first time so he asked another question.


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    "Young master Kim, if I may ask... where do you come from?"


    "Malaysia"


    There''s a short moment of pause before Wong asked Kim again


    "Where, exactly?"


    "..."


    No answer. Only silence and the sound of Momo playing around with the wolves in the background. Wong was about to ask another question when Teng interrupted with tears in his eyes.


    "I understand now... *sob* *sob* Young master Kim is truly admirable!"


    Everyone attentions turned toward Teng. Especially Kim with his confused face. ''What else he''s going to say now?''


    "Young master has been training hard, day by day without the care about the world! No wonder you are infinitely strong! You must have been working hard for your family back home as well"


    "Both of our family has been killed or eaten by monsters"


    Momo bid her farewell to the wolves. No words were said afterwards until they reach the city checkpoint. They were several other mana users as well as ordinary people who work as a businessman. They were accompanied by several mana users acting as bodyguards.


    Travelling from one place to another is not a luxury anymore even if one has more than enough money for it. Even for a mana user, stepping outside could mean death. Just like what almost happened to Wong, Teng and Ling.


    "IC"


    The guards asked each person whether individually or in a group before they were allowed to enter the city. Seems that as long one have no records that should be looked into, the process would be smooth.


    The guards use some kind of a scanner to read the details from chips on the ic. There are also auto gates for local residents of the city to enter without passing through the guards. Wong, Teng, and Ling could just pass through the auto gates, but they were lining up to accompany Kim. It was impressive to see Malaysian lining up properly.


    While waiting for his turn, Kim was observing the barrier which keeps the town safe. After his mana sense elevated to the level of a sovereign, he could clearly see the flow of mana which enable him to analyse any mechanism that requires mana. He could sense that the barrier is not exactly a barrier but more like a reflector.


    It''s a double-sided mirror which reflects mana in both ways. Mana from inside would not leak outside and mana from outside will be reflected away. Thus, creating a non-mana zone within a certain distance from the city. Monsters won''t be attracted to this place.


    Even if there is a monster manage to step inside the non-mana zone, another defence mechanism which could kill the monster on-site will activate. Kim could sense several dozens of mana powered artillery which shoot enchanted missiles. This much firepower could potentially stop a group of monsters lead by a high-tier superior rank monster. It may even be able to injure a legendary rank monster! In fact, there were already several corpses of monsters dead in the vicinity.


    "Only monsters get attacked when they approached the city?"


    Wong looked at Kim with an impressed face. Being in a non-mana zone means that it is hard to detect anything with mana sense. He only knew about the defensive mechanism from the city mana user guild notifications. They were in charge of managing the city security.


    "I saw it myself when they lured some monsters for a test run"


    ''That could possibly mean they have a radar to detect monsters. Or sensors. Whichever it is...I wish I could have it when I was in Borneo'' Kim thought about his early life after the calamity. He wasn''t as strong as he is now or even had the capability to control his mana well. The life of neverending chase with him as the mouse was torturous. Especially when his sleep would get disturbed every minute or so. He grabbed his hair in frustration. ''If only I have one! Argh! My precious sleeping time!''


    Wong was flabbergasted with Kim sudden reactions of frustration. Looking at Kim distorted face he thought he said the wrong thing. But Momo assured him that this was normal


    "Don''t worry Uncle Wong. Master always talk to himself in his head"


    Wong wanted to reassure himself by asking Kim if he was really okay. But seeing how Kim''s reaction was getting worse, he decided to let it go. ''I guess all strong people have some quirks''


    "Surprised to see the three of you here, B-ranker Wong, C-ranker Teng and Ling. What didn''t you pass through the auto gates as usual?"


    The guards gave a warm welcome to the group. The three were not just locals, but also famous among the many mana users. They have been one of the first local who actually become mana users and eventually made it to the rank. Rank among mana users is like a pyramid.


    The higher the rank, the less number of people will be within each group of rank. For a B-rank like Wong, it is almost a rare sight within a small city like Kuala Terengganu. Especially when he grouped with two other C-rankers that make them quite an exceptional team.


    "We are here to accompany these two young mana users. Their hometown doesn''t have an official guild for them to register as mana users and get an ic. Would you let us pass?"


    "Sure. If it''s you guys, then there would be no problem at all. Just let us scan their face as procedures and we will let you in. Aren''t you two lucky to actually meet the famous Wong and his friends"


    ''Just do your job and shut up, please. We were lucky to actually meet them''


    "You must be hoping to be disciples of them right? I''m sure you kids won''t survive a day training under them" The guard chuckled slightly after finishing his remarks. He put out his scanner toward Kim and Momo.


    At this point, Wong could only wish he could just break the guard''s vocal cord so he couldn''t speak again. The three of them felt like giving themselves a facepalm. If only the guards knew what had happened, but Kim personally asked them to keep quiet about it.


    *Beep*


    "Hmm?" The guard had a confused face on his face.


    "Are there anything wrong?


    "No no...it''s just...are you sure they are both mana users? This scanner was built to have high sensitivity with mana to help us record someone identity from their mana even in a non-mana zone It kinda work like a fingerprint but with mana as the print"


    "And then?"


    "It couldn''t detect anything from them at all"


    Wong, Teng and Ling looked at each other and then looked toward Kim and Momo as if they were pleading for their life. Kim and Momo looked at each other and nodded. They gave them a thumbs up and asked the guard to scan again. Then...


    "Ahh! The scanner broke"


    Wong, Teng, and Ling couldn''t believe what they heard. They looked at Kim and Momo but the two of them intentionally diverted their gazes not wanting to prove that they were guilty.


    "I guess it was already broken when I tried to scan it the first time. What should I do now?"


    Teng then steps up and told the guard to trust them while putting something in the guard''s hand.


    "They will be registering with the mana user guild soon so it won''t be a problem"


    The guard looked inside his hand and gave himself a long thought. Scratching his head, he finally decided to let it be considering the three reputations within the city.


    "Anything happens, you guys are responsible. Got it?"


    Teng winked at the guard and gave the others a thumbs up. After some trivial problems, they finally allowed to enter the city. Kim and Momo were as excited as the first time when they saw another living human besides themselves. Of course, the warriors are technically humans but they were reborn from Kim''s power.


    After seeing a small fisherman village which was quite modern due to mana technology development one could only imagine how a city would be like. Even more so a capital city like Kuala Lumpur!


    Their heartbeats got excitingly faster for every step they took as they get closer and closer toward the city gate. Today will be the first time of entering mana developed city. Ling noticed the excitement in Kim and Momo''s eyes and smiled. Teng also noticed it and decided to give them a hearty welcome.


    "Young master Kim and Miss Momo, welcome to Kuala Terengganu!"

 53 Rank

    Kim and Momo''s eyes went wide the moment they entered the city. From outside it wasn''t possible to see how the city looked like from the outside due to the giant wall covering every sides and corner of the city.


    Despite the fact that most civilizations have perished during the calamity, humanity never did. It''s more like people has been reborn. Within the brink of extinction, humans have reconstructed civilizations from scratch.


    At first, he felt overwhelmed with the amount of crowd walking around. People were moving everywhere. Living with only two people for many years has only made him less comfortable with other people. Kim wasn''t that social, but he had his friends and family. Even the little time he spent with the warriors didn''t help much.


    Left and right buildings were everywhere. It''s a city after all. They weren''t any tall looking skyscrapers. Even large buildings like a shopping mall seem to be non-existing. Nowadays, with the scarce of food and resources people have been living efficiently more than luxuriously. Also with the drastic decrease in population, there were no necessities to build large.


    Interestingly, Kim could sense that beneath the base of buildings are equipped with mana stones which circulate mana through the wall as a power source. It feels like mana has been replacing all sort of energy and work like the electricities.


    There were no cars or any other vehicles on the bricked road except for railways for self-driving buses to carry people around the city. The bus is fully automated with no driver. The railway provides mana directly which enable it to work without utilizing any fuel. Most transport nowadays produces non-pollutant waste.


    Having a car was not important nowadays as they attract too many monsters within the vicinity of driving it. Since cars were not manufactured anymore, ordinary people could ride bicycles or scooters instead. Richer people would ride hoverboards that levitate in the air.


    Most mana user, however, would prefer their foot because it would be more efficient to walk outside with the lack of proper roads. The moment a person steps outside the city they will be in danger of monsters. It would be better to move however a person want rather than being fast.


    A more efficient way is to actually ride a monster that can even help a person in a fight. But that kind of thing is an extremely rare sight. Only the elite rich people would be able to do that as not many mana users has the ability to tame monsters.


    With the same mechanism as the bus, people could also ride the monorail which travels from one building to another. Tourist could enjoy a cheap city tour from the top.


    "It''s the first time you have been in the city right? Let''s take the monorail"


    Wong and the others promised to be Kim and Momo guide while in the city. It''s the least they could do to repay their saviour. They went to where the people lining up. Teng brought Kim and Momo to buy tickets since they don''t have ic yet.


    Teng scanned his ic at the ticket machine and two cards pop out.


    "There you go. Let''s line up with others"


    IC work like wonder in the city. They use could use to pay for anything. Taking rides, like buses and taxis, or buying groceries in the mart and even paying bills.


    Kim noticed that each ticket cost around 5 points. ''Is it some kind of new currency in this world?'' Kim wanted to ask but it may make him more suspicious. He didn''t want to expose his Borneo origin. His plan was to stay low until he understands the current power situations in this new world.


    "Here is the marketplace. You can find various types of equipment, items and materials you need for your travel"


    ''They must be talking about the things they are carrying with them''


    Whether it was Borneo or Malaysia... or even the rest of the world, everyone needs to kill to survive. Both human...and monsters. Earthen or Otherworlder. Having strong weapons and sturdy armour would help to increase the chance of survival.


    "And over there is where you can grab some food. Hmm?"


    Ling was confused with the sudden change of expression from both Kim and Momo. Usually, mana user was more interested in the marketplace since it''s essential for their jobs. But when he introduced them the street market the sparkling eyes of excitement were unmistakably obvious.


    And he was right. At this point, Kim and Momo had the same thought. ''I will remember this place even if I''m dead''


    There were no monorails anywhere in Borneo before. In fact, monorails were only available in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. It may not be like standing on a tower but with his enhanced vision, Kim could get the full grasp of the city plan and architectures.


    ''This is so modern and people are so lively...if people on Borneo survived. Will these how we would live? Can I and Momo live like this? No...nothing worth it if people lives are in danger...I''m sure each and one of them has lost a precious someone in their past. Even these three...''


    Ding!


    "Next station, mana user guild. Next station, mana user guild. Please exit at the left door"


    Each time they almost reach the next stop there will be an announcement along with the station name written in the screens that are installed in every cabin. Their first destination was the mana user guild. It would be convenient to have their own ic after Kim and Momo registered under the guild.


    After Kim analysed what he gained so far from conversing with others and observing his surrounding, he now had a clear understanding of the power weightage within the system. Social status is dependant on how a person is able to utilize one''s own mana. The stronger or more useful they are the more respect they would get.


    What''s more terrifying is the one who could gather these strong mana users in one place and issue orders to them. That''s the guild! Even the defence mechanism of the two-storey guild building is several times more powerful than the one defending the cities. Having mana users in loitering around the guild for 24 hours around the clock would make this the place the safest and the most dangerous place in this city.


    While Wong and his team were walking ahead of them, Kim managed to slip some words to Momo without them noticing.


    "Stay low while in the guild. We don''t know who''s watching"


    Momo nodded and grabbed Kim hand to walk beside him.


    Wong turned around towards Kim and Momo. He waved his hand to signal them to come so they could get inside together.


    "It could get rowdy inside. I know young master won''t lose to anyone in our city. But, no matter how strong you are it''s wiser to not cause any trouble within the guild. Especially against an Otherworlder"


    Wong then looked toward Momo with a worried face.


    "I think miss Momo should hide her hair while we are inside"


    Kim and Momo were wearing the hooded robe this whole time so she put up her hood and covered half of her face with a scarf.


    "Thank you for taking my warning as considerations. Let''s go"


    Wong was right about the rowdiness of the place. As soon as they were near the entrance loud voices of people shouting and screaming could be heard. But the moment they entered the building everyone was quiet. Their eyes were onlooking towards them... not at Kim and Momo but the Wong''s team.


    "Isn''t that Wong and his guy"


    "A real B-rank in front of me~kyaaa"


    "Wow, to have even two C-rank in his team. They might be one of the strongest


    "Oh it''s only some few earthens"


    "Just because he''s a B-rank he thinks he''s a big shot"


    "An earthen dares to steal attention from us"


    Kim wouldn''t even imagine if he didn''t listen to their small conversations. It seems that unexpectedly, Wong and his team are famous and infamous among mana users in this city. Kim was about to say something to Momo when he saw the disbelief face of her.


    ''Hey don''t be too obvious!''


    Kim was thinking about that but he didn''t realize he was making the same doubtful face as Momo. Even though Kim and Momo were behind them, somehow the three could sense that both of them are staring with a piercing gaze right now. They wipe off the cold sweat from their foreheads and let the thought go. Instinctively move forward with a faster pace.


    "Are you here to report your job request, Mr. Wong?"


    "No. It''s still ongoing. Actually, we are here for these two. They would like to register as mana users to get their ic"


    "It would be delightful for us to provide you with our service. Would the two of you come forward, please"


    The woman at the service counter has a small figure but her mana was outstanding. It''s quite clear to Kim that she has a high proficiency with mana. She seems to train using her mana for a long time now. However, the feature that caught Kim''s interest was her hair and eyes colour. It was light blue!. Not black like a Malaysians would have. Even her look was not a typical south-eastern Asian.


    Kim then took a glance at the dining hall where the mana users were gathered and saw that there were also some people who had similar features with the woman in front of her now. He thought that it was natural to have different hair colour and eyes since Momo''s used to be black like a typical Malaysian.


    He thought that her hair and eyes colour was influenced by the evergrowing mana from the earth. But he was wrong. Something else happened to Momo that changed her because everyone who looks like Malaysian still had their black hair dan dark colour eyes. But those who don''t look like one would have different colours. ''Is that why they were confused when the knew Momo was actually a Malaysian like me?''


    "Young man? It''s bad to have your mind wander off somewhere while talking to a pretty girl like you know?"


    Kim was a bit flustered when the woman gave that remark with a wink. Not only was the woman well trained with her mana, but even her temperament should no be underestimated. He could feel that Momo was holding his hand tighter until he could feel slight pain.


    "Y-yes. Umm, we would like to register"


    "Hmm? Not even sorry? I guess only your face is cute"


    Kim was startled as the pain in his hand shockingly increased by several-fold. He felt like a heavy boulder was crushing his hand. Unknowingly he shouted


    "Sorry!" He didn''t know whether he was apologizing toward the woman or Momo. In his mind, he could only think about how scary a woman could be. Kim never felt this kind of fear for a long time. Even fighting the Lord of Chimera couldn''t compare handling these two at the same time.


    "Leila, please be kind. We are in debt to both of them"


    "Fufufu, to be in debt with someone as cute as this boy, I wouldn''t mind switching with your place"


    The pain in his hand come back instantly.


    "Joke aside, since a B-rank actually said he was in debt then I would not mind helping with your registration"


    ''Joke?! Didn''t you say you were delightful to give your service? Is your delight mean playing with me?''


    Kim managed to keep his thought to himself and calm himself down.


    "So how do we register?"


    Leila took out two pieces of blank paper on put it on the desk.


    "Flow your mana into these papers and it will automatically show all your personal information"


    "What kind of information?"


    "Your personal information like your name and age. Even your birthplace and your hometown. This was a combined effort from our world expertise in mana and your world advance technology to identify people who have lost their home and family. Especially children who don''t have much memory of their past"


    Looking at Kim''s doubtful face, Leila continued.


    "Don''t worry. The guild will never disclose your information to a third person. Unless you committed a serious and heavy crime"


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    "Teng, can you keep a distance between us"


    Wong and Ling both grabbed Teng and dragged him away from Kim and Momo. Once Kim confirmed that Teng wouldn''t be able to see any particular details from his position he nodded to Momo to flow their mana into the paper. Once, they did the information about them appeared one-by-one, starting by their name as well as their parents'' information. That included their hometown. Kim doesn''t know how much people remember about places in Borneo but he wouldn''t let any risk of people knowing where they come from.


    "It''s done. Could you please hand it over so we could process it into your ic?"


    Instead of waiting for Kim and Momo to hand her the paper she swiftly took it from them. She circulated her mana and at the paper making it brimming with light. The light slowly reduced in size and changed its shape. Slowly it finally finished its morphing and become a hand size card.


    "I just finished making your ic. Would you please follow me to that room please"


    Leila was pointing to a door which has an evaluation sign written on it. Every mana users would recognize that door because that is where all their rank were evaluated. That time, Teng couldn''t help but insisting to let them join.


    "We are here to overseer their registration, so couldn''t we join the evaluation as well? Rank is not necessarily a disclosed matter since others will know your rank eventually, right?"


    Wong and Ling give themself a face slap listening to what Teng has said. They wish they would never meet in the first.


    "That is true. I could only allow it if the one who is getting the evaluation agree"


    Wong and Ling already dragged Teng away when Kim gave an unexpected nod.


    "Sure. They did promise to guide us and all"


    Teng hurriedly let himself loose and excitedly join them to the evaluation. Wong and Ling could only sigh and eventually joined them as well.


    Inside the room, there was a transparent sphere floating about. It seems to be a mana stone but Kim couldn''t sense any mana flowing around it. Not saying that it was empty of mana. The mana felt clean. In front of the sphere, there was a hand mark and a slot that could fit and ic in.


    "This is a mana detector. It directly detects the quality and amount of mana you possess within your mana core and shows you an accurate estimation of your rank. Mr. Teng. Would you kindly put your ic in the slot and lay your hand on the mark?


    For demonstration purpose, Leila asked Teng to evaluate his rank. He did what Leila asked him to and the sphere changed its colour into green.


    "Different colours correspond to each rank. Starting from white, yellow, green, blue, red and gold, it would show you from rank-E to rank S. Since Mr. Teng is a C-rank the sphere showed green colour. If it was Mr. Wong, it will be blue"


    Teng then released his hand and sphere changed back into a colourless sphere like it is made of glass.


    "Mr. Kim and Ms. Momo, if you may? Please do the same thing"


    Leila put Momo''s card in the slot and ask her to place her hand. Although Teng showed the most excitement, not even Wong and Ling could resist themselves from checking both of their ranks. Especially Momo since they never see her fight before. Momo put her hand and circulated her mana. Then...the sphere didn''t turn to any colour. Everyone including Leila was confused. That would only happen if the person is not a mana user. She was about to ask something when she heard a cracking sound coming from the sphere.


    *crack*


    Eventually, the mana detector was full of cracks and broke into pieces!


    "!!!"


    Everyone was shocked. Even Leila flabbergasted from the scene. She never saw this in her entire life before even when she was in her original world. Kim was also shocked because Momo just broke their detector just like that.


    "T-T-That''s weird! There must be something wrong with this detector. Hold on I will ask the staff who is in charge of it"


    Leila was too shocked that she didn''t care less of holding the professional image she had before. After a while, another person comes in and he too had his eyes bulging outward.


    "W-what? N-no way!"


    "Lavis, Is the detector broken? Don''t you do maintenance every week?"


    "Yes. In fact, I did it yesterday"


    Lavis was scratching his head not knowing what was happening at the moment. He then went toward Kim and Momo to apologize for their mistakes and hurriedly brought a new detector. Kim let out a sigh of relief knowing he doesn''t need to pay anything back.


    Not even 5 minutes has passed a new mana detector was placed in the room. It was similar to the previous sphere but seem to be more brandished that the older one. Lavis even mentioned that this was the newest version of mana detector which has imported from another country.


    Leila looked toward Momo with her innocent smile and hesitated. This time she asked Kim to get the first evaluation instead.


    "I''m very sorry for the trouble we caused. Would you please get to the detector?"


    When Leila asked Kim instead of Momo, the heart of Wong and his team were beating very fast that it could explode. Leila was not familiar with both of them so of course, she would invite Kim instead since Momo just broke the older detector. But the three of them know that Momo called Kim her master. That could only mean that thing would only get worst.


    Every second feel like an hour to them as Kim get closer and closer to the detector. Finally, Kim put his card into the slot and place his hand. This time, there was no change of colour as well. Not even cracking sound could be heard.


    But both Leila and Lavis have their jaw wide open as they saw the sphere instantly exploded and reduced to ash to moment Kim place his circulate his mana.


    Sensing the explosion, the guild master felt alarmed and went to the evaluation room himself.


    "Leila... Lavis what has happe- What?!"


    The guild master almost had a heart attack as he saw a giant hole that goes deep into the ground in the middle of the room.

 55 Jumping into a lions den

    Kim and Momo already went outside after finishing their conversations. In the end, Larc only said he would give them as much support as he could. Kim nodded and left after they finish their snacks. Leila left earlier to prepare their ic. Before Kim left with Momo he requested the guild to not leak any details about them including the event which happened within the evaluation room.


    Before Larc was able to ask anything, Kim released an overwhelming mana pressure which caused his entire body to freeze instantly. He only managed to barely stand on his feet due to his experience as an A-ranker for decades. However, every second felt like a ticking bomb. He felt so sick in his stomach that he felt like his innard could burst out in any second.


    Looking at Kim''s frightening eyes, Kim''s request suddenly felt like an order that was forced onto him. At this point, he realized that the event with the mana detector wasn''t some kind of a fluke.


    Not getting any respond Kim repeated his request while looking directly into Larc''s trembling eyes.


    "Yes or No?"


    "Yes!"


    Larc sighed deeply remembering his most life-threatening situations which just happened a few seconds ago. He let his body rest heavily at the chair near his desk. After much thought, there''s no possible reason at all as to why Kim would actually go against Varhem kingdom. Didn''t the kingdom become the saviour of the earthens? Sure the kingdom wasn''t able to save every life but would a person hold grudge against someone who tried to help them.


    Larc walked toward the opened window behind him. He let the gentle breeze to softly touched his slightly wrinkled face. He let himself lost in his thoughts as he watched the slowly setting sun with its orange light scattering in the sky. When he looked toward the streets in front of the guild entrance, more wrinkles started forming around his face. The last thing he wanted to happen right at that time was to cause induce any trouble involving Kim and Momo. But that person with his group of people just had to come now.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Prince Ray was sitting in his office at the top of KL Tower. He took a sip of a black coffee while his fingers riffling through some documents. Noticing it was getting dark, he snapped his finger to turn on the office lights. He then turned around toward the glass wall behind him to indulge himself with his favourite moment of the day. The sunset.


    The bird-eye view from the top of the KL tower is spectacular as the city is basked with the orange-tinged glare from the setting sun. As the sun goes deeper and deeper Prince Ray lights turning on from the windows of other building. The night sky was dark, but the city was shining in brimming light. It feels like the people here never sleep.


    *knock* *knock*


    "Come in"


    The one who was coming is the Head of Prince Varhem knights as well as the current general of Malaysia, S-ranker Varius. The suit he was wearing could not cover the lines of his bulky muscle. It felt like his cloth would get ripped the moment he would flex his muscle. With a sturdy and straight back, he walked toward Prince Ray with powerful steps. He stopped halfway and slowly put on his knee on the floor, showing respect toward the man who stood in front of him.


    "My prince"


    "Stand up. State your reason for coming here"


    "I have finished preparing for the upcoming plan next month my prince. I''m waiting for your next command"


    "My next command..."


    Looking toward the man who is revered by many people due to his magnificent feat and prowess was still kneeling down on the floor waiting for his command made him lost in thought.


    ''If it was Hassan...he would already come to me with some sort of plan. The way the Earthen work and how our people work is really different''


    He let out a deep sigh thinking it was a useless thing to think about. Culture is not something that could be enforced or adapt to easily. Especially when it has been implemented for several hundred years. Varius who listened to the sigh of his prince could only break a cold sweat. He wrecked his brain trying to remember every single thing he has done from the time he knocked he door until now. ''Did I...angered the prince? I should cut my belly right here right now!''


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    Looking at the trembling Varius with a serious face made Prince Ray thought ''There he goes again'' while massaging his right temple. In just a flick of the moment, both Ray and Varius mana sense detected an object nearby. They turned toward the glass wall and only managed to get a glimpse of a blackbird.


    "It''s only a crow my prince"


    ''Crow?''


    Ray was a little bit more suspicious than Varius. But he couldn''t detect the blackbird anymore and decided to let it go. It may really be just a crow. He cleared his throat and took some papers on his desk. Prince Ray then walked toward Varius and gave him the papers which Varius accepted with both hands while one of his knees was on the floor.


    "Send an email to all the guild master to have them prepare for next month"


    "Yes, my prince"


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Here is your ic. Even though we couldn''t determine your rank because of some technical difficulties, master Larc decided to make both of you A-rank. However, we still could collect some of your mana memory and calculated how many monsters and job request you have done. Those will be converted into individual points which work like a currency. You can now use your ic to buy what you want"


    "Miss Leila, how do you determine individual points?"


    "It''s easy. IC can automatically absorb a part of the monster mana that you killed. Don''t worry it''s very little it won''t affect your growth. It then converts that mana according to the rank of monster you killed. For job request, people will reward you with a specific point using their own individual points. Of course, since you just registered you didn''t do any job request yet but ic could collect your mana memory and sense how many monsters you killed and what level they are so you could still have some points to help you start. This is useful for mana users who just begin to join the guild even though they have train earlier to become a mana user"


    "So how many points for a monster?"


    "A low rank would be around 100 points, a high rank is 300 points and Superior rank is 500 points"


    "How about above that?"


    "You mean legendary?"


    "Yeah, including heavenly monsters"


    If it was some other ordinary mana users who asked her the question she would end up ridiculing the person for even thinking about killing a legendary monster. Even an S-rank would not survive unscathed. Furthermore, if there is a heavenly monster went rampaged in the Earth that would be the end for everyone. However...the person of her right now, ''He may not be strong enough to face a heavenly monster, but he may be able to go against a legendary''


    Leila then looked toward Momo.


    ''She''s also another undefined one''


    After getting an order from master Larc to avoid any trouble related to Kim and Momo, for the first time in her life, she earnestly gave the answer for that kind of question.


    "Legendary is one million, mythical is one billion, and heavenly... is one hundred billion"


    Kim and Momo couldn''t believe their ears when they heard that. To actually go up that high! They can''t keep their jaw agape.


    "W-Why it''s so high?!"


    "Even though legendary is only one step away from a superior monster, they are significantly stronger. It''s like comparing an ant with an elephant. And mythical is like that as well when compared to legendary. So heavenly...I don''t want to think about it... but you could live for hundreds of years getting worried that your points might run out and still live in luxury"


    That moment, a sudden flash of inspiration surge into his mind. ''If we killed the old geezer, we''ll be rich!''


    Somewhere in the void...


    "Ha-ha-ha choo! Ugh. I can actually catch a cold? Is that kid talking behind my back again? Ugh..."


    After understanding the details, Kim and Momo hurriedly grab their ic and bid farewell to Leila. Leila felt at ease as she saw the two of them walk away. She thought that if there is any trouble that was going to include both of them, it should not be in this guild. Everything was going fine. Both of them was about to leave with Wong until... she heard the voice of the last person she wanted to get even near the guild at this time.


    "I smell stinky earthens around here"


    The sudden silence that came after made the man who just entered the guild to be the centre of attention. Hearing the familiar voice, Wong, Teng and Ling immediately knew trouble was brewing since Kim and Momo was still in the building. They were hoping he would not be here of all times since that person will definitely poke his nose at Kim and Momo the moment he saw them.


    "Why, why, if it isn''t the famous Wong. It''s been a while since I saw you. I thought you already dead"


    His hair was white and his stature was slightly smaller when compared with the bulky Wong but with one glance one it was obvious his muscle is well built and really sturdy. Looking at the giant axe hanging at his back, one swing with his bulging arm would split a person to half. A group of people was following behind him. Even though each one of them possessed a strong presence, it was obvious that the man in front of them was their leader.


    Wong didn''t give any reply. Instead, with his hand behind his back, he was signalling Teng and Ling to leave with Kim and Momo. But the man caught the notion and started to interfere.


    "Oh my, leaving already? We haven''t met for so long and you trying to leave already? Can''t we just have some fun for a little?"


    Kim felt the sudden change of atmosphere in the guild was weird. He could also felt a sense of anxiety coming from the three of them the moment they heard the man entered the building. He instantly understood why when he saw the face of the man standing in front of Wong. His face was full of disdain when he was looking toward Wong. Not even once he saw the man change his expression as if he was looking at the most disgusting trash in the universe.


    As Kim was observing the man, he caught a glimpse of Kim.


    "You have a new person joining? Why don''t you introduced him to me?"


    Before the man managed to get closer to Kim, Wong shoved his arm to stop the man from approaching.


    "I don''t think you should get near him Kiria"


    Kiria looked at Wong and smiled sinisterly.


    "A B-rank actually dares to stop me? Get away, you stinky earthen!"


    Even though it happened in a split second Kim was able to see the man called Kiria gave a back fist straight toward Wong''s face, smashing him toward the wall of the building. Wong was laying down at the broken wall with blood dripping from his mouth. He was still conscious but he could barely stand up.


    "Stop right now A-ranker Kiria! You are breaking the property of the guild!"


    Kiria didn''t give her any reply. Instead, he just looked at her with vicious killing intent which caused her throat to chock and froze her in her place. That moment, they both had the same thought.


    ''Don''t blame us for not giving you a warning!''


    When Kiria turned his gaze back toward Kim, he noticed there was another person there. His heart thumped wildly when he saw how pretty the little girl with purple hair and violet eyes was. His could feel his urge crawling in every part of his body as his lust started to boil.


    "Hello there little girl, I didn''t notice you were there. What''s your name?"


    At first, he didn''t really care who this man so-called Kiria was because there was nothing he thought was outstanding coming from him. However, not only this man so-called blatantly ignored his existence in the mere of a few seconds, but he also dares to approach Momo with his lewd eyes. Kim quickly grabbed Momo arm and stood in front of her.


    Kiria already felt irritated from Wong and Leila trying to stop him. Now, another one tried to stand in his way again. He didn''t want to waste his breath on an Earthen so instead, he kept on pursuing onto Momo.


    "Little girl, you don''t want to dirty yourself with these stinky Earthens don''t you? Come with me, and I will make sure you will have the time of your life"


    The group of men who were following Kiria were laughing when they heard what Kiria said. Some of the spectators felt disgusted with Kiria remarks, but they couldn''t say a word against an A-rank. They could only feel sorry for them for just joining and already had to face Kiria.


    However, there were some people who had a different thought. Teng and Ling already went as far away as they could. Leila and Wong didn''t say a word to each other but they both had the same thought on Kiria.


    ''Kiria, you are already dead''

 56 A be

    Kiria became the centre of attention the moment he entered the building. His fame wasn''t solely credited to his loud runny mouth with lack of manners, but also due to the fact of him being the only A-rank mana user beside the guild master in the city. His arrogant wasn''t baseless. Even before he was summoned into the Earth, he was known with his impressive feat securing difficult job request.


    It''s no wonder why the guild has to overlook his misdeeds since he delivered all the times.


    It was also for that reason why the earthen has to face the mockery and disgusting insults coming from the same person. The day Wong finally raised to B-rank, Kiria came up to him for a practice spar and end up beating him to the ground. Whether he had any reason as to why he hated the earthen so much, no one could ignore how delightful he was while doing the beating.


    Especially towards newbies who just join the guild.


    Seeing how bold the new kid was trying to disrupt Kiria, there were whispers of both mockery and sympathy spreading in the air from both sides, otherworlder and the earthens. Kim had seen these events so many times even before he entered the city. Most otherworlder look at the earthen like mud.


    Kiria was astonished that a new kid dared to stand against him. At the same, his heart filled with joy since now, he has a new toy to play with. One for releasing his stress, and another one to fill his pleasure. The thought made him unconsciously licked his lips with his seemingly sharp tongue.


    Kiria was about the release of his mana pressure but stopped when he heard the deep voice of an old man. Kim was astounded to see that even this man who felt like he could stand on top of others would be so wary.


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    "Hohoho. What do we have here? It seems you have met our new member, Kiria"


    The atmosphere changed drastically when the guild master entered the gathering hall. It was too drastic that the dispute that just happened became an afterthought.


    It didn''t take Larc more than a second to understand the whole situation. Understanding how Kiria is, it''s no wonder that Wong would be at the ground in front of a broken wall. Wong probably tried to stop Kiria from getting close to Kim.


    Larc wasn''t pleased looking at the broken wall. He already had to repair the evaluation room and buy a new mana detector and now he had fix this wall too. Do these kids understand how hard it is to maintain the guild! If anything was broken is not you kids who had to give up your points!


    ''How am I suppose to buy the new gunda- Wait a minute''


    A sudden gush of ideas lit his light bulb and made him smile suspiciously. Leila who has known the guild master for so long could see that he was scheming something. She was already tired with everything that just happened so she just let out a sigh a let the guild master do what he wants.


    Larc walked closer toward Kim and Kiria while keeping his eye on the broken wall. Kiria wasn''t a bit nervous because he knew the guild won''t do anything against him. If he ends up needing to pay for the repair, he could just force the earthens in front of him to pay with his points instead. His arrogant face didn''t even show a hint of worry.


    "There seems to be some kind of dispute going on. Care for some explanation?"


    "Good evening, guild master. As expected, the guild master is as sharp as always. I was just giving a warm greeting to our new member here. Just a simple bonding time between us mana users. You would understand, won''t you? Tell him, kid, how we were just having some fun time just now"


    Kiria had thought that the guild master would let him off as usual, but instead of just letting him go...


    "Now that you already started, why don''t the two of you have a quick training spar? It would be a good teaching experience, isn''t it?"


    Larc was gazing at Kim''s eyes when he said the proposal as if he was trying to signal him something. But Kim just felt disgusted and gaze away from him. He was trying to think of what kind of act the old man was trying to do.


    Kiria didn''t expect the sudden proposal and he wasn''t really up for it. Not that he was scared, but simply because it was a waste of his mana to spar with a newbie. He was disgusted with the thought of the need to wash his hands after he finishing Kim off. He just couldn''t stand the fact that he needed to dirty himself for a mere earthen!


    Larc already knew that Kiria was not going to do it but he won''t let this chance to slip by. Before he got an answer from any of them, he put up another offer to the proposal.


    "Let make this interesting by making it as a bet between the two of you. The winner will get my support as the guild master regardless of what he has done in the future"


    "What seriously?"


    "Personal support from the guild master?"


    "What did that newbie done to deserve this? I wish I had the chance too"


    "Haha, is that a way for the guild to publicly announce their support for Kiria"


    "Bullshit. It''s obvious Kiria going to win!"


    Murmurs continued to go around the gathering hall as the word of personal support come out from Larc''s mouth. Having the support of the guild was another thing since it''s the guild job to help mana users but personal support from the guild master... that just means having a special throne among mana users.


    Once a guild master gave his support to someone everyone in the city will view the person in full reverence. No one would be able to touch the person if it wasn''t allowed. Even when they go to another city, the guild there would accept them with full hospitality.


    In other words, life would not be miserable anymore. It will never have the chance to be miserable in the first place!


    "And if you lose, you have to pay for everything that has been broken today"


    Only the people who were in the evaluation room had been struck with a sudden realization of what was happening. The guild master... was trying to make Kiria pay for the repair.


    "So what do you say?"


    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Fighting with monsters is not the only job of mana users. As to how the world was before the age of mana, crime is still issues of crimes happening all around the community. The moment a person has a grasp of power, the urge of using it is irresistible. What was once deemed to be unimaginably possible has become possible. People could do things that they weren''t able to do before. Producing flames out of nothing, jumping up and down a building with ease, create objects through thoughts... and many more. As more people were able to utilize mana, misuses of mana were deemed to happen.


    Especially during early-post calamity where everyone was trying to survive. Monsters were lurking everywhere, resources were getting scarce. Finding another human would mean to stab them before getting stabbed first at the back. Lies and trickery were a common thing, but in the end, those who had the power to rule would trample on top of another. It was a simple way of living yet disastrous at the same time.


    However, after the Varhem Kingdom army started to govern the land, most of these people lost the power they had. Fighting back was not an option since the otherworlder has vast advantages in terms of their knowledge in mana. To the otherworlder, the strongest earthen on that time was only a newborn chick.


    Most have submitted and live their lives under the government of the different kingdoms of the otherworlder but some could not accept the fate that people who or not earthen would take over the Earth. People have started to do demonstrations which eventually lead to a bigger voice of opposition. However, having their voice being turned with a deaf ear eventually resulted in violence.


    Those who were involved are forbidden from entering any guarded city and were labelled as rouge mana user. Even so, it was impossible to fully cleanse the society from having crimes happening both inside and outside a city. To make matter worse, ordinary earthen become the majority of the victims.


    Thus, often the guild would get a job request to either chase out or exterminate the wrongdoers depending on the severity of the situation which is determined by the guild as well. In those case, mana users would train themselves to fight other mana users in a training hall which is an extended part of the guild building.


    In the training hall of the guild in Kuala Terengganu, two men were standing in the middle of a crowd of mana users. One side is the man with bigger stature, the well known A-rank Kiria. In front of him, the young man who everyone witnesses his registration today with an unknown rank, newbie Kim.


    Hearing the one-sided cheer against him made him feel like he was playing football as an away team. He glared toward the guild master trying to transmit his dissatisfaction of the whole situation but Larc only gave him a thumbs up with a bright smile.


    ''You better compensate me well after this''


    Feeling distressed with all the commotion that was pushed onto him, Kim was thinking of ending this as soon as he can. However, he was also curious to see how strong is an A-rank mana user. Also... he didn''t want to finish this too soon when he thought of how Kiria looked at Momo.


    For that reason, he planned not to actively use any mana for fighting and rely solely on his tempered body which he gained from absorbing the mana of all the monsters he killed. This was how Kim and Momo trained to sharpen their fighting skills without relying too much on mana.


    Leila became the referee of the fight with Larc overviewing the whole situation.


    "Winner is decided when the opposition surrender or seemingly unable to fight anymore. Are both sides ready?"


    "Hiyahaha! Come at me, newbie. I''ll let you take the first hit"


    The crowd turned silent as Leila raised his armed straight to the air gallantly. Even with a serious face, she was still charming. It''s a no wonder she would be the front of the guild. With a loud yet soft voice, she shouted, while swinging her arms downward signalling the start of the fight


    "Start!"


    Those who have known Kiria fight for so long already know what to expect from the fight. Letting his opponent take the first hit is always a blatant lie. Never was in the history has Kiria ever shown mercy in his fight. Even towards a newbie. Expecting that Kiria would wait for the first attack, the newbie thought that there was enough time to think of a plan. Unexpectedly, or to others to be expected, Kiria took this chance to land the first hit. Due to inexperience, a sudden panic attack froze the newbie at that moment and Kiria would get a clean direct hit. Then without stopping, Kiria would continuously trample over his opponent. Not letting a gap of chance for the opponent to surrender.


    As to how the audience expected, Kiria who was waiting for the starting signal already on his way rushing toward Kim. In a split second, Kiria managed to cut the distance between him and Kim. What''s more terrifying to see was his bulky muscular body could perform a light swift and light movement with a sinister smile on his face. He looked like a bird soaring through the sky.


    "Hiyahahahahaha!"


    The moment Kiria within his fist range, without mercy he punched at Kim with his enhanced right arm full of killing intent. The crowd who was watching the fight already imagined how Kiria will just endlessly beat up the newbie until the point he could not surrender. The earthens who were rooting for Kim turned their head toward the guild master, hoping he would do something, but to their surprise, the guild master was standing up with a dumbfounded look on his face.


    As an archer, Teng has sharpened his mana sense to make sure he could hit his target with precise accuracy. His mana sense could actually be compared with a B-ranker. Teng was incredibly sure that Kim wasn''t moving when he got punched by Kiria but how the hell he already in the air behind Kiria?!


    He already thought of different ways to continue beating up the newbie in front of him but to his surprise, his punch didn''t feel any resistance at all. Realizing that Kim was already gone, he focused his mana sense and quickly turned his body around. Kim was already there falling down with a dropkick. Kiria covered his head to guard himself. Kiria always prided himself with his powerful tempered body which made enable him to go berserk going against monsters without fear since none could inflict any pain at him.


    But today his pride was crushed in a single kick. The moment that dropkick landed on his arm, he could feel immeasurable pain coursing through his body. His radius felt like they were going to get crushed. Even though Kim has a small build, the dropkick was as heavy as a raging waterfall. No matter how hard Kiria was trying to barely stand, he was still falling on his knee.


    The surrounding mana users were astonished to see Kiria struggling for the first time as he was holding a single kick from another person.


    Kiria gave a loud shout while releasing his mana. Kim could feel an invisible trying to push him away, which made him do a backflip and landed directly in front Kiria. Seeing that Kim was unguarded after that land, he didn''t waste any second to shoot another powerful right straight blow toward Kim''s face within point-blank range.


    Yet again to his surprise, Kim remained unfazed as he caught Kiria''s fist with ease. Looking at Kim who was letting out his right arm with all his five fingers open sent a tingling sensation in his spine. He knew he needed to put up his arm to cover himself but instead, he tried to pull himself out of his Kim''s grip. With futile, he couldn''t even make Kim budge an inch. He felt like a dog barking at a tree.


    He wanted to guard himself but somehow he couldn''t make himself to raise his arm up. The newbie whom he thought as an ignorant greenhorn kid, was seemingly emitting a pressure equal to a demon lord. Not that he faced a demon lord before, but if he did, this may be how he would have felt. The moment Kim swing his right arm, Kiria felt like a grim reaper was hanging on his shoulder.


    With a loud smack, Kim slapped Kiria face, sending him flying towards the audience like a bird soaring through the sky.

 57 Kiria reborn

    Seeing a big man flying toward them, those mana users instantly moved away clearing a space to let Kiria fall hard on the ground. All eyes have turned towards Kiria who was still lying down. The jaw gaping moment has left everyone in awe. How often could they see an A-rank would be sent flying with one slap.


    And the sound of that slap... reminded everyone the time their mother would hit their butt for being naughty! That''s what you get from doing bad things. After getting their sense back, those who had been holding themselves from getting ridiculed and mistreated without ever get the chance to fight back could feel a burning sensation of satisfaction.


    "Kiria...is down!"


    "That Kiria? The Kiria?!"


    "What just happened?!!"


    "Finally...finally..."


    Whispers and gasped were floating since most of the crowds could not believe what just happened in front of their eyes. But slowly, the murmurs were overwhelmed with loud cheers of excitement coming from those who have long grudges against Kiria! Both from the earthens and otherwolders.


    "The newbie did it! He beat Kiria!"


    "An earthen...an earthen beat an otherworlder!"


    As the earthens continued to cheer on and on, a sudden mighty roar vibrating in the hall which caused everyone to fall silent. It was Kiria. He managed to stand up again. He just stood there with a blank face without moving an inch. After a while, he looked at both of his hands that were shaking uncontrollably. No matter how hard he tried to make it stop, his hands won''t just listen to his mind. He raised his head to look toward Kim but the moment their gazes were locked at one another, Kiria heart rate dramatically increased at a fast rate. This is the first time he felt fear in the Earth.


    But his pride does not want to accept the reality. He looked toward his followers and ordered them to send his axe. His followers were hesitant at first but looking at Kiria''s gaze which was brimming with murderous killing intent has pressured them to throw the axe in. It took three people to throw the great axe which Kiria caught with one hand.


    Leila took a glance at guild master larc but he only stayed quiet in his seat. For someone like the guild master, she knew he has his reason so she held her hands and decided to observe as well.


    Mana users already have extraordinary combat capabilities when compared to an ordinary person even when they are bare-fisted. Further equipped with a weapon they specialized with, they could combine their skills with mana to further increase their fighting potential to another whole level.


    For an archer like Teng, enhancing his mana sense would make it impossible for him to miss his mark. A heavily armoured Wong could have high mobility with his enhanced muscle. Borrowing the power of mana stone attached to his staff, Ling can extract the mana to increase his firepower. Equipment is an essential tool for mana users like weapons for the military.


    The moment the great axe was within his grasp, Kiria whole demeanour has completely changed. His chaotic mind has regained composure once more. Even Kim was able to notice the pressure exerted by Kiria had become heavier. No one dared to break the silence when they saw Kiria''s serious face. Even the image of him sent flying with a slap becoming faint.


    Kiria grabbed hold of the great axe with his two hands. When his mana flows into it, the great axe separated into two hand axes which he juggled around skillfully. After a slight warm-up, he took a firm grip of the two hand axes and released his mana. The audience who were near get blown away.


    This whole time Kim was analysing Kiria''s mana and he could see the movement of mana flow like the air current. Wrong! It was the air current moving according to Kiria''s mana! Kiria is a two type mana user, enchanter and manipulator. Even though he is famous for his powerful blow but the reason he can maintain his position as the top mana user in the guild is because of wind manipulation skill which enables him to overwhelm anyone who has a similar level of strength.


    The wind started to circle Kiria with him at the centre, making him floating in the air. He created a sonic boom which pushed him forward at tremendous speed. The circling wind around Kiria was like a raging typhoon which reduced the mobility of his opponent. Plus, the wild wind was strong enough it could shred high-rank monsters with ease. Even Kim was caught off guard by the unexpected powerful wind that coming at him without warning. Riding the momentum of his speed, Kiria gave a powerful blow with his axe. Even getting caught off guard, Kim was still able to block the sudden attack but the slicing wind still managed to leave a cut which made him bleed.


    An ordinary mana user would get shredded in pieces the moment he gets close. However, Kim didn''t just stand there with a slight cut, he was also able to take on the sudden direct hit of his powerful swing. Little that he know, Kim would never even get the cut in the first place if he was using his mana to guard himself. Of course, there''s no way Kiria would think of someone fighting him without mana.


    Kiria already accepted that the opponent in front of him is quite formidable. So he didn''t waste a single effort to move to Kim''s side for the second blow but unexpectedly, Kim able to throw a side-kick even with the storm that was holding him down. Kiria unleashed a sonic boom between him and Kim to push them away from each other. No matter how much he tried to forget about it, Kiria''s muscle still remembered the pain from Kim''s slap that has been ingrain in his body. Instead of blocking, he retreated.


    Before Kim was able to recover from the knockback, Kiria again glided toward Kim to land another blow. This was Kiria''s speciality with his wind to compensate his heavy body. He used the wind to manoeuvre himself with high speed and dexterity. Even with his huge stature and bulky muscle, he could move nimbly like a hummingbird and strike fast like a falcon and still producing skull-shattering blow.


    However, again without believing his eyes, Kim was already waiting for him. The gaze from Kim suddenly felt menacing. Kiria composure was easily broken when their eyes meet. Instead of attacking, he moved around Kim waiting for an opening. Feeling desperate, Kiria''s movement was becoming faster and faster as if he was teleporting from one spot to another. The moment he thought he saw an opening he would strike without a single moment of notice, but each one of his attacks would be blocked or dodged by Kim. Compared to his fight with King Hydra, this was typically nothing.


    The whole crowd becoming noisy as they were watching the heated battle between Kim and Kiria. They could not believe a newbie could make Kiria fight seriously. Alas, now that Kiria becoming serious, Kim would not leave the battle unscathed. He may be out of commission for months after the battle is finish. That what they thought until Kim grabbed Kiria in the face with his palm.


    Wong, Teng and Ling who was sitting with spurt out the tea that they were drinking. They knew Kim is powerful, but they never knew he is ridiculously powerful! With trembling voice, Ling asked Momo who was sitting with them.


    "Was young master always this strong? Have you ever seen him losing before?"


    With an angelic smile, Momo gave him a simple reply "Yes"


    Hearing Momo''s reply has caused the three of them feeling disheartened. To cause a person this powerful to lose... what kind of world the two of them have been living?!


    Kim wanted to see more of Kiria as he was curious how strong other mana users are. But seeing how Kiria moved around too much reminded him of mosquito which made him feel annoyed so he grabbed Kiria by the face an accidentally put more strength when he smashed Kiria to ground.


    ''Shoot! Did I killed him?''


    The loud sound of the impact resonating throughout the whole training hall which left an unforgettable mark in the heart of the crowd who witness that moment. That newbie, no... Kim is more powerful than Kiria! An earthen is more powerful than an otherworlder! Not just any otherworlder, but the most powerful one in the guild!


    Kim crouched down and poked Kiria to check whether he was alive or not. He only wanted to test him and did not expect to kill him in the process!


    One second, two seconds, three seconds. Three seconds have passed and Kiria was still on the ground without moving an inch. Everyone turned their eyes toward Leila who was raising her arm.


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    "Kiria is unable to continue the fight. I declare the winner of this match is Kim!"


    That was it. The referee has spoken. There was no objection from the guild master who was overviewing the whole thing as well. Kiria has finally been defeated after sitting on the throne for so many years. After the declaration, there was a loud commotion with a whole mixture of different thoughts regarding the battle. But at the end of the conversation, it was always about how unbelievable it was for Kiria to actually lose.


    When Kim exited the stage and walk toward Momo, Kiria''s followers finally went to get their leader. Kim did look toward them after finishing Kiria off. But it was only a single look and that single look was enough to tell them ''back off!''. Kim did not say anything, but somehow that was what they have agreed in their mind. Kim only hoped that they would not push the responsibility of killing their so-called leader and hurriedly get out of the place.


    Suddenly... Kim sensed a highly unstable fluctuation of mana coming from Kiria whom he thought was dead. Before he managed to turn around, he heard the screaming of several people at Kiria''s direction. There were also the shout and gasp coming from the shocked crowd. Every single person in the training hall could not believe what they were watching. Including Kim and guild master Larc.


    Kiria was gradually changing. Fur started to grow around his entire body. His nails turned into sharp claws and fangs protruded out from his mouth. His huge stature becoming bigger and bigger until his armour and clothes were ripped apart.


    What was more shocking to see was Kiria killing and eating his followers. The more he consumed them the more he was changing.


    Kim could not forget this familiar he was sensing.


    "This mana, it felt like that werewolf...but"


    At least when he was sensing the mana of the werewolf he could feel that he is a human but Kiria has turned into a real monster. His whole mana felt unease and wild like a monster.


    Foreseeing a terrible situation, Larc ordered everyone to evacuate the training hall. His priority was Leila since she was the nearest around Kiria. However, Kiria was already rushing toward her with his incredible speed. He could still manipulate the wind as he was before!


    Fear and anxiety have already overwhelmed Leila. She could not wipe the shocking action of Kiria gulping his follower alive with no hesitation. She could not even muster a drop of mana to protect herself. Kiria''s claw was already in front of her face. The only thing in her mind right then was death!


    She closed her eyes leaving trying to accept her death but she could not. Her life will end within milliseconds but all she could think of was her life regrets. Her family back home in the kingdom of Varhem. Tears drop from her eyes as she shouted: "I don''t want to die!!!"


    and Boom! A loud sound of a metal bat slamming against an iron wall exploded throughout the hall.


    Leila opened her eyes and saw a large werewolf who was Kiria stood still in front of her. Between them, a large sword of several metres blocked Kiria''s claws from touching even a single hair on her body. In that instance, two men approached the scene, one was Larc appearing behind Leila to take her away, another was Kim who appeared beside Kiria delivering a hook kick straight to the neck.


    "Take everyone out of here!"


    Larc gave a slight nod and brought Leila with him. The moment he stepped outside the ring, Kim unleashed his mana and created a dome made of earth covering the whole battle stage, locking both him and Kiria inside.


    "Wake up, doggie. It''s time to play"


    After recovering from the hit, Kiria howled and behind him a clear image of a demonic-looking wolf forming behind him. The image gradually became smaller and smaller until it was fully absorbed by Kiria which one again changing. He was slowly becoming less human-looking that he was before until the point he was standing with four feet and fully covered with fur! Kiria has truly become a legendary rank demon wolf!


    Compare to when he was a human, the wind circling him becoming more vicious. It felt like a thousand sharp knives were flying around him. With explosive mana, he rushed toward Kim at an unbelievable speed but suddenly a myriad of swords come raining from the ceiling of the dome. The swords break through the stormy wind and mercilessly sliced Kiria''s flesh making blood gushing out from his body. Then more sword appeared which aimed directly to his four limbs pinning him down. Then branches of trees growing and binding him to the ground.


    "Well, well, you thought it''s only me, don''t you? Welcome to our torture chamber! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"


    Ling glasses almost fell when he heard the evil laughing voice coming from the earth dome.


    "Even as a werewolf, Kiria can laugh like a scary person"


    Momo wanted to say something but she decided to shut her lips tight.

 58 Good nigh

    Demon wolf Kiria struggled to move around with all of his four limbs pinned into the ground. Even his explosive whirlwind could not cause the swords to budge an inch.


    Kim was intrigued with the monsterification so he analysed Kiria''s mana. Even in the old geezer''s mana memory, there was no record of a human becoming a monster. Or it may possible that the voice does not care to remember about it.


    Even though there was a case of a monster becoming human, but their mana was still those of a monster. Likewise, a human who could transform into a monster was still a human, like Mr Werewolf whom he fought before. In both cases, they could revert to their original form and would be forced back when they are out of mana.


    But Kiria...he was completely gone. As if he was looking at a new entity. He enhanced his memory and put his sense on full focus with all details that happened the moment Kiria was dead.


    ''Dead? How was I''m sure he was dead? He wasn''t breathing and his heart stops beating? No...''


    Kim just realized he made a mistake. He wasn''t a doctor. He was only a kid when the people around him gone. The only way he knows a person is dead is when they stop moving or...their mana has stopped flowing.


    Even if someone is sleeping, their mana would still flow around. That is why sleeping outside without proper control of mana is extremely dangerous. Monsters could sense the person''s mana and ambush them in their sleep. That includes an ordinary person since they also have a little amount of mana exuded around them.


    So all he did was sensing Kiria''s mana without examining if he was dead. But what if, only his mana stop flowing and his vital organs were still functioning...then would he still be considered dead?


    ''Remember Kim! What happened after?''


    This time Kim did not rely on his mana sense and tried to remember what he has seen and heard. During that moment, he heard it. A sound... a strong beating sound...it was a heartbeat!


    Kiria was dead, no doubt about it. As soon as the trace of his mana was gone, the heartbeat triggered like a signal to unleash different mana which replaced his original mana. It replaced the soul and took Kiria as its vessel. In this case, a monster wolf. Having Kiria''s mana memory it managed to learn everything about its new body and manage to break through the wall to become a legendary rank monster!


    It''s not like Kiria turned into a monster, but his soul has been overtaken by a monster. Like a wolf hiding underneath human skin.


    ''Interesting... very interesting''


    While Kim contemplating what had happened sounds of bones breaking was coming from Kiria direction. Until now he was trying to break free from the swords but the four swords felt like mountains sitting on his limbs. Withstanding the pain, Kiria broke his bones and rip his two arms apart from his torso, flooding the ground with a pool of blood. In that instance, his arm regenerated to replaced his previous one. Before he could break free his legs, more swords come raining and pinned him down once more. This has happened several more times until Kiria gave up trying. His wild eyes which were full of murderous intent has become lifeless.


    After concluding his thoughts Kim walked toward Kiria and hold up one of Kiria''s arms that were lying on the ground.


    "Werewolf can regenerate that fast huh? I guess you are a good sample for my experiment. Don''t worry doggie, I''m just trying to bring you back. I''ll try to keep you alive. Hehe..hahaha.. muahahahahahaha!"


    After much screaming and howling...mixed with some laughing, Kim finally exited out from the earth dome. His face looked calm and peaceful with blood all over his body. The blood instantly washed away with the layer of mana that was surrounding him. Everyone else except the people who know Kim was still inside the training hall.


    When he saw Kim coming out from the earth dome, Larc was the first one to approach Kim but Momo was already by Kim''s side. It caught Larc off guard but seeing Kim''s performance a while ago, he could only expect that Momo was potentially within the same level. He stopped for a while and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Then he took another step again to slowly approach Kim. Everyone else just stood there watching. Even though they just saw a person becoming a monster, but it felt like the real monster has just appeared.


    "Kiria... is he..."


    "I tried my best"


    ''You did?!''


    "I could bury him in the ground now if you''d like"


    "It''s okay. I will compensate you properly for your help. Thank you"


    Kim gave a slight nod and let Larc entered the earth dome on his own. He then continued to walk toward the rest of the group with Momo by his side. As he approached them, the first one who greeted Kim was Leila. She looked nervous and with a slightly trembled voices she said to him


    "T-Thank you. Thank you for saving me!"


    Kim gave him a slight smile and shoved the little girl who was hiding behind him to the front. When she saw Leila, she hurriedly hid behind Kim while holding his clothes tightly.


    "The one who saved you was Momo, not me. Her sword is faster than me. If it weren''t for her you would be eaten alive"


    Eaten alive? That was what on her mind after seeing the horrifying scene of Kiria gulping his followers. Leila still could not forget the sound of bones breaking and the desperate cry for help from those who were eaten alive. What''s scarier was the intense hunger in Kiria sharp eyes that were looking directly into hers with blood dripping from his fangs and innards hanging on his claws.


    She was supposed to be dead and she will live with those uneventful moments to the grave. However, what she should focus on now was to properly express her gratitude to her saviour.


    With a serious look at her face, she bowed down diligently to Momo and thanked her. Momo, however, seemed to refuse her gratitude. Her mouth was pouting and she was hugging herself. Kim did not know why Momo acted that way but as a woman, Leila does. She got close to Momo and whispered something to her ear which made Momo blushed. Red face and chubby cheek, she looked like a ripened tomato.


    Momo suddenly became excited and gave Leila a firm handshake like true sisters.


    While both of them having their sisterhood moment, Kim went to the other three guys. Wong approached him first before others come as well.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Yeah. It was satisfying"


    Again they felt a sudden chill sensation travelling through their spine. The smirk on Kim''s face seems deadly. Even his gaze felt like it could kill them.


    ''Is this the same guy who saved us?!


    It wasn''t just the training hall, the whole guild building was empty. Guild master has ordered a full evacuation and forbade any entry into the guild until further notice. It wasn''t long before the people of Kuala Terengganu received news about the death of Kiria. This has also caused an uproar in social media. Even though Kiria was only an A-rank and not an S-rank, he was still famous among mana users. Kiria death was shocking but the mysterious part was the guild did not mention his death.


    Guild master Larc has given the notice among the witnesses to keep whatever happened in the training hall to themselves. People only assumed that Kiria has encountered a Legendary rank monster while he was doing his job request. The event of Kiria sudden transformation into a monster had only spread as rumours inside and out of Kuala Terengganu. Even though most people accepted the first reason, there was one particular person caught interest with the latter.


    Kim gave an address of a hotel to Wong and the three of them brought Kim and Momo to the place. Wong was curious about how Kim got the address, but Kim only told him an acquaintance recommended him the place.


    The hotel was small and looked quite old. There was not that much guest. There may not even one guest at all staying in this place. Located quite far from the centre and the main gate, it was understandable why a hotel at this rundown place was not popular. It was shocking for the hotel itself to still exist even to this date. After decided the time they would meet tomorrow, Wong, Teng and Ling left the place and walk back to their home.


    Kim greeted the owner who was at the lobby desk and requested a room for two people. They got their key card after paying some points and went directly to their room.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Teng...why did you asked him those questions last time? I know you would not ask anything unnecessary..."


    "Wong, Ling how many S-rank do you guys know in Malaysia?"


    "Excluding Prince Ray and Master Silva, there''s only three. One of them is the new general, Varius. One is in Johor and the other one in Kuala Lumpur"


    "Yes, only three! Young master Kim and Miss Momo are obviously an S-rank so why after 6 years, no one knew them? With that much power, they could only be noticed...unless..."


    "No one was there to notice them?"


    "Yes...and that could mean both of them from a dead city or village..."


    "But people who were brought here by the Varhem Kingdom has finished checking every crooks and corner of Malaysia right?"


    "Yes, that''s true Ling. But both of them could speak Malay with high proficiency. So they could only be Malaysians. And one more thing...how can a person of this age don''t know about rank? They were also confused when we were using our points. Can''t they just find all these info on the internet!"


    "Where are you going with this Teng?"


    "Guys, look. There are both Malaysians but somehow they have been living in a place where no one ever steps on for this past 6 years! That could only mean one thing"


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Steam was coming from the bathroom after Momo finished taking her shower. Her wet hair was covered with a towel to stop water from dripping. She took a hairdryer with her and sat on Kim''s lap.


    "Wah! I haven''t taken a shower ever since that day! We only cleaned ourselves by the river or anywhere with water"


    "Momo. Can I ask you something?"


    "Yes, master?"


    "Why are you sitting on my lap?"


    "Waiting for you to dry my hair of course"


    Kim wanted to say something to refute but he never saw Momo as cheerful as she was that day. In the end, he just gave in and carefully plugged the hairdryer so that Momo does not need to move away. He removed the towel that was covering Momo''s violet hair and turned on the hairdryer.


    Momo was seemingly happy as she was humming so kind of a tone while getting her hair dried.


    "Wow, you are good at this"


    "I''ve been drying your hair for 6 years, didn''t I?


    "Yeah, and almost burnt all my hair for 6 years as well"


    *cough*


    "Anyway, pass me that hairbrush"


    Momo jumped down to take the hairbrush that Kim asked and jumped back on his lap again. While Kim gently brushed her waist-long silky hair she again hummed the same tone she did.


    "Momo"


    "Yes, master?"


    "What did you think about what happened today?"


    "Why?"


    "Do you think that pervert himself know he will turn into a dog like that?"


    "Maybe"


    "But... why would someone want a wolf''s heart?"


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    Before Kim and Momo left the guild, they asked Leila regarding the job request that Wong and his team were doing. They found out that, it started with the increasing case of missing children in the city which happen every night. Last year, it only happened once a month and most of the victims were street orphans who lost both their parents and their homes.


    However, starting last week, there were reports from parents who lost their child almost every day. One of the reports mentioned that they saw a silhouette of a man covered with furs running away before he managed to grab their child. The man was identified as a werewolf because of his the other mentioned features like his sharp claw and fangs coming out from his mouth.


    A search has been done within the city but no trace of the werewolf was found. Since then the Minister of Kuala Terengganu issued an order for a wolf hunt because it was suspected that werewolf might have fled outside of the city wall. It was common for a werewolf to reside in a pack of wolves. This was because a werewolf can lead a pack of wolf monsters. Thus, the wolf hunt purpose was to reduce the number of strength which the werewolf could gather.


    "Why would the minister ask to bring back the wolf''s heart to consider the job is done? It doesn''t make sense...if this is how it is...then what Mr. Werewolf told me was the truth...but I need more evidence"


    As Kim continued muttering his thoughts, Momo mercilessly headbutted Kim straight to his chin, making him lay in the bed while Momo fell lightly on top of him.


    "Master always think too much! It has been a while too since we could sleep in a bed like this"


    Kim was caught off guard with the sudden headbutt. It did not hurt him that much, but what Momo told him reminded him of their days in Borneo. Constantly getting chased by monsters, sleeping was suicide. It was common to stay awake for several days before they could find a place to hide. In which after some time, monsters would find them with their mana sense and they had to fight dozens, sometimes even hundreds of monsters before they could run away again to hide. A short nap was a luxury!


    No matter how strong they are, they still have a limit on how much they could fight before they need a rest. It was inconceivable on how much strain they have to put up in those 6 years with their lives always hanging on a thread.


    Now that they are outside of Borneo, they finally found a place where they could rest without worry of getting eaten by monsters. No wonder Momo was grumpy when he keep asking all those questions.


    Kim was about to apologize when he realized that Momo was already snoring. Seeing how calm her face has made his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier.


    After living in nightmares for 6 years, the two of them slept peacefully without a single care of the world.

 59 Marketplace

    The morning glare pass through the curtain blinds shone upon her sleeping face. As the sky became brighter from the rising sun, the little girl took cover under her blanket, but it was suffocating! She then took it off once more and let herself exposed with the sunlight.


    "Too bright!"


    She repeatedly took on and off the blanket until she finally decided to wake up. Still feeling drowsy, she looked around the room to find Kim who was already out of bed. And there on the sofa, Kim was sitting crossed leg with his eyes shut tight.


    "Master, are you still sleeping?"


    No response, she shrugged her shoulder. She got out of the bed and walked towards the bathroom in a relaxed manner. After washing her face, she went to the refrigerator and grabbed herself bottled water and took several gulps. She then turned towards Kim and saw he was still in the same state.


    ''I wonder if I can meet grandmaster too someday.''


    She then opened the refrigerator again to take a bar of chocolate called Snackers. She then took the remote control and sat on the bed. While munching the chocolate, she browsed through the television trying to find anything could catch her interest. But alas, none of it worth the mention. Finishing her last bite, she took one last glance toward Kim and then went back to sleep.


    No matter where she looked, there was only darkness. It was not that the place was dark since she could see herself, but more like it was empty. Within that dark and empty space, she was standing there alone. There was no sound nor the breeze. She could still breathe normally, but when she tried to say some words, there was only silence. Even her mana sense was not working that time.


    Unable to make sense of what was going on, Momo decided to brave through the infinite, endless void. She walked and walked and walked, but nothing change. The darkness slowly eating her up, and the emptiness was slowly depressing her down.


    "When will this end?"


    After more walking, finally, she saw a man and a woman holding hands were walking toward the opposite of her direction. She knew who they were, so she dashed toward them as fast as she could. But, no matter how hard she tried, she never could get close. So near, yet so far.


    Still, she did not give up. She was more fired up than ever. She has been longing to see the two people in front of her. After much struggle, she finally within the reach of holding their hands that were clasping together.


    "Mama, papa, I finally found you!"


    No matter how she called them, not once had they turned their head around. Instead, they continued to walk into the endless void. Momo felt like if they walked more, they would get buried into the emptiness, leaving her behind all alone. With all her strength, she ran. She ran as far as her leg could bring her. Her legs were soring, but she gritted her teeth and run. She shouted at the top of her lungs, but none of her voice was reaching them.


    ''No. At this point, mama and papa will leave me all alone again. No!''


    As she shouted with all her might, her parents stopped abruptly. Just stood still without moving a budge with their backs facing Momo. Momo took this chance the get closer until they were only a few steps in front of her.


    ''Just a bit more. Mama, papa!''


    Her fragile hands slowly tried to reach her parents. Before she could even have the slightest touch of them, her whole body went numb. Her heartbeat beats faster until the point she could hear it directly with her ears. No matter how hard she tried, she could not move. She tried to call out to her parents, but no voice was coming out from her throat.


    That moment, slowly within the void, a giant silhouette resembled a snake looking sea serpent was approaching them. The closer it got, the larger it became until it was as huge as a whole building. It has nine heads with each one of them having a twenty metres long neck.


    The moment she saw the monster, extreme fear overwhelmed her entire soul. Never again she wanted to see the monster who killed the one that she loved, that monster who almost killed her, and made her fall into despair. It was non-other than King Hydra.


    She wanted to tell her parents to run away, but her voice was still stuck in her throat. Even though her mana sense went crazy, she could not release a tiny bit of her strength at all.


    ''No. I''m not letting you get them again!''


    The heads of King Hydra slowly approached her parents. One of its head passed through between her parents and went directly into her face. When her parents turned around, it caused her to almost fainted out of shock! Her pupils enlarged when she saw the horrifying face of her parents melted away from the poisonous purple breaths exuded out from King Hydra mouth. Then its other heads chomp her parents apart, leaving only their legs on the floor.


    Again she felt the hopelessness as when she was waiting for her death. Not when she had trained for years to gain her power. Not when her parents were there in front of her! She wanted to smash herself on the floor over and over again until her head crushes to bits.


    Now only she and King Hydra remained in this endless void. King Hydra opened its mouth wide to swallow her whole. As what happened to her parents, she too started to decay from the poisonous breath. Her body was rapidly rotting, as her hairs and both of her eyeballs fell on the ground. Her flesh, bones and teeth were showing as her skins started to melt. All she could see, hear, smell, and feel was the endless void.


    Once she got eaten, she will be alone again in the darkness.


    "Momo! Momo, wake up! Momo!"


    Her face was wet from the tears that dripping out of her eyes. Out of nowhere, Kim hugged her tightly while she was still in a drowsy state.


    "Master? What''s wrong? Why is your body shaking?"


    She did not know what happened, but the hug was unusually soothing to her heart that day, so she let Kim hugged her longer as she enjoyed the warmness of his body.


    Kim told her that she was crying and shaking all over her body in her sleep. Her mana even went uncontrollably mad, so he had to end his mental domain to contain her mana. He got backlashes after forcing himself out, but if he hesitated for a second, the whole hotel building crashing down might be the minimum event that could occur.


    After getting themselves ready, they went to the dining room of the hotel to eat the prepared breakfast. Even though there were no one else there beside them, the hotel still provided a buffet-style with all you can eat breakfast. Seeing all these foods made their eyes teary.


    The breakfast consisted of a typical Malaysian breakfast that you could find anywhere. There were nasi lemak, roti canai with curry and dhal, fried kuay teow with oysters, toats with butter and kaya spreading and also traditional kuih and tropical fruits as desserts. For drinks, they could ask the hotel manager to prepare anything that was on the menu.


    "This is heaven!"


    They both thought in their heads while filling their plates with varieties of dishes.


    During breakfast, Momo told Kim about her nightmares, but she could only vaguely remember them. Noticed that Kim was being confused made her ask him "If there''s something wrong?"


    "No. It''s just I also had a bad night. That''s why I woke up early."


    Coincidence? When they thought that the night would be peaceful, a terrible dream haunted them. Nightmares in a night of sleep are like a curse hiding in a blessing. Or maybe it was a curse of feeling the burden being the only person alive while others are dead.


    Teng and Ling already were waiting outside for them. They were both wearing some casual clothing with shirts and shorts. Seeing Wong was not around, Kim asked them out of curiosity.


    "Wong is not coming today?"


    Teng already expected that Kim would ask that question. He looked at Ling as if asking for permissions, and after a moment of thought, he finally told Kim that "Wong is visiting his wife and daughter. He always visits them after he comes back from a job request."


    "Uncle Wong has a wife and daughter?" Momo asked him with a surprised voice. Teng was a bit hesitant to answer, so he looked toward Ling again. Since they thought they could not hide anything from them, Ling told them "Wong...he had a wife and daughter."


    Facing a similar experience before, Kim and Momo understood what he meant. It was the reason for their nightmares haunting them. Whether in Borneo, other parts of Malaysia or anywhere in the world, the calamity brought nothing but sorrows and despairs.


    After that short conversation, not a single word muttered until they reached the marketplace.


    ---


    Wong was walking on a pathway that has hundreds and thousands of stones lining up at the sides. He was carrying a bunch of flowers with one hand and a paper bag filled with snacks on the other. After he walked for some length, he stopped near a particular stone and kneeled on the ground. Thirty minutes have passed. He then left what he brought and walked away from the place


    ---


    The marketplace was full of the hustle and bustle. With only the two of them living in Borneo, being in this crowded place was quite overwhelming. People are shouting everywhere, trying to promote their sells. Kim was never been good with people. His social life was only with his four friends. Momo, on the other hand, was quite excited to see the lively place.


    "So even our young master has his weakness."


    "Shut up. Just quickly show us around."


    "Alright. We know all the best shops in the city. Just ask, and we will bring you straight to the place in no time."


    "Oh! Oh!"


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    "Yes, Miss Momo?"


    "I want to buy some new clothes! And food! And those armour thingy! And food!"


    The marketplace sells varieties of tools and materials for both ordinary people and mana users. They sell weapons, armours, mana stones, clothing and of course, food. It is at utmost importance for mana users to prepare themselves before going out of the city. Just having a lack of resource is a matter of life and death.


    For non-mana users, they usually come to buy daily necessities and anything related to work. These kinds of people are crafters. They make weapons, armours, medicines and even food. Their profession name depends on what kind of items they craft, but they are generally known as crafters.


    Some works in the business guild, which consist of both mana users and non-mana users. Their main job is to buy a bundle of items and resell it at another place to gain profits. These people are who we called businessman in the modern era. However, the job has become riskier since the supplies are not always sustainable and having to move around from one place to another means they could end up getting eaten by monsters. But profits are undeniably tempting even with the risk. Amazing and Elibaby Express are the two biggest business guild in the world. One is called the dragon of the east, and another is the tiger of the west. They can deliver items even at the day it was ordered depending on the place.


    There is also another group of people in the marketplace called street performers, which mostly made up of mana users. Even among mana users, some people are not suitable for fighting. They combined their skills with mana to do flashy acts to gain points. Enchanting singing voice, real-looking illusionary acts, extreme acrobatics, there are varieties of performance to look for while walking around the marketplace.


    One by one has been introduced by Teng even though Kim and Momo did not ask about it. He also mentioned that other cities have their speciality and cultures. However, in general, these are what people could expect from a marketplace nowadays.


    Today, their goals were to get one thing for both Kim and Momo. One of humanity greatest invention that has changed how people lives. A technology which was considered a luxury that has turned into a tool of necessity. The smartphone, a brilliant innovation which combined three main ingredients, GPS, phone and the internet.


    When Mango company founder Paul Jobs introduced the first-ever smartphones, people thought it was a waste of money. Little do they know, smartphones have become one of the most sought gadgets in the world. Rival companies had to fight their way, trying to compete with Mango for this unexpected innovation.


    Unfortunately, the calamity had crushed the Mango company to the ground. Not only they lost Paul Jobs, but they were also unable to recover since their smartphones are not practical in this age anymore. Function-wise, it was still outstanding, but it breaks too easily! Mana users are unable to bring them to the field when they are hunting for monsters. Then, an old phone company has resurfaced into the business out of nowhere. Nokea.


    Not only their phones are durable, as time goes by, but the phones functions have also been on par with Mango company even before the calamity. Combining these two factors, it is one of the biggest trends in technology in this era. Both non-mana users and mana users would use it. Even the otherworlder are impressed by the fact that it could use to communicate with others at a faraway distance. Also having access to any information with a touch of a finger, the thought of smartphones existing was inconceivable.


    On how Nokea was able to produce this feat? It remained a mystery. Some rumours were laying around saying that the previous founder of Nokea has awakened his mana sense, and become a mana user. Even if it was true, no one could guess what kind of capability it could be to make a dead company returned to life.


    A big signboard saying ''Nokea'' is hanging on one of its branch in Kuala Terengganu. Their main headquarter is in Finland, but having the support of every governing kingdom in the Earth has made this company spread widely. It would be preposterous if a country without Nokea exists. Same like not having rice for breakfast!


    The moment they step inside the shop, a man wearing a collared shirt tucked inside his pant approached them with a smile. His black hair was neatly combed. His eyes are slightly squinted as he greets them while rubbing his hands together "How can I help you, sir?"


    Kim knew the man was going to approach them even before they entered the place, but the manner he approached them still caught Kim off guard and made him flinched. Ling was about to say something before Teng grabbed his shoulder to interrupt. "Have fun, young master. We will wait outside. Take your time!"


    Teng gave him and thumbs-up and dragged Ling out of the shop which made Kim cursed them in his heart. He wanted to turn to Momo, but she was already in her world, wandering around the shop.


    Now that even Momo has betrayed him, he became a vulnerable target inside the shop. Without him noticing, the man who greeted them was already so close Kim would accidentally bump into him by moving even the slightest bit.


    "What can I do for you, sir?"


    "I-I''ll look around first."


    When he walked, the man would walk when he stopped the man would also stop. He was following Kim every little step. Not only him, but the whole shop atmosphere was also awkward. Every staff who was working in each corner was watching Kim with full attention. Whenever Kim looked at one of them, they would smile brightly and gave him a slight nod. It felt like in this giant shop, he and Momo were the only customer, and they were!


    "Today out of all times I''m the only one here. Well Momo too, but she''s not helping! What is she even doing?"


    After a while, Momo got bored so one of the staff offered here to play some games wearing a VR set.


    Kim has already given up on Momo so he could only let out a sigh and continued to browse some more smartphones. Whenever Kim stops to look at one phone, the man would immediately the details and offers that the shop provides. The man was like a machine programmed to say every word of their products.


    Not long afterwards, Kim realized another staff has approached to follow him as well. Amazingly, both of them sync extremely well when explaining the details of their products. It was clear that they have been trained to do this for so many years!


    As Kim went deeper into the store, the presence of people gathering. From two, comes four then eight, then dozens of them have gathered. They all dressed the same way and smiled the same way. Succumbed with the pressure of them constantly asking him what he would buy, finally, Kim told them "Just give me the best one you have!!!"


    "It would be Nokea 3310 then. How many would you like sir?"


    "Two!"


    Kim let out a sigh relieved, thinking it was over. However, he only passed the first stage.


    "We also provide some accessory for your phones, sir!"


    "If you add 100 more points, we will give you can choose between these three accessories."


    "Would like to buy phone case as well, sir?"


    "How about a laptop?"


    "Which do you prefer? Earphones or headset?"


    "Do you want to buy our Nokea shirt, sir?"


    "Ice cream, get your ice cream!"


    "Just give me the smartphone!"


    "Thank you for buying our product sir. Please wait while we prepare everything."


    Kim was finally able to breathe some air after the staffs went back to their positions. He then sat down on a sofa for customers to take a break. Suddenly, his mana sense went tingling. He looked right and left but nothing was there.


    "I''m seriously getting paranoid now. It must be because I haven''t talked to anyone else besides Momo for these past few years ."


    That was what he thought until he heard a cry of a familiar voice. Momo was getting chased by several other staff of the shop.


    "Master, help me!!!"


    He quickly went to the man who greeted him at the door to ask him to finish the purchasing, but as soon as the man turned around, he saw again that awfully bright smile. The same smile every staff had. The smile that was supposed to give comfort to customers. But to Kim, it was an evil smile with a lot of hidden agenda behind it.


    "No need to rush, sir. You can have all the time you want. How about we show you some of our other products"


    --


    "Young master, Miss Momo, both of you finally out. How did it go?"


    It has been less than an hour since Kim and Momo were inside the shop. However, they already looked exhausted as if they have been working out non-stop for the entire day. Wong was also there waiting and he was shocked to see the condition Kim and Momo were.


    "Teng, Ling how could you left those two inside?"


    "It was Teng"


    "I thought young master could handle it."


    That was when Kim had a realization. They both knew all along what was going to happen.


    All matter aside, at least Kim managed to buy only two smartphones without falling for other tricks. It took him a lot of willpower overcoming the pressure from buying other stuff. Today, he learned how scary society could be. They then go to make their numbers and exchanged their contact information. Kim also added Larc private phone number which he got yesterday.


    As they planned yesterday, they continued to walk until they reach the section with stalls selling street food. Kim and Momo did not have any interest with any weapons or armours. They thought it was annoying to carry them around while fighting. Furthermore, the hooded robe they were always wearing was made from King Hydra''s skin when it was shedding. It is light and as strong as durable as how King Hydra was.


    The heavenly flavour was lingering in the air making it impossible to pass through the street empty-handed. Everything from cucur, to roti john, and burgers were available. There were also heavier dishes like nasi kerabu, fried noodle and rice, a variety of naan. For those who have their preference can visit stalls that offer nasi campur. For desserts, different kind of kuih was sold and there was also ABC to cool oneself from the warm weather of Malaysia.


    Momo eyes went spinning unable to choose which food to try first. It has been a whole 6 years since she gets to eat genuinely good food. Since they have a lot of points to spare after making their guild card yesterday, they just going to eat everything they put their eyes onto.


    After walking and eating for a while, then they realized Kim was gone.


    "Where''s the young master? Don''t tell me he got lost in the crowd?"


    "Did he saw something caught his interest and went to get it by himself?"


    "Don''t worry about master. Look, he even left us his card so we can use as much as we want. So let''s grab some more food!!!"


    --


    "It seems they are moving again."


    "How much food are these people going to eat? It''s making me hungry!"


    Two men wearing sunglasses and baseball caps were trying to blend themselves within the crowd. It has been hours since they keep trail of Kim''s group. Ever since Kim and Momo exited the hotel, they have started to follow them. Both of them are good at stealth skills with amazing observing eyes. Combining the two made them an incomparable duo to spy on others without getting detected. They were ordered to follow the group to get as much information they could. Usually, anything that their eyes set on will never pass them by. Usually. But today, something was amiss.


    "Wait a minute. One, two, three, there''s only four of them! Where''s the othe-"


    Before they managed to recollect their thoughts, a frightening mana pressure has already immobilized them in their spots. They knew they need to run as far as they could, but not even their toes were listening to them. It felt like the demon lord himself was standing behind them. If they turned their head around it would mean death.


    "P-p-please spare us"


    There was no reply. Only silence. Nothing change, including the pressure that was exerted upon them. They can feel the death reaper was already hanging on both of their shoulders. "What should we do?" Both of them. Unfortunately, nothing came out to their mind. The mana pressure was so powerful that they could not even put up a mana barrier to protect themselves.


    "F-forgive us." With a crying and trembling voice, they desperately ask for forgiveness, in the hope that the person who was behind them would spare their lives. Alas, not a single word could be heard. At this point, they might piss their pants and die in the middle of the street. That was something they could not live knowing!


    "W-we will t-tell you e-everything. Please, spare us our lives!"


    They could not still move, but the pressure has become less now. And a finally, a voice came out from behind them.


    "Bring me to him"


    A single sentence but they understood it completely what he wanted. They comply and lead the man behind them from the street. They forced their shaking legs to move as far as they could until they reach a huge mansion that was a bit far from the centre of the city. There was a garden in front of the mansion and surrounding it were iron fences. They head toward the main gate where several guards wearing black suit were standing by. Since they knew each other, the guards let them in with their "guest" to meet the Minister of Kuala Terengganu.

 60 Mayor Byzark

    The sound of a grandfather clock ticking in its cycle could be heard in the guest room. ''Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock'' It was a neverending cycle and never fading. Who knows how old the clock was, and who knows how much time it has left.


    Kim was comfortably sipping on the sofa while enjoying the freshly brewed tea. The two men who lead him here were waiting obediently outside of the room.


    Moments later, a knock and the butler who served him the tea welcome another man which he introduced as the Mayor of Kuala Terengganu. His name is Byzark. The person who handles the affair of the city which include the job requests that was offered by the mana user guild. His whole demeanour was strong. Even though he was a non-mana user, Kim knew he is not just an ordinary person. Byzark approached Kim with charismatics strides.


    With a slight bow, he apologized to Kim "Sorry for making Mika and Suika troubles you. They were only following my order."


    That gesture was truly unexpected. For someone at the high position to bow down at person whom he never met before, it should be impossible in these days and era.


    ''Is he really this kind of an honest person? Are the rumours true?''


    Kim did not just blindly follow the two duos who tried to trail him. He already expected that the news of him beating the no.1 mana users in the city would trigger a spark somewhere. Especially, with the rumours of Kiria was killed after his sudden transform into a monster werewolf. Added with what Mr Werewolf told him, it could only lead him to one thing. The wolf hunt request which was proposed by the man who is now sitting in from of him.


    With that in mind, he inquiry a lot about Byzark even before he came here. Despite being an otherworlder he was assigned by Prince Ray to lead the restoration process of Kuala Terengganu. Despite not being a mana user, he has the experience handling city affairs when he was in the Varhem Kingdom.


    Even though there was clear discrimination going on against the earthens from the otherwolders, he was the first person to advocate equal treatments between one another. He focused on building shelters and provide food first for the weak like elderly and small children who lost their family. Working together with the mana user guild, he sought to provide the awakened earthens to understand their new power. After a while, he encouraged and supported the crafters to make the economy flow. Eventually, this became the foundation of the marketplace which lead to the establishment of the city very own business guild.


    Seeing how wise and benevolent Byzark was for the past years, he gained the support of the community which made him appointed as the Mayor of Kuala Terengganu. Even though he was not a mana user, with the guild backing, no one would dare to take his seat by force, especially mana users. There was still some dirt at the corner which hard to clean as the city becoming larger as it develops, but he remained to his true honest self whose goals were to serve the people.


    It was why he proposed the wolf hunt in the first place when he heard that the children of the city were kidnapped and killed or eaten by a werewolf. He hoped that the city mana users could lure it and kill the werewolf before there will be more innocent children becoming victims.


    An honest and kind man with no dark history behind him, truly surreal. Byzark manners and humble tone when he talked made Kim surprised that this kind of person could exist. To top it off, he was still young, maybe in his early 30s, and he got a charming face that would make women holding themselves from blinking their eyes just to see this person. His face reminded Kim of the famous boy group from South Korea which was a global sensation before the calamity occurred.


    Byzark was just a perfect human being!


    ''Are all otherwolders at the top position like this?''


    There was another one who has the same charismatic presence as Byzark. Although he is a bit old now, he is still good-looking. An otherwolder just like Byzark, the guild master. Kim could not even imagine how great of a presence is Prince of Varhem. That thought has made him having more murderous intent.


    "I heard you fought Kiria and won. That''s impressive."


    Kim knew he was going to ask about Kiria There was no other reason to follow an unknown man who has just join a mana user guild. By rights, Kim did not do anything that could catch the attention of a person like Byzark. That means, Kim also expected his next question.


    "I''ve heard rumours about his death."


    Rumours of Kiria death. The guild officially told the public that Kiria died while doing his job. But, there is a rumour that has been spreading within the city. It started when a mana user went to a pub on the same day Kiria was announced dead.


    He was there when Kim and Kiria were fighting. He was there to witness Kiria losing. He was there when Kiria turned into a monster werewolf and eat everyone near him. It did not take long for the guild master to declare that Kiria must be killed. But the rumour that made everyone talking was the fact that the newbie actually has beaten Kiria and managed to kill him in his monster form.


    However, rumours are just rumours. Who would believe some drunk man words? It was unlikely. Until another mana user told the same story. Then another, then another. But the guild declared the official death of Kiria on the same day and ordered mana users who attended the practice spar to shut their mouth. Rumours that spread like wildfire dies off in no time.


    So why does a person like Mayor Byzark is still asking about the rumours? A simple curiosity?


    No. It is because Mayor Byzark knew the rumour was true.


    ''It must have been those followers. I thought I told them not to bother us anymore.''


    Since Kiria has been at the top in the guild, he has been endorsed by Byzark for his loyalty to the city. It was no wonder why Kiria could act how he was when he was still alive. Often he would invite Kiria to his mansion to have a meal together. People cherish A-rank a lot since they are the strongest one after an S-rank. But, the possibility to have a chance of producing an S-rank mana user in a city is almost zero. An A-rank would most likely be the top person in a guild located in a city like Kuala Terengganu.


    But it was not only Kiria. Even those who followed him was getting supported. It would not be weird if they were the one who directly told Byzark what happened to Kiria. Getting the confirmation from eye-witnesses whom he could personally trust, the rumours that he heard was most likely to be news to him, even if the guild said otherwise.


    ''I better treat them properly next time''


    --


    "Miss Momo. We don''t think this suit you."


    After having too much food, the group decided to go to the crafters'' section. In this area, mana users could find different types of equipment and supplies needed for travel. Kim and Momo were never interested in equipment since carrying them around seem bothersome. But the three uncles thought it would be better for Momo to look around first. Above their expectations, Momo actually caught interests with certain equipment. However, they did not think that it was because she found useful equipment which suited her.


    She was holding a red shield with a yellow cross sign that was almost as big as herself. On her other hand, a black rifle that could shoot beam-like projectiles when mana is injected into it. She was wearing full body armour made of steel. The base colour was white. On her upper body, it was blue, with red at the ribs and waist. Her neck was covered with yellow colour. The armour even covering her legs with red coloured steel boots to protect her feet. At her back, steel red wings which could fly around to shoot mana projectiles. On her head, a white helmet with two pointy antennae which could enhance mana sense. Near her a waste, a laser sword that would appear only when she uses it.


    "Hey, don''t you guys think this setup looks oddly familiar?" Asked Ling while tilting his head trying to remember something and a sudden realization hit him.


    "Isn''t this from that robot anime?"


    When Wong and Teng heard Ling, they look closer at Momo and tried to compare. After a while, they too thought it was very similar!


    "Miss Momo?"


    "Yes."


    "Can you move?"


    "..."


    "Anyway, why did you get interested in wearing these?"


    "Oh, I got the idea from Uncle Larc!"


    "Larc? You mean the guild master?"


    "Yeah. At the wall of his office, there were a lot of small men wearing this kind of things."


    "Men wearing that kind of things?"


    "Yeah. I thought it looked cool so I wanted to try myself."


    --


    "Hachoo!"


    "Are you okay, guild master?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine. Maybe I had some allergy."


    "Or maybe someone is talking about you"


    "Haha, why would someone talk about me. Anyway, I need to do some, um, work, yeah work which I need to do after visiting Japan last time. Please don''t let anyone bother so I can get focus properly."


    "Okay, guild master."


    Larc entered his office and walked to his desk at a fast pace. He opened his drawer and inside there was a safety box which needs a password to input in. He punched the number in and with a sound of click it was unlocked. With a creepy smile on his face, he slowly opened the box with full of excitement.


    "Welcome to my collections, my baby."


    --


    Heartbeat racing, his pupil became larger than it was before. In that instance, Kim saw it. The moment when Kim told Byzark how Kiria transmuted into a monster has made him broke his character. Even though it was only just a second, Kim caught the glimpse of his lips curling upwards. Byzark quickly covered his face and start to sob.


    "So he actually turned into a monster werewolf. That poor soul."


    Kim was deep in his thought while observing the sobbing man in front of him.


    "I know he had problems with his attitude. I received a lot of complaints about him."


    ''His words, his action...''


    "He always told me that if he was too kind with the earthens, they would end up relying too much on him."


    ''Every single word that came out of that mouth...''


    "I''m sure you had some bad encounter with him. I hope you can see through how honest a man he was."


    ''Is all a LIE!''


    "If there anything I could do to compensate what he did in the past, please let me know. I will help as much as I can."


    "I''m fine Mr Mayor. Please take some rest. You look exhausted."


    "Oh, I''m sorry if that how I seem to look like to you. There are so many things happening around the city recently. I''m sure you heard of the kidnapping? Kiria was also involved with the wolf hunt. It seems that he was inflicted with the curse of a werewolf."


    "Curse of the werewolf?"


    "I''m sure you heard of the story when a werewolf bit your neck without killing you, you will be inflicted with a curse that will transform you into a werewolf. We suspected that maybe the reason why there was several kidnapping happening recently. The werewolf might be trying to increase its force."


    Kim has heard the same story from Larc before while in the guild. It seems that the only way to cure a cursed victim is to bath them in wolves blood. That was why one of the job requests is to bring back the wolves hearts. But Larc could not confirm whether this is true or not.


    First of all, it was hard to see a human turned into a werewolf or whether there is a human who could turn into a werewolf. He only knows that there is a monster werewolf which was named from its human-like feature even though it is technically still a wolf monster. Secondly, letting a werewolf would mean an increased death of others, so killing them as fast as possible was the only way. And third, from where Mayor Byzark got this info was unsure of. They only reason people would hear him without question was that he is Mayor Byzark.


    Larc was a bit suspicious but since this is a job requested by the mayor himself many mana users who were joined in. The more active the mana users are the safer it would be for the people of Kuala Terengganu. It has also reduced the anxiousness that has been lingering due to the report of witnessing a werewolf trying to kidnap children in their sleep.


    "The reason I asked Mika and Suika to bring you here was for me to ask you to take Kiria place in this wolf hunt. I know it is inappropriate for me to ask this after bothering your time off. But let us work together to make this city safe."


    They both gave each other and handshake, and Kim left the place.


    Without notice, he already joined the group again which made all of them freaked out except for Momo who was busy shoving her mouth with some cendol.


    "Ah, hello master. Would you like some?"


    "Don''t speak with your mouth full Momo."


    "One more cendol, please!" Teng scanned an oddly familiar card to pay and the owner gave Kim a cold serving of cendol with a scoop of rice pulut. There were also some red beans floating around in the bowl as well.


    "You should try some too, young master"


    They spend more time at the cendol stall and then went back to the hotel where Kim and Momo were staying.


    When they arrived they were greeted by the owner who was sitting in the lobby. Wong looked at the man face and quickly recognized who he was.


    "Is that you Mr. Hamid? I haven''t seen you for years! How are you?"


    "I''m doing good."


    "Mr. Hamid? You mean that guy who used to have a shelter for dogs before?"


    "Yeah, it''s him. There was a lot of ruckuses going on when opened the shelter. People were judging him for taking care of dogs even though he was a Malay."


    "Oh, now I remember! How have you been doing?"


    Kim and Momo went to their room first to take some rest, letting the men having their conversations.


    "What happened to your shelter? The dogs must have gone wild during the calamity."


    "Well many things happened. I was surprised that I actually survived. How about some snacks while we have a chat?"


    --


    "Yaaahhh!!!"


    Momo ran toward the bed and jumped onto it the get herself drown in the fluffiness. She lay on her back while patting her bulging belly.


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    "I ate a lot today."


    "You seem to enjoy yourself"


    "Yeah, the uncles were very kind. Although, we did spend a lot."


    "And who''s points were you using?"


    "Hehe. How about you master? Did you find out about anything?"


    "Yeah, I did. I found the kidnapped children"

 61 The Night of a Full Moon

    I close my eyes, and turned off the lights,


    but in my mind, everything so bright.


    I turned around, left and right,


    but I''ll end up, waking at night.


    All alone,


    In this empty darkness,


    Within this silence,


    My heart ached.


    The heavy feeling crawled up to me,


    I was awake but, do I?


    I called for help with my choked throat,


    Oh right, I''m alone.


    And then I saw, in the night you shone,


    So ever brilliant and strong,


    Go away, darkness! I bid you so long,


    Through this window, I saw my dearest full moon.


    Morning rises, as tomorrow comes,


    The empty room was not empty anymore,


    But as my dearest full moon was gone,


    In this brightly lit room, I was all alone.


    --


    The moonlight shone through the window curtain. bathing the face of the two sleeping serenely in the bed. The night was calm and quiet. If there was a drop of a coin, it could be heard several tens of metres away. It was the night of a full moon. Majestically decorate the night sky.


    At night, the darkness would make a person quiver in fear yet could sleep without worry. To think about it, what to be scared of during night time, when it is only the day without the sun like our house after we turned off the lights. The answer lay in the darkness itself. When it is very dark, then the eyes could not see. When the eyes could not see, then the brain could not perceive which ends up with the feeling of uncertainty. Eventually, comes the fear. The fear of the unknown. Even a familiar place would not be so familiar anymore.


    Imagine the feeling of those children who were sleeping so calmly, unknowing got kidnapped and wake up in the middle of who knows where. Until today those children are still living, not able to see the daylight. Tonight, a plan was executed to add another victim to the list.


    The night was peaceful when suddenly the sound of a window crashing in. Kim woke up and saw two men approaching him and Momo at a quick pace. Unable to react properly in a groggy state, one man already grabbed Momo and another land on him putting a knife near his throat. Kim knew who these men were. It was Mika and Suika. Seeing them both, Kim already understood what was happening.


    Mika who was holding the knife against Kim warned him, "Try anything and she will die"


    "Touch her and both of you will die"


    The unexpected answer from Kim had sent shivers to their spine. But being at an advantageous position made them brushed it away with a laugh.


    "I don''t care if you beat Kiria. Even an A-rank would die with a knife at this range. Get up, now!"


    As Kim and Momo being lead in the hallway in their freshly bought pyjamas, they could hear the familiar voices at the lobby. Beside the Hamid, Wong, Teng and Ling were all still here. Then another name pops up "Mayor Byzark. What are you doing here with all these people?"


    They both could sense more than a dozen number of people came to the hotel with Byzark. It seems that Suika and Mika were sent to get Kim and Momo due to their stealthy abilities even though they were the only B-rank who came. Others were most probably to be A-rank judging from the mana they were emanating. Some of them were even as strong as Kiria before he became a werewolf. Most surprisingly, not even one of them has been to the guild before They were not even registered in the first place.


    "This mayor of yours is quite a cheeky bastard"


    "Say more words and I will slit your throat!"


    Wong was the first to react when he saw Kim and Momo going down the stairs with a knife at their throats. "Young master, Miss Momo, are both of you okay?"


    Kim did not give a single a reply and Momo was trying hard to stay awake. She was swaying left and right while walking toward the lobby. If she was not holding Kim''s arm while going down the stair she might tumble down and had her face planted into the floor. Seeing how carefree both them were, gave a bit sense of relief.


    "Hello, Mr Kim. Fancy meeting you again."


    "What are you doing Mayor? Let them go! *cough*"


    The moment Wong said that he suddenly felt like the air around him has gone. Then his throat was choking and he was suffocating. He could not breathe at all! Slowly the pain was accumulating until he could not bear it and fell on his knee.


    "Stop"


    One word from Byzark and the pain stop. Wong was able to breathe again.


    "They will be good specimens. Take all of them with us"


    It was a quiet long walk toward the mayor mansion. There was not even a hint of struggle. The six of them just obediently followed Byzark group. One of the mana users was conjuring a mana barrier that could nullify sound. A cry for help is the same as running away from a cheetah. There were also two specially enhanced knives hanging on Kim''s and Momo''s throat. Surrounded them were more than a dozen of A-rank, who in the right mind would dare to do anything?


    --


    There he was listening to the same clock tick-tocking away inside the guest room. It was the same place, the same scenery. The person who was sitting in front of him was still Mayor Byzark. The tea had been served. The butler was standing there in the room. But surrounding them, A-rank mana users who were prepared to take Kim down whenever he would show any suspicious movement. They all had their weapons pointed toward him. It may seem to be overkill, but it was their Byzark order. The first thing Kim did was to take his cup of tea and drink it.


    --


    Beneath the mansion was a basement, where the other five were sent. Rather than a basement, it was more like an underground prison. Even the four locals who have lived in Kuala Terengganu since they were born never knew about the existence of this prison-like basement. With both hands and feet tied, they were lead by Suika and Mika to their cell. They were all place in one cell beside Momo. Only she was taken to another place.


    "Kekeke, don''t worry little girl, we won''t hurt you. You will have a lot of new friends to play with after this."


    The wall of this underground basement has been infused with mana stone which creates a space which suppresses mana sense. It was a no wonder no one noticed about this place before. But for Kim and Momo, their mana sense was too powerful that the barrier could not hide anything from them the moment they entered the mansion. What is it that Mayor Byzark wanted to hide so much that he would spend a fortune of mana stones to build this kind of space?


    The answer lies at the end of the path. Momo finally got close to where she sensed the number of living beings being kept in one place. Finally the reach at the end of the path where a giant steel door was standing. Both Suika and Mika took out a silver key, one each which was hanging around their necks. Without hesitation, they pushed Momo into the room and quickly locked the door back.


    "I will never get used with the feeling of that room"


    "Me too. Let''s just get out of here."


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    A dark and cold room. The smell of iron and foul odour lingering in the air. Every time she took a step, she could hear a squishy sound beneath her slippers. Momo could sense they were several people observing her. She tried to get closer to them, but they would keep their distance away. Judging by how they were moving, it must be possible that their eyes are well accustomed to the darkness.


    "They must be the children that master told me."


    She broke the mana suppressing shackles that bind her four limbs and conjured four swords floating around her. She sent the swords into four corners, avoiding all the people. "Swords of Revealing Light."


    The swords shone which caused the entire room to light up brightly like the day. She could hear the sound of the children mixed with a beastly voice. Their eyes have been too used to the dark that it was greatly pained from watching the light once more.


    Momo stood there in silence. She wanted to say something but no voice could come out from her choked throat. The awful smell came from the bloody floor which was filled with human urine and faeces. At one corner, there was a lump of meat mixed with several dead children bodies. The bodies were full of bite marks and some parts of it was gone. And the meat that was lying around looked very much like a wolf heart.


    Despite all that, only one thing that made left Momo speechless. The children, with their bloody mouth chomping off the wolf heart in their hands.


    --


    "These are some tough shackles. Can you do anything about it, Wong?"


    "No"


    Even if someone is not an enchanter, as a mana user their body is well-tempered according to the amount of mana they absorbed from nature. Especially from monsters, and another human being. Of course, an enchanter in strength would be stronger than anyone within their level but if they a mana user who is way above them in rank, they could lose. Kiria was weaker when compared to Wong in terms of their strength enchantment, but his tempered body made him comparable with Wong.


    So, ordinary restrainment like shackles, cuff, or any prison would not be able to hold even E-rank who was not even an enchanter in the first place. But the one that was holding them down was made of mana suppression stones that were similar to the one used to build the walls of this underground basement. It continuously absorbs the mana in a person body and flows it outward. This will disrupt the flow of mana which will disable a mana user from exerting their strength. The only mana users that could destroy this kind of shackles would be an S-rank due to their imaginable strength. Surely the three of them would not be able to release themselves.


    However,


    "Stand back."


    --


    Six years ago, the day of calamity.


    The dogs were barking exceptionally wild. Hearing the sound he rushed towards their resting place. In his shock, they were fighting against each other. Not just a normal, but a fight that was meant to kill one another. He could see their claws and fang trying to tear each other apart. Blood was splattering everywhere making the whole scene a painted with red. He was scared. His entire was body was trembling. These dogs were his child that he took care since they were babies. He just rushed into the middle of the fights desperately trying to stop them. But nothing work. No matter how much he shouted and tried to hold even one of them down, he ended up getting more wounds.


    Finally, his body was not able to resist it anymore. He lost too much blood. His weakening body, can not support him anymore as he lay at the wall. His wound was so deep that his bones were showing. But the pain his body was enduring was incomparable with the pain in his heart, watching his child trying to kill each other. His vision getting blurry. His breath was getting shallow. He exerted the last of his strength, but he could not even lift a finger. Thus, he cried. He cried full of regret.


    "If only I was stronger, if only... I want strength!!!"


    A heartbeat.


    It was his own heart beating strongly not wanting to give up. He wanted to live to save them! The more he wanted to save them, the stronger his heart beating. Not long after that, he could see orbs of light floating around the room. The orbs then rushed toward him and he could feel his strength recovering. Actually, more than that. He could feel he was getting stronger. His entire body felt like it was burning, but instead of pain, it was exhilarating.


    But that was not all. His body started to change. His arms and legs were getting bigger with his entire muscle pumped up. His nails and teeth became longer and sharper. The hair on his body becoming longer and thicker which made it looked like he was covered with fur. His vision, smell and hearing becoming more sensitive. Unable to contain his feeling anymore he shouted which sounded more like a howl and all the dogs there stop in their spots. Not knowing how the people would respond, he brought his dogs away into the forest.


    --


    That night, he will again show his true form in front of others. His body became larger and covered with furs. His sharp claws and fangs grew. Behind him, a clear image of a giant demonic werewolf appeared behind him. The image was very familiar to Wong, Teng and Ling. Slowly, the image becoming smaller as if Hamid was absorbing it and vamp up his mana. Again he felt the exhilaration he was feeling the first day he got this power. With bursting mana, he howls majestically.


    In the night of the full moon, he is Mr. Werewolf.

 62 Dogs

    Hamid broke the cuff with ease due to his monstrous strength. Once he was free he took a glance toward the other three, smiling with his fangs showing.


    "Even though we were told about this yesterday, I don''t think I can get used to it"


    "He''s showing a friendly smile there, right? He''s not going to eat us, right?


    When Hamid got close to them, both Teng and Ling quickly hid behind Wong and pushed him forward. Wong tried to keep his composure but looking at the werewolf whom he thought almost killed him before still made him extremely nervous.


    With one downward swoop, Hamid broke the cuff that was binding Wong. Then come Teng and Ling, enable them to circulate their mana once more.


    While the three of them recovering, Hamid went to the heavy iron door which was keeping them to their room. He concentrated his mana to his claws which made them covered with purplish-black flames. He gently made a swinging motion toward the door, and the flame engulfed it, slowly melting it down. This was the same flame he had been using when he was fighting with Kim. Even a small bit of it was enough to melt this iron door.


    --


    "Suika."


    "Yes, Mika?"


    "There''s no way they escaped right? The highest rank among them is only a B-rank."


    "We still need to check. Let''s go."


    The two duos were able to sense powerful mana bursting out of the room where they locked up the other mana users that were caught on that night. From outside, it may be exceptionally hard to detect any mana, but inside the basement, they could still slightly rely on their mana sense. For them to sense a powerful amount of mana could only mean that the mana user was not ordinary.


    Before they were able to get near the room, the saw a large silhouette walking toward them. Shocked with what they were seeing they stopped in their tracks and circulate their mana to prepare for battle. A monster covered with furs slowly walked towards them. Its fangs and sharp claws looked like it could tear a person in half with ease. Looking directly into its eyes make it feels like it could slice a person soul.


    "Suika."


    "Yes, Mika?"


    "Did one of the dogs was let loose?"


    "I don''t think any of the dogs are that big!"


    "Run!"


    Unfortunately, a heavy mana pressure made them kneeled on the ground, stopping any of those twos from running away. They thought it was the werewolf, but the mana pressure was coming from behind. Even the werewolf had stop from getting near. They wanted to see who it was, but the pressure was too much for them to even lift a finger. Their whole body was trembling and soaked with sweats.


    Wong went to the front, with his mouth stumbling "M-Ms. Momo?"


    The person was Momo. The same Momo who is always bright and showered everyone with her cheerful smile. That night, however, she was different. Even Wong was stunned to see her expressionless face. But deep in her eyes, a hint of sadness was showing. What just happened a few minutes ago which made a girl like Momo to show that kind of terrifying aura?


    "Dogs?"


    It was a single word but the voice behind sent a chilling sensation which jolted their spine. Not wanting to make matter worst they remain quiet. But not even a second has passed Suika felt a throbbing pain in his arms which he saw was missing! Both of his arms were cleanly sliced off and fell on the ground. The tempered body of a B-rank was easily cut within a single breath. Suika could only scream trying to withstanding the pain as blood gushing out from where his arms were.


    "Suika!"


    Mika was shocked to see his now limbless partner. But even if he wanted to help, there''s nothing he could do at the moment.


    "No one asked you to scream. Tell me, who are you calling dogs?!"


    Her mana pressure was becoming stronger which even Wong could feel the pressure. He wanted to say something but nothing could come out from his throat. For someone who had a daughter, nothing could break his heart other than seeing the sadness of another girl. It reminded him of his weak past who was unable to protect his family. Now that he is stronger, there was still nothing he could do. Hamid also slowly reverted back into his human form as seeing how he was not needed for the time being. Even his presence as a werewolf was overshadowed by the young girl.


    Again another scream. This time it was Mika who lost his arms. He almost fell unconscious due to the shocking pain. Unable to withstand it anymore he asked for forgiveness from Momo, "Please, forgive-" but alas, his head was chopped off instead. Everyone who was there gasped in shock seeing how merciless Momo was.


    "M-M-Mika?! Ahhh! Fine! Let me, tell you! Those dogs were the kidnapped children whom we took away from the streets. Since they would die from starving, master Byzark thought it was better to make use of them."


    "What do you mean by making use of them?"


    "It was an experiment. An experiment to turn a human into a werewolf!"


    --


    A few hours ago before the incident


    The three of them were having some light snacks while chatting with Hamid when Kim joined in to sit with them.


    "Young master, what brings you here? Where is Ms. Momo?"


    "She''s resting. I guess she really enjoyed her day. Thank you."


    "No young master. We the one should be thanking you. If it weren''t for both of you, we would get killed by that damn werewolf!"


    "Yes, that damn werewolf! If it only that thing weren''t around we would not be in so much trouble. If it appeared in front of me again, I would kick its ass hard!"


    "I''m pretty sure you would run away instead, Teng."


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    Well about that, there''s something I need to tell all of you"


    Kim explained everything that happened when they were attacked by the werewolf as well as how Hamid was actually the werewolf. To suddenly said someone who is sitting in front is a monster would surely make anyone shake their heads. Hamid had to release his mana as prove which still made them utter in disbelief.


    "No way, how can this be?"


    "T-T-Teng, d-didn''t you said you want to kick his ass? G-g-go."


    "I didn''t say anything! I didn''t!"


    It took them a while before they could get back to their sense before finally believing what Kim had said. But that was not all. Kim also mentioned how Mayor Byzark had sent two people to bring him into his mansion for a simple meeting. During that time, Kim expanded his mana sense and found the kidnapped children. It was not that Kim actually knew the children were there. It was Hamid who told him about it when they were secretly talking in the earth dome at the end of their fight.


    At first, Kim did not want to get involved but hearing about the innocent children becoming victim, it was hard for him refusing to lend a hand. But Kim still had to make sure whether Hamid was actually telling him the truth or not. So Hamid told him about a hotel he was managing at let Kim and Momo stay for a while until Kim found out about it.


    "But, how did you know it was Mayor Byzark?"


    "A mere coincidence. I heard a boy shouting from one house and decided to check it out. Turns out, some mana users whom I don''t recognize were trying to kidnap the boy."


    Hamid didn''t waste a moment to change into his werewolf form to chase the mana users away. Without their notice, he silently followed them and found out that they actually came from the mansion where Mayor Byzark was living. From that day, he spent his night observing any suspicious activities coming in and out of the mansion. He noticed that every time there were several mana users would go out and the next day, news of children missing would spread. He managed to help some of the children, but alone, he could not save everyone.


    He continued the pattern every night until one day, rumours about a werewolf walking around in the city to kidnap children for food spread. One time he was caught by the parents of the kid he was trying to save and that was beginning of the wolf hunt. He had to flee to the forest.


    "How about those monster wolves that were with you?"


    "Oh. They are my cute puppies that I took care in the past. They grew so fast."


    "..."


    "Ehem"


    Kim then explained what happened when he was ''invited'' to the mansion earlier this day. It must be because of the sudden turn of event when Kiria turned into a monster. The guild has told him that Kiria often went to the mansion since Mayor Byzark was endorsing him as the number one mana user in Kuala Terengganu. Is that really was the case?


    Abiding with what Hamid has told him, he expanded his mana sense and found the children. However, there was one problem. There was no way anyone would trust him if he said the Mayor was the one who kidnapped all those children. So, instead, he left a trace of his mana so he will get caught by other mana users that he detected with his mana sense as well. Kim knew Byzark was going to get him tonight. That was why he told everyone about the plan to expose Byzark.


    But there was one question left unanswered. Why were the children kidnapped? Why did Kiria turn into a werewolf? Why hunt all the monster wolves when they could just go for the werewolf instead? Even if that was the way to lure the werewolf, was it really the truth? Even the guild master never heard of such a method. However, no one dared to question the benevolent Mayor Byzark.


    Until Byzark comes to get them, none of these would be answered.


    --


    "The wolf hunt was a spontaneous idea to cover-up the real intention to gather the wolves heart. Gathering those hearts has already started even before that."


    "What does this have to do with the experiment?"


    "There was a legend saying that you would befall with a curse from discriminately killing a wolf without a reason. This legend was actually true, except that it wasn''t just the killing that gets you the curse. It was the wolf heart! The wolf blood was known to be one of the ingredients for a power-boosting potion. However, it will make the consumer becoming berserk which disables them to differentiate between a friend and a foe. Just like drinking the wolf blood, you would gain incredible strength from directly eating its heart. However, the side-effect was viler than just losing our mind. It is the curse part of the legend. The person will transform into a hideous monster which has features like the wolf that was killed. It is the curse of Werewolf!"


    They thought they heard it wrong when Suika told them that the children were kidnapped for some kind of an experiment. But the more Suika explained what they did, the more disbelief they became on how disgusting a person could be. They kidnapped the children who have lost their parents knowing that no one would pay much attention to them.


    They caged them inside this underground basement and every day they feed the children with only wolves heart. Left with no choice, the children finally gave in and ate it. After a few days, their features started to change as if they were becoming a wolf themselves. However, some of their human features still remain unchanged. Even so, not all of them was able to consume the heart and actually die. Those who survive become a test subject for some more experimentation. They were cut open, got their blood taken and even tested with several medicines to understand more how their body actually manage to change. Every single day, those children are living as guinea pigs. Because of their looks, and how they lived like an animal every day, they were called dogs.


    After several months, they manage to make a serum which could possibly turn a person into a werewolf when injected. Kiria unknowingly became a test subject when the serum was mixed into the food that was served to him every time he visited the mansion. Unfortunately, he was killed the day he turned into a werewolf and they could not get any sample.


    Since Kim already stepped into his landmine not once but twice but killing Kiria and there to check on the children the day he stepped into his mansion, Byzark thought that Kim should be the next test subject.


    "Enough"


    "I-I told you everything. Would you let me free?"


    "Free you? Yes, I will set you free."


    Suika was about to let out joyous tears after he was told he would be free when an immeasurable pain travelling from his back into his whole body. Momo has hit him with her palm which caused his entire spinal cord to smash into pieces. She then grabbed his hair to pull his head behind so that he could see her. The moment their eyes met, Suika felt like his soul was trying to escape just by the amount of killing intent emanating from her gaze.


    "Since you treat them like dogs, then you deserve to die like an animal."


    When Momo put her face away, Suika could see a sword was floating above him. With a flick of a finger, the sword fell down and pierced through his body like a pike. Since the sword was falling to slow, Suika did not die instantly. He could feel the sword going down inside him. The pain was unbearable that he actually past out. But when the sword struck his lung, he got suffocated which forced him to wake up to relive the pain again and again until the sword past through his entire body and left him dead.


    As if the whole thing does not even bother her, Momo slowly walked past the others.


    "Please, take care of the children. I will go ahead to my master."


    Wong wanted to say something, but not a single can he said to Momo that time. He could only watch her back which slowly faded into the dark hallway.

 63 Injection

    Kim was still in his cuff surrounded by dozens of A-rankers with Mayor Byzark sitting in front of him. Even so, Kim was showing a very calm demeanour.


    \"To be expected someone who managed to beat Kiria. You seem to be very calm.\"


    \"What do you mean Mr. Mayor? I''m really scared right.\" Replied Kim with a smiling face.


    \"This kid is getting over his head. Let me rough him a little and see if he can still smile.\"


    \"Mazus.\"


    Mazus held back his mana when Byzark stopped him from getting near Kim. Mazus is one of the A-rank who worked for Byzark. As an A-ranker, his combat ability is comparable to Kiria. Not only him, each one of the mana users present beside Kim is as strong as Kiria or even stronger than Kiria ever was.


    Each one of them thought that gathering around one person like this was a waste of time since they were confident they could kill Kim easily. But none of them could refuse Byzark order.


    \"These dogs of yours are loyal.\" Said Kim while sneering Mazus.


    \"That''s it! He''s getting on my nerve!\"


    This time Byzark only remained silent. Others smirking and even letting out a laugh after seeing Kim making a fool out of himself. For him daring enough to say those words, not just Mazus, even others wanted to join in the fun.


    \"Hurry up Mazus, I want to go next.\"


    \"Don''t beat him too much or we won''t get any chance.\"


    \"Are going to call your mommy now?\"


    \"Hey, don''t make fun of him or he''s gonna cry.\"


    \"Hahahahahahaha.\"


    \"Bla bla bla, you guys are barking too loud. Could you please hurry up. I rather than sleep with mosquito flying around than hear your barking.\"


    The room became silent a second after Kim spiteful remarks. Whether it was bravery or stupidity, they sure it is the latter. The room was silent but their heart boils with anger.


    \"Go Mazus. Beat the shit out of him.\"


    To be fair, this was something Kim brought upon himself so Byzark did not have any intention to intervene. Whether Kim will die or not, that was not of his concern. The reason he took Kim in the first place was to shut his mouth.


    It was still unsure whether Kim found about anything after sneakily using his mana sense to search around the mansion. Most probably he won''t because of the mana stones that are embedded in the wall of the basement. Even if he did, it won''t matter because it seems he will get killed tonight. Byzark wanted to force Kim to work for him by holding Momo hostage. But with Kim dead, the young girl would be his new test subject instead.


    Unknowingly, he was smiling the whole time he was thinking about how Kim will helplessly getting killed. How he''s going to test Momo with a different experiment. This whole thing was interesting to him and to be the man behind it all was satisfying!


    Mazus circulated his mana into his arm which caused his entire muscle to bulge. He punched straight at Kim but an intense feeling suddenly jolted into his whole nerves like lightning which made his stop in the middle. Before he could notice it, his whole body was trembling.


    \"It must be a mistake!\"


    \"Mazus, why''d you stop?\"


    He didn''t stop his punch on purpose. It was a mere instinct. Even though there was an image of him beating Kim to the ground, his body kept telling him to stop. He was wracking his brain trying to figure out what was happening to his body but all in his mind right now was death waiting for him.


    He felt like time has stopped and there was only him and Kim in the room. He looked at Kim sitting there without moving an inch. But then, Kim stood up and broke his cuff with ease. This cause the whole room was set to an uproar. For someone who is not a mana user, Byzark would not be able to understand what was happening but he could tell that something was not right.


    That cuff which was binding Kim should be able to suppress an A-rank that is even stronger than Kiria. If any of them were in Kim place, they would die of hunger before breaking out the cuff. Which mean...


    \"This guy, no way...\"


    \"This couldn''t possibly be true right?\"


    S-rank. The highest rank a mana user could ever achieve. Not many would be able to step into this world of mana where only the strongest will be able to stand. No matter how much a person train, they may not even be able to achieve this rank in their entire lifetime. Some say only those who are born with exceptional mana wielding ability would be able to reach S-rank. Besides that, one could only dream.


    Looking at how easily Kim broke from his cuff could only possibly mean one thing, he is as strong as an S-rank!


    Some of the mana users tried to escape but the moment they reached the door, it was already frozen solid. One of them pulled out a hammer and tried to smash through the door with an explosion, but it did not leave even a crack on the door.


    \"We are trapped!\"


    Byzark was shocked to see the mana users reactions. Kim only broke a cuff and they already decided to run away. The whole scene made him irritated! What''s the point of gathering them all if all they could do is to run in fear?


    \"You guys called yourself A-rank mana users?! He''s only one man! Gather up and kill him!\"


    The moment Byzark sad those words, a flash of fire shoot toward Kim with a bursting power. Then several other mana users appeared beside Byzark and took him away from the fight.


    The flame was covering Kim''s entire body, but he was standing there as if nothing was happening to him in the first place. Only the floor below him was burning. With a wave of a hand, the flame extinguished completely leaving only a trace of smoke floating around in the air. Without having the chance of taking a breath, two steel chains wrapped around Kim''s arm, trying to hold Kim down.


    Another mana user jumped from behind him while holding a giant sword with of his hands. The sword was brimming with light and he swung it downward, a giant bird made of lighting dove right toward Kim. The lightning bird was fast, but Kim managed to dodge it with a simple sidestep. The chain was holding his arm down, but he could still move. The lightning tear through floor leaving a hole in the middle of the room.


    Using the momentum of his sidestep, he pulled the mana user who was holding him with chains toward him and swung him around, smashing the mana user with the lighting sword down to the ground. Within a span of a second, two A-rank mana users were knocked out. There was a moment of hesitation dwelling in the hearts of the mana users within the room, but knowing they were no other choice except to fight, one of them shouted at the top of his lungs, \"Don''t back down attack!\"


    Kim had a glimpse of several orbs of mana oozing out from his body which shoots into the body of others and riled up their mana core. Kim did not feel that their strength had increased even for a bit. What changed was their facial expressions. They all had regained their composure. Even those who tried to run away was joining the fight as well. It was an ability to invoke the will to battle. It was similar to Rentap warcry except that Rentap could enhance the strength of his warriors.


    Out of nowhere, a claw appeared from the shadow and slashed its way toward Kim. A mana barrier already covering him like a thin sheet of paper so he let the claw through. Strangely, he did not feel any impact when the claw landed. It just passed through him like a gust of wind. But soon after he realized, there was several cut at his arm.


    Another claw passed through him and again he did not feel anything except for the sudden injury appeared in his leg. Both his arms and legs were bleeding. Kim was able to see the attack, but he could not understand how it managed to injure his body. Somehow that claw was able to even pass through his mana barrier.


    As Kim was slowly getting injured, morale had increased for other mana users. Mazus circulated his mana, and the armour of steel covered his entire body making him look like a behemoth. He charged forward while Kim was distracted with the shadow claw, hoping to land an attack.


    But it was impossible for Kim to not notice the Mazus giant build. Other mana users would run away seeing an A-rank behemoth covered with steel charging to their face, but Kim was planning to face Mazus head-on by also charging forward. Kim moved so fast that no one there was able to catch his movement which caught the charging Mazus off-guard. Unknown to him, Kim was already within the range of fist. Kim entire left arm was glowing with bright light and a single punch was sent directly to Mazus''s face.


    Soon as the fist landed, it sent a vibrating pulse which travelled through Mazus''s body. The vibration was so great that it created a shockwave which ruptured the entire clad of steel armour to bits. But the power from the punch sent Mazus flying to the icy door hitting others who tried to run away during the fight. The unbreakable frozen door formed a massive crack just from the sheer impact.


    In a mere of a few minutes, Kim has taken down more than half of them. Only six of them left. The flame manipulator, spirit enchanter, the claw user and three of them were protecting Byzark.


    \"Hear my words, my companion! Fighting all of us must have exhausted him. Don''t back down and received my full blessing!\"


    This time the spirit enchanter exerted his mana into a giant orb of mana which split into two. The moment all of his mana was fully used to form the orb, he passed out and fell to the ground. The two orbs rushed to two directions at incredible speed and get absorbed by two mana users. This time instead of just riling the mana core, the orbs were assimilated into their body which increased their mana.


    Kim ignored the flame manipulator and quickly ran toward the other mana user which he suspected to be the claw user! He didn''t manage to sense the claw user before, but the direction of the mana orb had exposed his whereabouts. Of course, it was way beyond the enemy knowledge regarding this. Only a sovereign could see the flow of mana. However, the claw user already noticed Kim was coming, and quickly melted into the ground.


    Then, his body was slashed with a barrage of claws that appeared out of nowhere. Blood was splattered everywhere on the floor with all the cuts on his body. Even so, he was standing there, smiling. He saw it, the moment the claw user melted into the ground and the moment when he was attacked. It''s the shadow! He was a shadow manipulator who could hide in the shadow and another person shadow which would injure the person itself.


    With Kim distracted by the shadow manipulator, the flame manipulator has finished fully circulated his mana for one powerful burst of flame. He was going all out, planning to end Kim. His flame burn with a brilliant flame. Behind him, a blurred image of a sparrow with wings spanning several metres was forming. It was his mana spirit!


    His flame then gradually becoming the shape of his mana spirit. With all his power and will, he shot the raging flame at Kim.


    \"Burn everything to ashes! Vermillion Sparrow!\"


    The fiery bird burned brightly like a scarlet sea. As it flew through, the entire floor was burning. Kim looked toward the oncoming bird with shimmering eyes as he exuded loudly in excitement,


    \"That''s a freaking cool of a move!\"


    The vermillion sparrow swallowed everything in its path and eventually ate Kim in a whole. The mighty flame could reduced anything to ash even if the enemy is stronger than the flame manipulator. Unfortunately, Kim had played with flames from hell before which make his body has extreme resistant with the element of fire. To Kim, the fiery bird was cute.


    The flame continued to burn for several minutes before it finally died. To their shock, Kim remained unscathed. Even the flame manipulator feel to his knee feeling helpless. Even with the combination of power between him and the spirit enchanter at full strength he was unable to put Kim down.


    Beside the mana users who were protecting Byzark, only the shadow manipulator was left. Before, Kim was at a slight disadvantage as he was unable to land any attack and defend himself from getting hit. Kim raised his a palm and a bright orb of fire appeared. The orb was so bright that his shadow was getting smaller until it was hard to see it anymore. He noticed this while playing with the little fiery bird, the change with is shadow. He thought that this would be effective against the shadow manipulator but all he could hear was laughter.


    \"I agree, you are strong, but you think you can beat me with that small ball of fire? Shadow is in my control, I created them! Shadow is my domain!\"


    That moment Kim realized, he mistook one thing. The mana user was not a manipulator, he was a conjurer!


    \"Welcome to the world of shadow!\"


    A raven appeared from the shadow and span its wings to cover Kim entire vision. Anywhere Kim was looking there was only darkness. All his sense went disarray as he was unable to differentiate between up and down. Kim was now inside the world of shadow.


    \"You going to stay with me here until you die!\"


    \"Good!\"


    Kim unleashed his mana and the earth from the ground rose, forming a dome that covered the entire world of shadow from the outside.


    \"If you are here then, I''m letting you out. Let''s see who of us will die first.\"


    The orb of fire was almost engulfed in the darkness, but suddenly it shines so ever brightly until the lights were overwhelming compared to the shadows. The orb didn''t stop increasing its temperature until finally, it burst into a powerful explosion. The earth dome could barely withstand it as the ceiling started to fall over. Unable to escape, the shadow conjurer caught in the explosion and died.


    The earth dome opening up, and Kim emerged as the only one standing. Just by himself, he defeated almost all of Byzark''s personal mana users who were at least an A-rank! Only be seeing it one could believe the what had happened. Even Byzark and the three other mana users took some time to digest everything.


    Kim was supposed to be within his palm, but now, he felt like the food on the dining table. His plan which has been ongoing for many years, now going to ruin in a single night. \"Surely these three besides me won''t be able to lift a finger against Kim.\"


    Born unable to sense mana, he felt like his future was bleak. He could only see his peers grew more and more powerful with their mana. He couldn''t remember how many times he had to lick other people feet and sold his dignity just to get the position he had now. Even so, compared to a mana user, he was just an ordinary human. There''s a limit of what he could gain just by being ''kind''. Seeing how leisurely those mana users flinging their power around had arisen his anger for years. The world was unfair to him!


    \"If only...if only I could use mana.\"


    Then, out of nowhere, the opportunity came to him when he was given with the knowledge of werewolf transmutation. With the choice of giving up his humanity, he could gain the power he always wanted. Even if it meant becoming a monster.


    After several trial and errors, finally, he found a sure way method of becoming a werewolf. A method that was found with the sacrifice of many. But he had one final step to test before he could sure of himself. That young man was supposed to be the last sacrifice for this one last step. But never he had imagined the same young man would be the one who would ruin his entire plan.


    With the feeling of helplessness Byzark laugh. He laughed his entire lungs out as he thought of what he had been through. It''s over now. He took out a syringe which was already filled with some kind of serum and injected the whole thing into his body.


    That moment, Kim could sense it. Byzark heart had stopped for a moment and beat once more. As if he was dead once and was being reborn. The heartbeat becoming more powerful every second, and with each beat, Byzark body was gradually changing. Slowly, his mana core started to form and little by little filled with essences of mana. The three guards were shocked because of the mana flowing within the body of Byzark.


    \"Master Byzark?\"


    \"Are you... are you okay?\"


    With a distorted voice, Byzark laughed and exerted a powerful mana pressure which caused the three A-ranker barely able to breathe properly.


    \"This feeling, this great feeling! How lucky you are, mana users!!! Hahahahahahaha!\"

 64 The Devils Whisper

    \"Argh!\" A scream followed with blood gushing out from one of the three mana users who were guarding Byzark. His body was pierced through by sharp long claws from behind. Watching their comrade killed instantly made the other two froze in horror. They were about to circulate when Byzark already chopped their head off from their neck. In a mere of a second, three A-rank mana users had died.


    It has only been a while since Byzark injected the serum inside his body and the power was overwhelming. The concentration was very low when they served it with the food they gave to Kiria so the change which Kiria underwent was only a bite of a whole cake. Plus with the researched they have done, Byzark still had his sanity. Well barely...


    His wolf-like eyes looked content as he licked the dripping blood from his claws. His figure was slowly gradually changing into a beastly form, similar to what happened to Kiria. But compare to Kiria, the mana in his body was growing endlessly. Furs started to cover his entire body, and his stature becoming several times larger than he was before. His large protruding fangs were showing with his smiling face. Every second, the joy of satisfaction and excitement was projected on his face.


    The satisfying feeling that coursing through his veins, every particle of mana that absorbed into his body whenever his breathe, \"Oh, how I long of this for so many years!\" This was his dream, to become the most powerful mana user of all. \"I shall be the ruler of the entire world!!! Awooooooo!\"


    --


    That night, the city of Kuala Terengganu was under an emergency situation. A sudden wave of monsters was closing into the city wall. Even monsters who usually passive in the night had woke up from their slumber. Although it was common for low-rank monsters to get near the wall, often they would stray by themselves instead of coming in a group. This time, the first wave was around hundreds of monsters, including superior-rank monsters. However, with enchanted eyes, a guard that was stationed there said that a thousand more will arrive.


    After the calamity, the human population has decreased drastically that for a city to have more than a thousand people would be considered average. Among these thousands, the percentage of them becoming a mana user would be less than twenty and not all of them are considered to be fighting based mana users. That means, more or fewer than hundreds of mana users are available in each city. That if...they are in the city. Since some would be staying outside to do job request. The current number of mana users in Kuala Terengganu that could fight is 72. That includes the city guards that were assigned by the royal army of Ray Varhem.


    If the monsters were coming at a small amount of group, they could strategize the fight well but the numbers were more than the number of mana users available. Even if the city walls are guarded with anti-monster mechanism, how long could it last during this sudden oncoming wave of monsters? No one was prepared for this turn of event.


    \"Master Larc, the army requested help from the guild\"


    \"Contact every mana users and send them to the frontline now. Tell them the city will be destroyed if those monsters could breach into the wall.\"


    \"Understood...and master?\"


    \"What is it, Leila? We don''t have time for small talk.\"


    \"Are you joining the fight?\"


    \"Of course, what kind of question is that?\"


    \"But your body...\"


    \"Innocent lives are at stake. We should squeeze every amount of power we have to protect the city.\"


    \"...\"


    \"Don''t worry, I will make sure to stop myself before I get worst. Okay?\"


    \"Mm\"


    \"By the way Leila, tell the army I will be joining a bit late. I need to visit the Mayor first.\"


    \"Understood.\"


    Leila then rushed out from the guild master room and did her job. Larc then looked outside the window toward the direction of Mayor Byzark mansion. \"It was subtle, but I know I heard it. I''m sure it''s not my imagination.\"


    --


    His bulky furry body has grown several metres tall than he was before. The explosive growth of his mana has caused overflowing. Since it was the first time he could sense, it was natural to not being able to contain it. However still, the amount of raw power he could bring forth was even more so than any A-rank mana user could do. At this point, he felt like he was standing at the peak of the world.


    \"Be honoured human for being the first one to taste my greatness!\"


    Kim who was observing the whole thing didn''t give him any response. Instead, he walked toward his seat just now and finally took a sip from the cup that was teasing him this whole time. Serving him a cup of tea while his hands were bound, he could not drink a thing. \"How preposterous!\"


    He fixed the chair back and sat down with lax. ''This is nice! I wonder where the butler who made this?''


    \"Hah! T-Too scared to fight me, aren''t you huh? Grr...\" Byzark voice slowly becoming distorted as his mana continue to accumulate. As his body grows bigger. his breath was also getting heavy.


    \"Hah hah, Just s-sit there and die!\"


    His eyes flashed with a dark red colour as he raised his bloodstained claws toward Kim. He circulated his overflowing mana which caused a tremor that shook the entire room. Cracks forming at walls and ceiling but Kim ice remained solid even after all the fight. Not even a scratch was left since the ice was repairing itself by refreshing. The whole mansion would crumble instantly if the ice melted.


    \"Scared? I think you misunderstood me, Sir mayor.\"


    It wasn''t noticeable whether Byzark was still listening in his coherent mind or not but he seemed to be responding to Kim.


    \"Haha, mana users...hah, hah, always...arrogant. You won''t admit...even you lose! Hahaha..hah, hah.\"


    Every second, the state of Byzark consciousness was becoming clearer to Kim. He never meant to fight Byzark in the first place, he was only bidding some time. During that, observing Byzark was in his full interest. Besides the physical changes, Kim could see the changes in Byzark mana very well. He was analysing every detail of how an ordinary person could awaken his mana sense from a man-made serum. Is it considered to be an awakening in the first place?


    Awakening is when an ordinary human is able to sense mana for the first time. For Byzark though, it was more like a forceful opening of mana sense. Furthermore, his mana is not his and his at the same time. It seemed that he injected the serum directly into his heart, which caused it to flow throughout all his veins and supplied mana into his body. The mana actually came from the serum, which Byzark himself could control.


    There is a similar thing which crafters make which could supply mana to strengthen a mana user, but based on Kim understanding the effect is not permanent. Even though the ingredient commonly from monsters blood like wolves, it doesn''t turn a human into a monster like what had happened with Kiria, and what was happening with Byzark.


    The mana slowly assimilated into his body which becomes the essence to build his mana core. No matter how much he looked into it, the mana became his but...it''s the mana of a monster. Rather than awakening, it was more like a transmutation. Kim never saw anything like this before, but if he had to guess animals may go through a similar change when they were becoming monsters.


    ''Is that why they kidnapped all the children? The children...were they experimented with the same serum?''


    The thought itself was so disgusting that he unknowingly crushed the chair handrest where he was sitting. However, he had to keep his composure because he promised a certain person that he will leave Byzark alone. The reason? Only one. The person wanted to kill Byzark with her own hands and about the time she arrived.


    Boom! A loud banging sound was coming from outside the room. Kim already knew who was coming so he calmly sitting down on his chair without care and told Byzark, \"Again you misunderstood me Sir mayor. It''s not that I''m scared of fighting you\"


    Boom! Another loud banging sound resonating into the room. This time it shook the entire mansion!


    \"Your opponent is not me, it''s her.\"


    Boom! The frozen door was blasted into the air, flying across the room, almost hitting Byzark. A girl had appeared! ''Isn''t she supposed to be in the cage?!'' Momo raised his arm and Goliath appeared in her hand. She moved instantly and with one giant swing, both of Byzark''s has been cut off. Everything happened too fast that Byzark didn''t even felt the pain. All he could see was blood gushing out from where his arms were. Slowly he realized he just lost his arms which made him shriek loudly.


    The impact was too much that the whole room finally crumbled down into pieces. Kim removed his ice wall and covered the unconscious mana users with trees which instantly grow around them. As the ceiling was falling, he pushed his palm upwards and giant hands made of earth appeared from the floor, \"Hands of Gaia!\"


    The hands delivered a barrage of fists with lightning speed, crushing the ceiling into bits. Byzark was flabbergasted to see how easily Kim destroyed the whole ceiling. Now he realized how he mistakenly judged his opponent strength whom he thought was way below him. What was more shocking, was the girl who just destroyed the whole mansion.


    She was carrying a sword which was several times bigger than her body. Her purple hair was flying around from the midnight breeze and her eyes were gazing toward Byzark with blazing rage.


    ''Angry Momo is cute'' Kim silently took a picture of Momo with indestructible Nokea phone. But there was a bright flash of light and a loud snap sound coming out of it when he pushed the camera button. Feeling embarrassed he nervously put his phone into his pocket. \"Please continue\"


    That moment, Byzark felt like a whole mountain was laying on top of his shoulder. He felt too sure of himself standing on top of his peak, that he forgot a giant storm is going to mercilessly strike hit with heavy rain and thunder. The moment he thought he was the strongest, not only one but two first mana users he faced was already overwhelming.


    ''All these years of preparations and sacrifices only amount to this? No...no!


    Lub-dub


    The sound of a heartbeat resonating in the room.


    \"I need more power!!!\"


    Lub-dub


    The invigorating heartbeat sounded like it could last forever.


    Lub-dub


    The heartbeat...was too strong? Even Momo and Kim could hear it from a distance away.


    \"Ugh! Argh! Grrrrrr\"


    Blood drip from his mouth as he tried to withstand the excitement of his heartbeat. But the clarity in his mind was slowly dissipating. Within the strong heartbeat, he could hear a voice calling to him. ''Do you want power?'' Without hesitation, his answer could only be ''Yes''


    ''Give me your soul and I will give you power!''


    \"Awooooooo!\"


    A devilish howl travelled through the night sky which could be heard by the people in Kuala Terengganu. Ordinary people fell unconscious due to the extreme fear that suddenly struck their soul. Even mana users could barely stand to their knees when they heard the howl. There was only one thing in everyone mind right now, \"Werewolf!\"


    Larc who was already on his way moved faster toward his destination. ''I knew it. The voice I heard just now was from the mayor mansion!''


    An explosive burst of purplish dark mana was circulating around Byzark. Behind him, a clear massive image of a demonic-looking werewolf had formed. The demonic werewolf slowly absorbed by Byzark, and his body grew even larger than it was before. If the mansion was still intact he would easily break through the roof.


    Kim who was analysing Byzark mana this entire mana didn''t understand how Byzark could suddenly gain so much power in such a short period of time. He could not believe the serum alone would be able to do this much. But one thing was clear. This time, not only his mana but his mind, his heart and his soul...Byzark has truly become a monster.

 65 Werewolf Byzark

    The growth of Byzark had already gone beyond expectations. His power would make him strong enough to be an S-rank mana user. That if he was still a human. It was clear that he already lost himself to his creation. A monster with no sanity. He howled again and this time releasing mana pressure which affected several hundreds of metres in area.


    Larc who was quite close to the mansion could feel the extreme pressure pushing him down to the ground. He had to stop for a while to barely maintain his composure. The pressure was too strong that he could barely move a step forward. Luckily there''s no residency near the place for the safety of the mayor. The mansion is in the middle of a giant courtyard that surrounded with a huge brick wall of several tens of metres in height. The design which was for the protection of the mayor actually protected the citizens by keeping them away. If not, who knows how many would die due to the terrifying pressure.


    For a monster that could emit mana pressure this strong, what can a mere A-rank like him do? Thousands of oncoming monsters from outside, a monster who at least a legendary from the inside "Is this the end of Kuala Terengganu? Will I unable to protect the innocent people again?"


    At that moment there was only one hope remain. The duo who broke the logic of his several decades living as a mana user. He not sure how strong the two are, but as far as what the city guild could offer, the two are the best. Even though they only had a momentary meeting with each other, he sure that they should at least be as strong as an S-rank.


    Momo released Goliath and retreated toward Kim. "Master, you are okay as expected." Even though she was showing her everyday smile, Kim knew something was troubling her.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yes. I''m not injured or anything."


    "Are you really okay?"


    "I-...I will not forgive this monster."


    Kim could see the sadness and anger that were emitting from her eyes. Even so, she still looked cute. He didn''t want to ruin the mood and tried hard to remain his composure.


    "I understand. Do you want to do this alone? He''s close to a mythical now."


    "I''ve been fighting master for years, I''m sure I''ll be okay."


    Seeing her smile confidently made Kim nodded and retreated far back to observe. He''s ready to intervene anytime Momo is in serious danger. Not wanting any bystander to get caught in the fight or even disturb them, he created a mana barrier which covered the whole area where the mansion once stood. In the middle of rubbles from the collapsed mansion, Momo was facing a giant monster that could trample an entire building.


    The suffocating pressure had finally be released from the atmosphere. His clothes were drenched in sweats when he struggled to barely maintain his consciousness. Currently, he was on all of his fours, since standing was too unbearable that he had to crawl his way to the mansion. On his way there, he was shocked to see a giant demonic-looking werewolf with devastating mana pressure was standing where the mansion was supposed to be.


    He''s not sure how the monster could appear so suddenly without anyone noticing it but it was fortunate that the monster just stood there as if it was waiting for something. But who knows when it could suddenly go rampage and start to terrorize the city. Not wanting to waste a single time, he sprinted toward the monster even if it means diving to his death. He has to give it all to protect the people. As he got closer, he saw two familiar faces who were Kim and Momo. To his surprise, Kim was only there observing while Momo was preparing to face the monster.


    Of course, Kim sensed he was coming so he turned his head around and waved his hand at Larc to tell him to come. He was a bit hesitant at first since Kim was standing quite close where the monster was, but nothing would happen if he just stands there doing nothing. He at least needs to get Kim to cooperate.


    "Kim, what are doing here not helping Momo? We need to kill that monster as soon as we can!"


    "I''m helping her by not letting anyone disturb her fight."


    "No there''s no time to play around! Our city is under attack by huge waves of monsters!"


    "Monsters outside the city?"


    Soon as he heard that, Kim expanded his mana sense to confirm what Larc had said to him and to his surprise the number of oncoming was huge and they were coming from all four directions. What could possibly be the reason? He knows that the automated defence system which protecting the city could block mana from leaking outside so there''s no way the city could attract this much monsters. Unless...


    "Guild master, let''s say, a mythical monster suddenly appeared in the middle of the city...will it mana leaked out of the barrier?"


    Larc understood well that the monster Kim was talking about was the huge demon werewolf who kept howling in rage. If that''s the case, that would be more of a reason they should join Momo to kill it now. But a mythical? If it was a legendary like what he assumed just now, it may be possible. Larc already expected that both Kim and Momo power is at least as strong as an S-rank.


    However, in history, none of the S-rankers was able to kill even a legendary one on one. Much less a mythical. Even if all the S-ranks in this country were gathered, including a master rank like Sylva, they won''t get out of this unscathed. How could this monster appear in the middle of the city without notice? What had happened here? Only the two of them knows the answer. Larc left aside the thought of why the two of them were here in the first place and focused on the most important part


    "If that is a mythical rank monster, we should not stand here idly. Momo will be killed!"


    "You can try to jump in there if you want. I will stand here and watch."


    "But, why?"


    "It''s her personal request."


    ''Personal request?! We are in a life-threatening situation now and all the two of you could think of is a personal request?!''


    Larc could only scream in his heart from this insanity. When Kim told him to try was amount to a blow to his face at this point. Larc already tried and there was no way he could pass through Kim''s barrier. All he could do was to see for himself where the trust of Kim to Momo comes from.


    For someone as small as her, standing in front of monsterized Byzark made her look like a mouse facing a lion. The differences in their size were huge. Most probably it must be obvious to others that Momo will be squished to death. What they do not know was facing a monster several times bigger than herself has been her everyday life since the calamity.


    "Ignoring me aren''t you?"


    Byzark did not notice her as he howling aimlessly with his overwhelming mana bursting everywhere. He had already succumbed himself to his monsterized self. Momo unleashed her mana pressure which immediately caught Byzark attention and made him stare at her in silence. He stopped howling like a wild wolf. He was looking at her as if he was fully cautious of her.


    Larc was shocked beyond measure. From his vast experiences, monsters usually come at their prey full of thirst of mana. However, when they felt that they are threatened, they would stop in their place and become very cautious. The same thing what suppose to be a mythical rank monster was doing.


    Even after witnessing with his own eyes, everything was still inconceivable to Larc. In history, the number of mana users who could fight a mythical monster one on one was zero. But why did he feel like it is threatened by the presence of Momo?


    Out of nowhere, myriad of swords rain down toward Byzark trying to stab into his flesh that was covered with thick furs. Byzark raised one of his arms to block the oncoming swords. Taking this chance, Momo sprinted toward Byzark at lightning speed. She waved both her arms sideways and two katana appeared in her hands. She then jumped, aiming for his head.


    But Byzark noticed her movement and swing his other arm towards her. Several swords appeared in the midair which Momo took steps on to push herself and changed her trajectory. She avoided the vicious swing and landed on his arm. Like a hurricane, she charged forward, while slicing his arm apart with her two katanas. Blood was spilling like rain as she continued to go further and further.


    Byzark opened his mouth to gather mana which compressed into a dark red coloured orb. The orb burst which shoots barrage which he shot toward Momo. She reacted instantly by conjuring several swords. She jumped from one sword to another to avoid the oncoming missiles which exploded as they hit Kim''s mana barrier. After the last orbs pass through, she jumped high and made a giant downward slash, slicing off Byzark left arm.


    The giant arm spanning several tens of metres fell onto the ground sending a massive shockwave to the entire area. Momo landed gently on the ground and swung her katanas to wash the blood away from the blade. Her eyes remained focused and her breath remained calm. After surmounted an endless number of near-death experience, she knew a single mistake would be fatal.


    "Grrr!!!" Losing one arm had made Byzark growling in anger. However, it doesn''t matter because he''s a werewolf. Not long after his arm fell to the ground, a new arm regenerates itself from where it was sliced off. A werewolf trait that makes it a nightmare for mana users who are facing them. The regeneration was more powerful for a mythical rank that it was able to instantly grow a new arm of that size. However, compared to how it looked before, it was not pleasuring. It looked like a grotesque parasite had taken over his entire arm. Instead of an arm, it was more like rotten tentacles with disfigured fingers at the end. Even his bone was slightly showing.


    "I see"


    "What do you see?"


    "His mana is really unstable. Even if he got that amount of mana, it doesn''t matter if he can''t control it properly."


    "He? Are you talking about the werewolf?"


    Larc did not understand why Kim was referring the werewolf as a ''he'' as if it was actually a human. But the thing he was worried the most was the fact it could still generate itself. Especially a werewolf of that level, which can endlessly regrow any part of its body.


    "True. That would be troublesome even for me."


    "Then, won''t it be a problem for Momo? We should help her now."


    "No need. This kind of monster is perfect for Momo."


    Larc didn''t understand where that confidence came from. He thought that what Kim was seeing probably beyond the comprehension of his level. All he could hope was Momo would survive the fight. Since he could only observe the fight he sent a message to Leila to issue an emergency evacuation for the ordinary people and ask for full cooperation from all mana users. Little did he knows, all four sides of the city had already been occupied by attacking monsters.


    The arm on the ground suddenly dissolved into a pool of blood. The blood then started rippling, and slowly it started to form into a blood werewolf. Not only there, but more and more blood werewolves were also forming wherever the blood from his had splattered. The number was more than hundreds and each of them was as strong as superior-rank monsters.


    Momo jumped backwards to retreat and conjured huge numbers of swords that were more than thousands! "Raining swords, meteor shower!" The swords mercilessly took down each one of the blood werewolves without any of them able to move forward.


    Conjuring is basically the materialization of one''s mana essence. In Momo''s case, her mana essence is related to a sword. It''s hard to understand how mana essence works or what it is exactly but one could say it is an innate ability that a person is born with.


    As a conjurer himself, Larc is well known as one of the best in the Varhem Kingdom. Still, Momo''s feat was out of the world to him. To be able to conjure powerful swords at an insane amount with precise speed and accuracy, who knows how much hours she put in her training behind her outrageous talent. Even though it''s a precarious situation, he could not help himself from feeling blessed having to witness this.


    "Is it possible? A mana user to beat a mythical monster?"


    Larc was hoping that would be the case, but the fact that the monster regeneration power never escaped his thought. How can someone possibly kill a monster that could endlessly heal itself?


    Byzark giant body was also getting stab by the thousands of swords raining down from the sky. Even the layers of thick furs like armour had been pierced through relentlessly. But it doesn''t matter because his body immediately healed itself. Not wanting Byzark to get a single breath of relief, Momo moved instantaneously and her katana sliced through one of his legs which made him fell down to the side.


    A deform shape of leg regrew from where it was sliced, and Byzark quickly turned around while swinging his arm wildly toward Momo. She gritted her teeth and conjured Goliath to cover herself. Then out of nowhere, a red-coloured arm punched toward her. With Goliath occupied, she conjured thousands of sword to brace impact but It was too strong for her take on directly that she was sent flying.


    Byzark then jumped toward her aiming to smash her to the ground. Momo undid Goliath and reconjured it again to protect herself. But it was done in a hurry that the sword was not in its full strength. One downward swing from Byzark and Goliath was broken to pieces. The incredible force from the attack sent Momo to the ground like a meteor.


    Byzark howl and his mana exploded wildly. Behind his back, numbers of red arms forming from his blood. He was manipulating the werewolf blood that was coursing through his body. Through this, he was able to land a sudden hit at Momo. With several additional arms growing from his body, he sent a barrage of fists to where Momo was on the ground, making the entire battlefield covered with dust. It was hard to see what was happening, but the sound of Byzark plummeting the ground never stop.


    Little do Byzark knows, Momo had already escaped from the place in a distance. However, the direct hit from Byzark had sent a heavy toll toward her body. Her arms and her ribs were broken. She could barely stand with her trembling legs. She spewed the blood in her mouth and unleashed more of her mana making black clouds forming above.


    Byzark sensed her mana and finally realized she was behind him but it was too late. Like a god''s judgement, the heaven punishing azure sword fell onto him at a blinding speed. With ease, the sword pierced through his head until the bottom, splitting Byzark into half. When it touched the ground, the azure sword sent a mighty thunder which burnt his entire body.


    However, it wasn''t enough. Byzark was still able to regenerate his body. At this point, it was unbelievable how much vitality does he had. But, his body wasn''t that of werewolf anymore. He looked more disfigured and grotesque than he was before. Even so, he looked like he could still go rampage on the entire city. He was a very definition of a ''monster''.


    Looking that Momo was already on her knee, Larc used all his power to slam the mana barrier.


    but it was futile. His hands felt like they were going to break if he continues. Before that happen, Kim then stopped him.


    "Hold yourself together."


    "What are you doing?! Momo is going to get killed!"


    "No. She already won."


    Byzark slowly moving toward Momo. He looked like he was crawling with his disfigured limbs. It looked like Momo was going to get eaten by him, but then suddenly he fell down. Byzark tried to get back up, but as he was struggling he fell down again. He didn''t understand what was happening, but his monster instinct was continuously kicking to make him eat Momo. So he literally crawled toward Momo. But slowly, his body was getting heavier and the pain was tremendous. It felt like the entire cell in his body was burning.


    Larc didn''t understand what was going on, but he knows what happened to the monster. Its body was slowly melting as if someone poured an extremely strong acid on top of it.


    "What is happening? Why is it not regenerating?"


    "He is regenerating, but the regeneration is too weak compared to what is attacking his body now."


    Larc just ignored Kim calling the monster ''he'' and continued to ask him, "But Momo is not doing anything."


    "That''s what you are seeing. Momo has been doing many things since the beginning. What she was aiming for was his inside."


    By the time Byzark got close to Momo, only his head remained and surely that too finally melted to the ground.


    Byzark, a man who was respected for his kindness and charisma had a bright future ahead as a leader. Unfortunately, his heart has been blinded by his thirst of power having not satisfied with what he had. He did everything he needed to do, even if it means sacrificing the lives of innocent children. Finally, he got to taste the power he ever wanted. On the same day, he was erased from existence.

 66 Rampage

    It''s done. He couldn''t believe that he was able to witness a person killing a mythical-rank monster without the help of others. His whole body was shivering still unable to take on the overwhelming emotions. A feat that was unheard had happened in front of his two eyes. This is a historical age to be blessed with a mana user of that calibre and it might be possible that two of them is currently in existence.


    While Larc was lost wandering in his many thoughts, Kim instantaneously moved beside Momo and cover her with his mana to enhance her recovery. He then carried her in his arm.


    "Master, I did it. I killed that monster of a human."


    "Yes, you did well. You can rest now."


    "Master mana is warm..."


    "..."


    Exhausted, Momo finally fell asleep. Looking at her cute chubby cheek as she was sleeping with her purple hair dropping, Kim secretly took her picture with his phone.


    "Kim!"


    Flustered he quickly hid the phone inside his pocket.


    "I''m sorry to disturb you, but we need to quickly help guard the city. Other mana users are already engaging with the monsters. Waste more time and there will be casualties!"


    Kim wanted to take more time but what can he do? He couldn''t just leave the city getting destroyed with all these people in it. Sure he doesn''t know everyone, but he made relationships with some even if it was short he still needed to repay Wong, Teng and Ling for making Momo enjoyed her day yesterday. After some thoughts, there was only one way he could force himself to save the city.


    "Let''s make a deal."


    "A deal? People lives at risk and you want to make a deal?"


    "Yes. I''m not some kind of hero. I will help if you agree."


    Larc was honestly disappointed when he heard that. He always thought Kim is a man of a good virtue but it was his fault for setting his expectation high. Mana users, once they got power there''s only one thing in their mind. Power to stay on top. The reason is of course to live a luxurious life. But what can he do? Kim is the city''s only chance to survive. The intel he got from Leila was worst than he expected. All four of the walls were getting attacked by monsters, including those around superior-rank. The guild doesn''t have enough manpower to take on this disaster.


    If a master of a person who can kill a mythical monster could help, he sure he could at least found some way to let the people in the city escape with fewer casualties. At this point, he got nothing to lose. Either do or die. As if already expecting what Kim wanted, he asked Kim, "How much do you want?"


    But Kim didn''t reply to him. Instead, he was showing him a confused expression. Maybe it wasn''t wealth he wanted and more of material or status. So he changed the questions, "What do you want?"


    Finally, Kim got it and nodded happily. He was prepared to agree with any ludicrous ''gift'' he would ask when the only the thing he wanted being, "Can you disclose the matter here from the public?"


    ''Huh?'' Unknowingly, he blurted out "That''s it?" He couldn''t think of any reason on the spot on why Kim wanted to keep quiet of the fact they just fought against a mythical monster, avoided what could be a real-life hell to the city and actually be the hero of the city. ''What could possibly be a better reason than this? Does he don''t want any of that fame and wealth?''


    "But, why?"


    "We have our reasons"


    Not wanting to waste more time, Larc agreed to it without asking more questions. But of course, that couldn''t possibly be the only request.


    "Anything else?"


    "Yes."


    The land was left barren with some rubbles that were the leftover of the destroyed mansion. Suddenly from where they were standing, flowers were growing and blooming beautifully as if they were hiding before and just appeared now because everything was over. From where the ground was slightly bulging, Kim placed Momo there and covered her with a mana barrier.


    "Some guys are coming. By that time, take care of Momo."


    Larc wanted to reject the request because he too should join the fight, but Kim was already gone, moving with his extreme speed. Not able to do anything, he sighed and sat down at the flower patch beside where Momo was sleeping. As he was reading the messages of outside matters which Leila sent to his phone, a voice called out, "Guild master? Wait...what happened to the mansion?!"


    --


    Outside the city walls of Kuala Terengganu, the sound of footsteps was neverending. Sea of monsters overflooding the four walls of Kuala Terengganu causing a tremor that shook the entire city. Even if the walls were installed with the anti-monster mechanism, it''s impossible to defend against thousands and thousands of monsters rampaging. Low-rank monsters were getting swallowed and stomped upon while the higher-rank monsters charge forward thirsty for mana.


    Mana users were standing by the wall looking at the devastating scene. Even the veterans were overwhelmed with the terrifying amount of incalculable mana pressure emitted by the monsters. The city vicinity became hell on earth.


    "It''s useless..."


    "It''s the end..."


    "I should at least find a girlfriend."


    The mana users became dispirited. The commander who is the head guard of the city tried to take command but no one was listening. There''s nothing he could to rally up his men since there''s no way out of it. It''s jump into the battlefield and die, or wait for their death. Running away was not an option with all four sides flooding with vicious monsters. It''s only a matter of time before the wall will be breached. With their people less than a hundred, what can they do against enemies of several tens of thousands? Even those who could do a long-rank attack had stopped attacking.


    Some of them have their loved one back home waiting for their return. There were those who became a mana user for glory and fame. Others are those who had no choice but to become a mana user to survive. Nevertheless of their reasons, none of it matters now. The power they gain for the sake of living their lives, the suffering they endured and the lost they had, what was it for? Just to live for another day to see this inevitable ending?


    One person with tears in his eyes drop to his knee and raised both of his hands upward.


    "I don''t know who is there or what is there but...within this several years, I had lost everything. My mum, my dad, my wife and children. I lost my family and friends during the calamity. I thought that I would die or end up killing myself but the world is a forgiving place. The people here who build this city together has built a new life in this humble heart of mine. I don''t care how or who. Even if you are the devil help us. I want this city, the people to live on!"


    Tears continued to roll down his cheek as he bowed down his head to the ground, sobbing heavily as it was the last day he could cry his heart out. His voice was heard...by the people around him. The sound of metals clacking on the ground as they let go of their weapons. They followed suit, crying their heart out. It''s over.


    What could they expect? It would take days for reinforcement to come and looking at the situation they won''t even last for several hours. As if someone who is strong enough would miraculously appear and kill all the tens of thousands of monsters.


    "Hey, you."


    A voice suddenly called out to him but his drained motivation made him not wanted to even bother giving a reply. With one arm Kim grabbed his head and pulled him upward making him stand straight on his two feet. The sudden forced made him come back to his sense.


    "Sorry about that, but I want to ask you something. Hey, are you listening?"


    He swore had seen this young familiar face before but it was hard to think amidst this chaos. His mind was in a cluster. Although he did felt like the young man in front of him was related to some kind of big event before. ''Whatever! Why would I waste my time thinking about that stuff?''


    "Are you done?"


    "What do you want? Not that it matters since we are all doomed. Can''t I have a moment of peace to myself at least?"


    "Just fricking answer one of my question and you can cry all you want, okay?"


    "I wasn''t crying..."


    "Anyway, tell me, did anyone jumped into the battlefield yet?"


    ''Are you kidding me?'' was the first sentence that popped into his mind. In this obvious situation who in the right mind would jump in that horde of monsters like some kind of a hero or something?


    "Everyone knees are trembling in fear right now. No one would kill themselves for nothing. We better wait here rather than wasting our energy kid. Who knows, maybe we might find some gap to escape within the chaos. That might be a coward move, but some of us have to survive and live on. That''s how it is nowadays in this world. We all are just- hey are you listening?"


    Kim wanted to know if there were any mana users already dove into the battlefield. He didn''t expect the guy would continue to babble on. Since he got his answer already, he expanded his mana sense to make sure no one was really there in four sides of the wall. He also called Leila along the way to the main gate of the wall to get the full assessment of the whole situation.


    "Mana users, if you want to live stay here and don''t get involve!"


    Even with his small stature, his shout was like a warcry that shook everyone hearts. Those who cried, those who fell into despair, those who already went dismayed suddenly become spirited again. ''Who was that?'' They all thought.


    Then, a shocking moment happened in front of the guy eyes. The young man who asked him the question just jumped off the wall. He couldn''t believe his eyes and rushed forwards to see the falling silhouette of the young man. "Is he crazy?!"


    Those who saw what happened also joined in and others just curious with all the commotion.


    "Someone actually jumped?!"


    "No way!"


    "I want a girlfriend..."


    Now everyone eyes were onto Kim, including the monsters. Noticing a meal was falling onto their lap, the hungry monsters stomped on top of one another wanting to grab the first bite. Unfortunately for them, they were the prey for that night.


    As he was falling down, Kim circulated his mana and six giant arms conjured behind him.


    "Orrrrraaaaaaaa!!!" With a barrage of fists, he plummeted the monsters on the ground into bits. There was only the scream of terror coming out from those monsters as they mercilessly getting crushed without any chance to escape. The spot that was full of monsters had become clear instantly.


    The moment Kim landed on the ground, he circulated more of his mana and flow it into the ground causing a tremendous tremor that shook the entire city and its vicinity. Even the rampaging monsters had stopped in their tracks.


    "Hands of Terra!"


    At each side of the wall, a giant hand emerged gallantly from the ground. The hands were so large that it felt like four of them could cover the entire city. Even those who were in the city could see the hands.


    Larc, together with the others was also able to see it and could not help their jaws from falling down.


    "That must be the young master!"


    "You mean Kim? One person was actually able to that?!"


    "Even though we saw he fought before, never did we witness his full strength. At this point, I''m actually too scared to ask."


    --


    The hands were slapping, smacking and sweeping around the monsters as if they were all just some mere ants. They could even change their shapes and form to better suit at wiping out the massive number of monsters. Sometimes they even manipulate the ground to catch any monsters that tried to run away. If felt like the hands themselves were a living mana user.


    In mere minutes, more than half of the number of monsters had literally been eliminated. It won''t take long before all the monsters would get wiped out or ran away. Those who were witnessing this couldn''t help themselves from cheering and let out cries of joy. They all thought they would be goners tonight but who would have a know an insanely powerful mana user would miraculously appear out of nowhere. But, it was too early for them to celebrate. There was an oncoming disaster which could send them back to despair again when it hit Kuala Terengganu.


    Kim knew about it and it was the reason why he chose this side of the wall instead of others. He wanted to face it first. It was a legendary-rank monster. Kim wanted to see what kind of monster it was but it was moving too slow that he lost his patience. He wanted to get back to Momo as soon as he can. The thought as leaving Momo sleeping at an old man whom he barely knows made him anxious. He unleashed his mana, and the six arms converged becoming extremely massive. Even more than any of the terra''s hand.


    Orbs of mana were swirling around Kim like a storm. His whole body was resonating with the land and made the entire area brimming with white lights.


    --


    Meanwhile at Mayor Byzark destroyed area,


    "What is happening to miss Momo?! She is radiating!"


    "This...is her mana is linked with Kim?"


    "Do you know what this is guild master? Is it within the knowledge of the otherworld?"


    "It does. When a two-person is really fond of one another and have been really close physically and emotionally they could create some kind of a link between their mana. With this, they could freely share their mana to boost the strength of one and another."


    "I see. By the way, when you mentioned close, you mean really close right?"


    "Yes. Why?"


    "Young master really does have that kind of feeling toward miss Momo. I don''t know why I''m so happy right now?"


    "Ah, sweet youth. Very warm. Very warm indeed."


    "I''m rooting for the young master! And miss Momo as well!"


    "Awooooooooooo!!!"


    --


    Watching Kim right now had put an overwhelming feeling of amazement in their everyone hearts. With lights shining brilliantly from his entire body, Kim looked like the chosen one that would be appearing in movies. Everyone was left in awe.


    Finished gathering the mana he punched forward sending a ridiculously amount of strength towards the legendary-rank monster direction. The whole entire area of several kilometres was shaking from the tremor.


    "Fist of Heaven and Earth!"


    All of the mana users who were witnessing the entire event had their eyes bulge out of their socket and jaws drop to the ground as the saw everything in the fist path had been erased from existence. The land, the forest, the mountains, the monsters they were all gone. Even the massive tortoise-like monster had exploded into dust. Next morning, they were able to see clearly the aftermath of the battle. It looked like the sky and the earth been split into half.


    The news of tens of thousands of monsters rampaging toward Kuala Terengganu spread fast in whole Malaysia. Miraculously, the city survived with zero casualties.