by Daman
A hurried voice sounded out from the corner of Calron’s mind, as the Voice hid itself from him.
Bullshit!
Calron shouted back to Ezkael, and cursed with annoyance at his Teacher who did not even bother to think up a plausible excuse and ditched him at this moment.
“Child, do you know who you are?”
The Elder’s soft voice emerged in the forest, drawing Calron’s attention to him.
He knew that anyone born with the heritage of a primordial being would be sacred treasure for the clan or sect, and there is no way that they would let a child like that get away from their eyes. Furthermore, there were only a few rare known bloodlines that had a primordial being as an ancestor, and they could all be counted on one hand!
If there was a new primordial bloodline appearing in this world, then this was an event that shake the entirety of the Martial Continent.
Initially, the Elder had thought that there was something weird with Calron’s body when he inspected it, but this child with both human and beast blood turned out to be a descendent of a primordial being.
“I’m Calron. That is all you need to know.”
Calron brusquely replied.
He sensed that the tone of the Elder had noticeably changed after the incident with the bow, and moreover, he had still not forgotten the unreasonable way the Elder had insisted on starting a spar when clearly Calron did not want to.
“Haha, I see you are still angry with my previous rudeness. I apologise for my earlier behaviour, but I was merely curious about your… unique body.”
The Elder stated in a calm manner, as he slowly sat down on the ground and dug out a pill from within his clothes and hurled it towards Calron.
“That pill will help heal your bones, and also help increase your cultivation.”
“Thank you.”
Calron sighed, as he caught the orange-coloured pill in the air and swiftly swallowed it.
From the very beginning, the Elder did not have a killing aura and even his punches were pulled back the moment when they were about to land on Calron’s body. Otherwise, how could Calron still be alive after taking his first punch? Even though the Elder was not in the Heavenly stage, he was half a foot into that realm and if he truly wanted to, then he could crush Calron like a little ant.
It was the law of the cultivation world: the strong rule over the weak.
“Who are you really?”
Calron asked after a while, once the pill broke down inside his stomach and its energy started to heal his broken bones.
He knew that even with his cultivation of the peak Saint stage, the Elder should not be able to recognise the traces of a primordial being. A primordial being was someone from the Divine realm of his Teacher and his ancestor, so a person from the mortal realm would never be able to identify the characteristic of a primordial power.
“I am a member of the Ancient Guardians.”
The Elder’s quiet voice whispered into the silent air.
Chapter 5 – The Ancient Guardians
“Quick! Escape from here!”
A desperate yell resounded in the magma-filled room, as a three-meter giant pushed both his hands forward, creating an aqua-colored energy field in front of him.
The giant had skin akin to that of a sapphire stone, with his bloody veins visible through his semi-translucent body. It was unknown whether this was how his body usually appeared or if it was due to the stress caused by the incoming attack.
With tears and black ash covering his face, a man with the head of an owl gazed at the back of the three-meter giant who was currently protecting him from the monster that had invaded their sanctuary.
“M-Master! I cannot lea-“
The owl man stuttered with a tremble in his voice, but the giant retorted in anger.
“Balis, the Guardians were betrayed. One of us must to live in order to let the Beast Emperor know, and that someone is you. I have already used up my life source to stop the magma from entering this room and activated the teleportation array.”
Large circular silver symbols started to form on the floor where Balis was standing and he knew that the teleportation array would be finished within a few moments.
“I …”
“Don’t say anything now Balis. Just promise me that you will find the bastard that did this and make him pay. After you convey the message to the emperor, finish your Guardian training at the Human City of Selior.”
The giant interrupted Balis before he could say anything.
*shua*
It was at this moment that the teleportation array was completed, and a brief flash of light illuminated the crumbling room.
Slowly turning back his head to face his disciple, the giant softly whispered.
“Never forget the true purpose of the Ancient Guardians, Balis, the world will need us to guide them in the coming future. LIVE!”
With a thundering roar at the end, the giant sent all his remaining essence into the array.
“This disciple will never forget… Master.”
Balis choked on his tears, as the image of his Master disappeared from his eyes and the palace of the Beast Kingdom in the Desolate Mountains appeared before him.
“AARRRGGGHHH!”
The young owl-headed man bellowed into the sky, his roar filled with despair and agony at the loss of his Master.
The Master… who was also his father.
…………………………………….
“An Ancient Guardian? What is that?”
Calron inquired curiously while stretching his muscles and testing the effects of the pill.
The Elder morosely stared at the ground, brooding over his inner thoughts before he tilted his head to look at the human boy beside him.
“We were the ones who kept the balance of this world. Once, we had our own kingdom where the Gods themselves built it for us, and where they would bless the new generation of Guardians with their abilities.”
The Elder softly spoke, raising his head to gaze at the sky above.
“Gods… you’ve seen them?”
Calron’s voice had a hint of excitement. Since a kid, his mother used to always talk about the Gods and the divine powers that they had within their grasp. With a flick of their fingers, they could create new worlds and with a gentle slap, destroy the very world they created.
Gods were mystical beings and humans like Calron could only hope to ever witness their appearance. However, Calron was skeptical at the same time wondering whether what the owl-headed man had said was true or not.
“Gods, huh? They are powerful indeed, but selfish at the same time. Before, they used to visit our world as often as every year, but it all changed the day our order was betrayed.”
The Elder’s eyes flashed with coldness when he recalled the betrayal.
“When was the last time that a God appeared in our world?”
Calron questioned, his heart faltering at the coldness he detected in the Elder’s voice towards the end.
“The last time they came… was over seven hundred years ago…”
The Elder stated with a pause.
How could he forget that day? It was the day that his own father had died.
“Enough of these questions, child. Now, let me ask a question of my own.”
The Elder said, realizing that the boy in front of him will not stop asking questions if given the chance.
“Tch, I don’t want to.”
Calron retorted, as he lifted his arms over his head and laid back on the grass.
This brat…
The Elder thought with amusement.
“Do you know what that bow is?”
Seeing that he would have to bait this human boy, the Elder asked a question.
“Of course, how could I not? It’s my bow.”
Calron replied with an even voice, but the Elder could detect that the boy was lying. If he truly knew what that bow was, then he would have never brought it out in a fight.
> Curse that stupid old Teacher! He left without telling me what this bow was!
Calron spat a string of curses within his mind.
“Haha, I guess I don’t need to tell you then.”
The Elder cheekily responded while raising his eyebrow at Calron.
Damn, this geezer is playing around with me.
Calron fumed, realizing that his bluff had been called.
“I guess it’s still too early… child, whatever you do, but never take out that bow in the future until the destined time.”
The seriousness was back in the Elder’s voice.
Huh? Destined time? What is this owl man talking about?
Calron pondered, but before he could say them out loud, the Elder continued.
“Quickly take care of the business you had to in the outer range, and then come with me to Selior city.”
“Selior city? And why should I come with you?”
Calron asked calmly, but he had no intention of leaving with the Elder. He had to find the red-headed woman and get the information about where the members of the House Raizel were.
“Selior city is where the Human Emperor lives, and also where you will find the one you are looking for.”
The Elded stated while slowly getting up back on his feet.
“How do you know I was looking for her?”
Calron jolted into a seating positing, staring intensely at the owl-headed man.”
“You will know once you are there.”
The Elder’s eyes glinted with mirth.
“How can I trust you?”
Calron asked once again.
“Sigh… so many questions in that little head of yours. Trust me or not, that is up to you. I only give you the choice.”
The Elder evenly responded, as two giant wings unfolded from his back.
“One last question… were you there on the day of the betrayal?”
Calron had already decided to take a chance with the Elder, but there was something nudging him at the back of the head after hearing the story from the owl man.
“Meet me back at Tarnila’s place when you are ready to leave.”
The Elder said, as he flapped his wings and leapt into the sky.
Calron gazed at the man’s lonely back.
“Yes… I was there.”
A gentle voice drifted into his ear, and Calron knew that it was none other than the Elder.
“Oh heavens…”
Calron muttered, realizing that the Elder was over seven hundred years old.
Was his real cultivation only at the Saint stage?
Chapter 6 – Vilas
Are you still not going to come out?
Calron sent his thoughts inwardly in an attempt to lure out Ezkael.
“……”
This was the fourteenth time that Calron had tried to probe his Teacher, but Ezkael continued to remain silent.
“Sigh… we are almost there.”
Calron muttered silently, as he began to slowly decrease his altitude in the sky.
“woof!”
Avi cheerfully barked, noticing that they were about to land.
Before Calron had started to fight against Balis, he had dropped off Avi near an empty cave. Completely bored and with nothing to do, the little pup had simply dozed off into yet another nap.
*scrrr* *scrrr*
She scratched her claws against Calron’s scales in excitement. She did not know where her human guardian was taking her, but with the recent days of boredom that she had experienced, anything new was definitely exciting.
She is growing up fast.
Calron mused, sensing the vibrations of her nails on his golden metallic scales and her increasing body weight. Previously, Calron could hardly feel the weight of the tiny wolf pup, but he was starting to feel her weight lately.
“Hang on tight, Avi!”
Calron conveyed, while flapping his wings against the air current to slow down his speed.
*Crackle*
Suddenly, the Azure Lightning within his chest shivered with excitement as it tried to surge out of his body.
“Hm?”
Calron was momentarily perplexed by the weird reaction from the usually quiet lightning, so he sent his consciousness into the elemental core to deduce what spiked the Azure Lightning’s interest.
It’s something located in that distance.
Calron pondered while glancing towards his right, at a distance thousands of yards away. He did not know what the object was, but the Azure Lightning was definitely pulling him towards there.
“Sigh… why have there been so many interruptions lately?”
Calron said softly in a dejected voice, but decided to follow the Azure Lightning’s pulling.
*whoosh*
Landing on the ground amidst a gale of wind, Calron curiously surveyed the area around him. Surrounded by wild bushes and trees, he could not notice anything out of the ordinary yet his instincts were telling him that the Azure Lightning would never lie.
“Awwooo…”
Avi softly yawned while scratching her ears, as Calron reverted back to his human form. Picking up the rapidly growing pup from the ground, Calron cautiously walked towards the direction the lightning was attracted to.
“Omph, you are starting to get heavy, Avi…”
He murmured, but the pup instantly let out a low growl while looking up at Calron, as if offended by his mentioning of her weight gain.
Hahaha, she is starting to develop some personality!
Calron pondered inwardly, afraid of laughing out loud and triggering another attack by the little wolf.
*chi chi*
Sensing the emergency of the Azure Lightning, Calron became serious and used the Blood Mist Steps to rush ahead.
Whizzing past the numerous trees, after a few minutes Calron could see the faint outline of a cave a few yards ahead.
“KRUAAAAAAHHH”
A sudden roar of agony emerging from the cave resounded in the forest, startling both the human and the pup outside.
“Wait here.”
Calron stated sternly as he hid Avi behind a thick bush, and vanished under a burst of crimson cloud.
………………………..
“Give up, you cannot escape from us anymore, Vilas.”
A sinister rumble echoed in the small cave, as a looming shadow coalesced in front of collapsed human form. The visitor was cloaked with a dark robe preventing from his face being seen but the silhouette of his body was too large to be a human.
With a thin streak of light entering from the cave’s entrance, it fell on the body of the collapsed human and it revealed his crippled body with an arm severed from his left shoulder.
However, the more astonishing fact was that the human had the head of a golden dragon.
“Haha, I remember just yesterday that you were acting so high and mighty as the Captain of the Emperor’s Guards, but look at you now. Ptoo!”
A new cloaked shadow arrived next to first one, as the new-comer bent down to gaze into Vilas’ azure irises and viciously spat onto his face.
“Cowards… using poison to kill me… “
Vilas whispered hoarsely, coughing out a mouthful of black blood. Even at the brink of death and deprived of all his essence, the proud luster within his azure eyes failed to diminish.
“Stop it. He might be our enemy, but even our entire Assassin Organization combined couldn’t kill him for the past twenty years.”
The gigantic cloaked figure’s voice rumbled, rebuking his subordinate while his eyes looked at the collapsed figure with both respect and pity.
“Whatever, our mission is to kill him. Let’s get it done and report back to the leader.”
The smaller cloaked shadow lazily replied while taking out a sharp dagger from his waist.
“Sigh… As a warrior, I had hoped to fight you in a true battle but I apologize for this cruel death.”
The gigantic cloaked figure stated solemnly, as his subordin
ate let out a secret sneer at the side.
“You… are no… warrior…”
Vilas coughed out, his eyes fiercely boring into his two enemies.
“Do it.”
The large cloaked shadow stoically commanded, as he turned his body around and started to walk away.
“Hehe.”
The smaller cloaked figure let out a dark chuckle and charged towards the weakened Vilas.
“Still… underestimating me.”
A strange smile formed on Vilas’ draconic face, as a bright golden light burst from within his chest and illuminated the entirety of the cave.