by M. Q. Kajack
Death God System—Book 2
DAWN
M.Q. Kajack
“What? How is this possible?”
Ding!
The System’s voice then sounded out.
Based on the speed the sphere was travelling and the time you were in the void, the distance covered was ten times bigger than the Seeking Continent.
Goodbye to my Sect Trials. If I had known, then I would spend my last years going toward another direction. No wonder the System doesn’t know where I am. I have no map of this place.
Shu Er looked sad. Even without looking, I could observe her through my soul. I sighed, still worried on how to heal the women’s bodies and let Shu Er walk on her own. For a beautiful woman, losing a leg and a hand was not acceptable at all. Shu Yi was also feeling down without her arm, but she was better off than her little sister because she could still walk.
The three of us advanced for several hours toward the shadow of the city we spotted earlier. We had been through a lot during the travel, so after I tended to their wounds, we decided to camp out for the day. The night was approaching. We stared up at the dark sky, and then Shu Er opened her mouth to talk.
“Master, will I have to stay like this forever?” Shu Er’s voice pierced through my mind. I blamed myself for how weak I was.
“Don’t you know how awesome your master is? I will heal you, so don’t worry about it and go to sleep,” I said, turning my head to look into her eyes.
We stared at each other for a few minutes until her eyes gradually fluttered close, and she had fallen asleep. She seemed really exhausted.
On the side, I could see her sister frowning. “What are you thinking about, Shu Yi?”
“I don’t understand you at all, Master. What kind of person are you? You kill without batting an eye, you show little to no emotion and sometimes, you behave like an adult, only to act like a kid after. You are too hard to understand. You could have left us behind as we are just slaves, yet you did not. You protected us… why? It’s so confusing.” Shu Yi’s hand was resting on her chest as she said that.
“Honestly? I do not know, only that I will protect you both to the best that I can. You both are mine. I do not consider you slaves with no kind of value. The moment I sealed both your souls, you have become my followers. As your master, it is important for me to care for you.”
“That’s it?” Shu Yi asked in a soft voice.
I knew what she was getting at. I might not love them, but I cared deeply about them. Even if they were not useful, I would train them to be useful. In my mind, even though they had my seal, they were not so different from the other followers that I had, just that it was more convenient with the seal for safety purposes. In addition, I could communicate with them through the seal.
“Don’t worry about it for now. It will happen naturally.” That was the best answer I could give her.
Shu Yi smiled, turned her head around, and faced the sky.
“Good night.”
The next morning, the mood of our group improved a little. However, we didn’t eat since the Black Star Flame burned everything in my inventory and there was also no beast in sight in this vast plain.
We continued in the direction of the city. During our travel, we saw nothing amiss. There were no signs of any danger whatsoever.
I started to suspect something wasn’t right when we were already on the road for roughly six hours and we still had not made progress toward the city. The plains seemed to be endless.
I groaned. Don’t tell me the plains are trapping us?
“Master, what are we going to do?” Shu Yi said when three days of travel brought us nothing. This place was too strange. The sky, the sun, the moon, the stars—they all had the same position. Nothing moved, as if we were trapped in an illusion. Once, I went ballistic and destroyed the plains, creating deep craters when I exploded the ground. I used every idea in my head to bring us out of whatever was trapping us. The following day, however, everything I had destroyed recovered as if I had done nothing.
This place is too strange. If I don’t find a solution, Shu Yi and Shu Er will starve to death.
“Master, look! The sky!” shouted Shu Yi.
A tear appeared in the sky, followed by a ray of light descending to the vast green plain.
A young man carrying a giant axe appeared. He was standing quite far from where we were so he didn’t notice us.
The young man laughed. “It seems I arrived here first. I can’t wait for the rest of them to come here.”
I was about to approach him when another tear appeared in the sky. Another young man descended. He looked different from the person carrying the giant axe; he was handsome. From his posture alone, I could tell he came from a rich family. He was probably a young master, one of the worst kinds of people to deal with for their kind tend to bring too many troubles.
Two more tears opened in the sky and this time, two girls appeared. They were both inferior in looks to my Shu Yi and Shu Er, but I had to say they had good looks and toned bodies.
“We are the first four to pass?” said one of those girls.
“I guess the others will take some time. It’s awesome for someone as dumb as you to even pass,” the young man replied, mocking the girl who just talked.
I guess they don’t have a good relationship, but who cares about their relationship? I need to know where the hell I am. I approached them while they were discussing with each other.
“Excuse me, I am lost. Do you know where we are?” I asked.
The four of them jumped back and aimed their weapons at me. I stepped back, not expecting this kind of reaction.
“Who are you?” the young man with the giant axe asked.
“Idiot! The test must have started already.”
“He’s right. Don’t you see the two girls? They are way over the minimum age to be able to take part. He must be part of the test.”
“Should we kill them?” the small girl said.
“No, don’t you see the man’s cultivation? I cannot see it. He must be a very strong puppet. I guess the mission must be to help him. Perhaps this test is a group test?”
More tears appeared in the sky, followed by the descent of hundreds of lights.
“Damn, this is too messy. Li Qi, we need to regroup,” said the young man with the axe.
“Don’t freaking order me around, Chu Xian,” Li Qi retorted in a commanding tone.
“Stop it, both of you! Don’t start a fight. It’s not the time.” The other girl, who didn’t speak until now, stood between them to break the building tension.
“You Ye is right. We don’t have the time,” Chu Xian agreed.
“Xiao Wu, let’s go. We already found the guide.” You Ye took Xiao Wu’s hands.
“Look, these puppets are broken! One is missing a leg and a hand while the other is missing an arm,” Li Qi pointed out.
“The passage of time must have damaged them, but why is a puppet carrying another puppet? So strange,” You Ye said, her brows furrowed in a frown. “Actually, they are quite beautiful. What a pity.”
“Li Qi, can you regroup with our people? This is our chance to make them eat dust,” Chu Xian laughed.
“For once, we agree! You three take care of the three puppets and make sure they are hidden. They have intelligence, so they must be some kind of a low soul.” Li Qi then left towards the other youths.
What is going on? Did they mistake us for puppets? Why are so many people suddenly descending from the skies, all of them youths?
“Hey! We are not puppets!”
The three youths left behind wordlessly looked at me,
their expressions strange. Shu Yi and Shu Er were also confused and a bit angry because of the commentaries about their missing limbs.
A huge tear then opened in the sky and out came a massive and beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly. Mounted on it was a stunning girl emanating a cold and intimidating aura. She was at Qi Refining Peak and her mount was also a King Beast.
“Shit! Lu Xin caught up!” Chu Xian, You Ye, and Xiao Wu paled.
What is wrong with them? Why are they so scared? It is but a beautiful girl, although the butterfly is making me wary. In my previous life, I hated them with a passion.
“It’s Li Qi! He’s back!” You Ye exclaimed, suddenly excited to see the elegant young man return.
“Everything has been arranged. I managed to join our sects together. They will shield us, but there is not much time so we need to move fast. Chu Xian, your Mountain Berserk Sect will take the initiative to push through them. My Light Sect will do the covering. You Ye and Xiao Wu, Moon Lake Sect will take the rear,” Li Qi explained, but he was interrupted by You Ye.
“The Dark Wood Sect didn’t agree?”
“No! I overheard them. They are colluding with the Lu Xin Sword Sect. I’m afraid it won’t be easy. We only have the surprise element on our side,” Li Qi said while looking at me.
“Damn it! These unworthy guys! This time, we are facing seventeen sects. We won’t back down. Us from the South Country will prevail!”
Light Sect...? Am I not outside the Seeking Continent? Facing seventeen sects... Are these four guys seeking death? Could it be…?
“The Trial,” I said, but before I could finish what I was about to say, Chu Xian grabbed me. You Ye and Xiao Wu took care of Shu Er while Shi Yi was picked up by Li Qi.
“Now! The puppet started the trial,” shouted Chu Xian.
Dozens of youths yelled Qi arts’ names before hitting other youths; many were caught off guard by the sneak attack. I could see over fifty youths armed with axes surrounding us.
“Senior Chu, we will charge through. Good luck.”
Fuck, are they insane? They are charging! Fifty youths toward five hundred unprepared youths!
“Li Qi! The tokens, do they work?” Xiao Wu shouted anxiously.
“Yes, but you need to claim a life to be able to exit.” Li Qi faced back. “Light Sect, Blind Cover!”
One hundred youths appeared, covering the formation the fifty youths made. This was total madness. In just a matter of seconds, more than two hundred youths lost their lives.
“Go! Move out!” Chu Xian yelled, splitting five guys with one wave of his axe.
“Cover them out!” Ten young girls between thirteen and fourteen years old yelled.
“Stop them! They have found the Trial Guide!”
“Chase after them!”
“Everyone, take cover! They are launching sneak attacks.”
“Look, it’s them! Their sects are united. They are covering for them.”
Hundreds of shouts reverberated throughout the fields. We were charging out, surrounded by hundreds of armed youths. This was a messy battlefield.
Li Qi was covered in blood as he assisted Light Sect. Right now, the Moon Lake Sect was the one in charge of covering us. They made a huge barrier while Chu Xian acted as the heavy support.
“Teleport out if you can’t handle it anymore. Get your tokens ready,” Chu Xian said, standing in the front row, covered with blood.
Two youths beside him got hit by a Qi art, wounding them severely, but they managed to crush a token and get out. The guy who hurt them was split in half by Chu Xian’s axe. Li Qi was also killing smoothly, yet they were against too many.
I had to say that Li Qi’s formation was quite effective, even though some of the guys had died and majority of them had teleported, leaving behind only forty percent of them.
This situation was very strange. I didn’t know whether I should laugh or cry. I did say that I wasn’t a puppet, yet they thought I was some kind of a guide instead. Free Death Points were always welcome.
Although many people managed to teleport, there were many that died, especially at the start. I was sure this would cause a great rift between the South Country and all the other sects. Three sects fighting against seventeen was crazy; yet I would admit that I liked their guts and style.
“Moon Lake Sect, switch now!” You Ye commanded.
One hundred girls forming a barrier rushed to the enemy lines. The girls were doing a kamikaze attack.
“Reflection!”
Madness! Hundreds of girls were getting hit, their barrier barely withstanding. After yelling Reflection, the barrier expanded and exploded. I could see all the girls lying on the floor with serious injuries, but they were not life threatening. They were smiling while crushing their tokens. It seemed this sect was dangerous. I could not help but look at the innocent You Ye and Xiao Wu. It was scary what kind of arts this sect held.
Those from the Light Sect then exploded, producing a huge blinding glare. I could see nothing at all, yet through my soul, I could see Li Qi covering all of us in with his Qi and his face was getting paler every second from the exertion.
Ten minutes later, the light diminished and I recovered my sight. The battlefield was far away from us, and the youths were recovering and pulling themselves together. No one from the Light Sect, the Mountain Berserk Sect, or the Moon Lake remained, only Li Qi, Chu Xian, You Ye, and Xiao Wu.
These four youths had a solemn face on them; they were covered in blood, exhausted, but their eyes showed a burning fighting spirit.
“Shit! Lu Xin is chasing us.”
“Why are you so afraid of her?” I asked. The girl they call Lu Xin was still far away from us, but thanks to her mount, she would catch up to us in no time.
“That’s because she’s from the Righteous Sect, the most powerful sect from the Central Country. Also, she’s the granddaughter of the Head Master. They have trained her since she was young. She’s only thirteen years old, yet she’s already at the Qi Refining Peak...”
“So? You are four against a girl.”
What a bunch of weaklings.
“She’s stronger than us combined.”
Shu Er and Shu Yi laughed. It had been a while since I heard their laughter. I enjoyed their smiles.
“Master, let them witness the strength of the mighty Puppet Guide,” they grinned.
“What are we going to do? It seems if we don’t agree to fight her, the Puppet will ditch us,” Xiao Wu said.
“But it’s impossible for us to beat her in combat. She has far too many trump cards. This quest—”
I looked at Shu Yi and Shu Er, each of us wearing disbelieving looks on our faces. Are they dumb or something? What quest? I was getting pissed with these idiots. While they were talking, Lu Xin already caught up to us.
“You think just you four can fight me? Hand over the Puppet Guide! This time, you created big trouble for your three sects. Did you think you can get the Ancient Ruin’s buried treasure with this kind of ability? Kneel and repent, or face death. Choose!”
The four youths stopped running and brought out their weapons, positioning them in the air, ready to strike.
“I appreciate your courage. At least you aren’t trashes. Well, you shall die by my sword.”
What an arrogant girl.
My soul picked up a subtle change in the environment. Something changed. I could finally see the city shadow a bit more clearly. Something must had been activated.
The fight was about to start. Sweat dotted the foreheads of the four youths, yet Lu Xin stood there, her face devoid of any emotion, her eyes sharp and cold.
Shu Yi’s stomach growled, making her flush beet red. Shu Er smiled at her. They hadn’t eaten for days. They needed nourishment. The five of them turned to look at her, making her blush even more. She took a few steps backward and hid behind her little sister.
The mood became awkward. The five of them turned to look at the young ‘puppet’ with a missing arm.
&
nbsp; Oh! The butterfly—well, it’s really a bug—but it should have enough meat, right?
I walked toward the butterfly. It possessed the same attitude as her master. Too arrogant. While my hand moved slowly, I released some pressure to root the beast.
The five youths watched my hand until it grabbed the butterfly head. No one expected that with me exerting only a little bit of pressure, the butterfly’s head would explode.
Ding!
Killed Swallowtail Butterfly +1,350 XP
Death Point +1
Death Core +1
Their jaws dropped. The Puppet was that powerful? That was a peak King beast, yet it didn’t even get to struggle at all. It just faced its death without doing anything.
Wait! Something was wrong. The Puppet should only guide them through the test and explain the rules and these kinds of things. It should not be capable of killing the participants of the test.
“You are not the Puppet Guide! Who are you?” Lu Xin was furious that her precious mount was dead. She’d had this butterfly since she was little.
I moved the corpse toward Shu Yi and Shu Er. I dissected and dismembered the butterfly fast, my trait King Monster Hunter proving to be very useful as it allowed me to select the best parts for them to eat. Then, they sat and cooked the butterfly parts really fast with their Qi.
Lu Xin’s mind went blank. She had never been disregarded like this, and yet this young man in front of her ignored her completely. He even gave her dead mount’s corpse away to be eaten by those two injured women. She could not process what was happening.
“We are mistaken? Is he not the Puppet Guide? But he is here before us,” Li Qi said in confusion.
“Right! We are the ones to pass the second trial first,” Chu Xian said.
“Also, look at those women. They are over eighteen years old. They shouldn’t be able to enter the trials...” You Ye eyed the two sisters up and down.
“But this youth is less than fifteen years old... Could the anomaly in the Ancient Ruins be caused by him?” Xiao Wu speculated.
“You boy! You court death!” Lu Xin shouted, ready to cause more trouble.