Promised Bonus Chapter (Sponsored by Allison [Thanks a lot dear for the kofi!])
~
The intense ray of beam faded and Ruzen flickered his eyes open with a sense of hesitation. It wasn’t as if he was immune to the declaration of protection by the King, he actually felt very moved. Except his parents nobody had ever made him feel so safe before.
There was a warmth that constantly ran through his system, making him feel cozy and light. There was no psychological tension anymore that could disrupt his thinking. He clearly remembered things that had long been forgotten by him due to all the setbacks he faced.
In front of him laid the melted carcass of dragon bones and the golden heart that gave it life was now a rotten grey. Just looking at the huge bundle of bone, one could tell that the energy beam that Ruzen had been enveloped in was not so simple, it never hurt him but the things around him were doomed to suffer. The strangest thing was that the trees around him were no longer there… all that was left were ashes, and clearly, a huge crater had formed around him, 5 meters deep.
He judged that the crater was about a kilometer in diameter, being a student of arts, his sense of distance and proportion were never wrong, so when he saw the destruction, he subconsciously calculated the span.
Now for the time being, he was reluctant to move, not because he was sapped of energy or felt wrong, but because he clearly sensed that he… couldn’t move. Like he was literally unable to move.
Before, he would have been spooked and might have panicked, but after all this time, his sense of adaption had become stronger and he knew that the enersym he sensed in the air – the one that was fast approaching him – was very familiar. This person, gave him a sense of strain, forcing him to keep still, but did not have any animosity hidden within, thus Ruzen stayed as he was, not raising unnecessary alarms.
Turns out, it was Hordor Na’Ris, as Ruzen guessed her enersym. As usual, her plus point was strength, she neither used verbal speech nor command, but her strength alone was enough to control others.
Ruzen remembered that the last time he had met her… she had similarly stalled the enemies, maybe it was her personal style, he had never been very optimistic about Hordor Na’Ris, but she was familiar and it gave him a sense of security. Also, knowing that she worked for the King, Ruzen was calm.
Not much time had passed when Hordor Na’Ris finally appeared. “Ru’Zen. We meet again.” she greeted, alongside her came a rush of guards in black, who took in the scene and then glanced at him.
Ruzen flushed, knowing that things had turned messy, he did not know whether the competition would still go on or would it end up with him being kicked out.
Alas, he remembered something, and before Hordor Na’Ris could speak, he took out the two crystal balls and a ‘being’ from his pocket and showed it to her. He could now move, since the Hordor was here, but he dared not approach the other in fear of doing something disrespectful. After spending some time with his master, he understood that hierarchy was important and in Manjo, that importance meant no overstepping his own boundaries.
Even though people’s judgement did not affect Ruzen, he was aware that Hordor Na’Ris was an important figure in the council and now that he was trying to please the council he needed to be careful.
Actually, it was not even the council he wanted to please, inadvertently he was trying to please the King, because the King was his benefactor and forgetting the times he was provided help was not good.
“Pleased to meet again, this ‘being’ and these crystals… I captured the participants and the 3rd world creatures in separate balls, I feel like these should be given to you…?”
Hordor Na’Ris motioned for the people in black to take them. Her eyes were still covered by the hood, but judging from her lips and tight chin, she was holding back from saying something.
“Am I going to be investigated?”
Ruzen wasn’t one to flag himself in red, but avoiding questions and investigation, may lead to dead ends for him in future, who knows if he would be implicated?
“Orders are to protect the challengers,” Hordor Na’Ris was serious as she stated it, “We reached you last because of certain… obstacles on the way. Please come with us, we will deliver you safely to your room in the complex.”
“…the room that I had been allotted?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Hordor Na’Ris nodded, “Healing herbs have already been prepared, if there is any major injury, a healer would be sent for you immediately. The competition has been discontinued for now, further instructions will be given later.”
Ruzen agreed, because after everything, the chances of continuing the competition were null, thorough investigation might be conducted and nobody had the strength to continue the competition in fear of being targeted by supreme level beasts.
“I will go back with you.” Ruzen understood that for now he wouldn’t be questioned, he concurred that questions would pop up later after things had settled a bit. He was unaware of what was happening outside this forest, but if such a huge grade creature popped up within the forest, then chances were that things weren’t as peaceful as it seemed. So definitely, there was someone in the background working against the officials.
He would have understood if the beast had been 12th grade, but just from the malfunctioning ‘being’, Ruzen sorted out his theories and was prepared for the worst.
“Do you want to be carried? Or do you want to move along with us seeing that your injury doesn’t seem to be affecting your health.”
Ruzen quickly chose to follow them, he wasn’t injured enough to be carried and didn’t want to humiliate himself by his own hand.
But turns out, Hordor Na’Ris and the group of black personas were very quick on their feet and they left Ruzen behind ‘twice’.
It left a bad aftertaste.
When Ruzen couldn’t cope up with their speed, he leaned against the huge tree bark which had fallen some while ago. The forest was dark and frosty, not at all ideal for movements.
“You are still new to this.”
Ruzen heard the feminine voice state the obvious, and flustered slightly. “I have not been practicing for long, only has been a month.”
Hordor Na’Ris nodded, “No worries, come here.”
Ruzen followed the command. Looking slightly puzzled. But then he was astonished to see Hordor Na’Ris taking out a crystal ball and… tap it on him.
He did not even get a chance to scold the ghost when he was pulled into a blank space, his eyes feeling heavy as he fell asleep.
~
While Ruzen was captured by his own trick, the stealthy Ghost King on the opposite side of the city approached the area which was the closest to the beasts that were currently trying to get in.
In the blanket of the night, he saw several flying beasts fluttering their wings just above him. They were small in size, but one could still see their… angry clawing at the defensive shield around Manjo. Golden bursts of energy shot out of their jaws to break the shied, but their try wasn’t effective.
The ghost King was so stealthy that even the shadow guards that kept up with him couldn’t maintain their speed and performance. They reluctantly accepted their fates when they realized the King was too fast to follow this time.
Was he in a hurry?
The King did not mind anyone else as he solely focused on the flock of birds in his view, they were troublesome.
Raising his hand, the King spoke something in a foreign tongue and a ray of blue beam shot out from his palm in order to hit and overwhelm those birds.
Their leader was dead, what were they fluttering around for, did they want to make the King angry?
Anyhow, just one ray of beam – 10 meters wide – was enough to frighten the clawing beasts away.
The shadow guards who saw this scene were not surprised or shocked, they had stayed with the King for a long time, so they knew that the King had been warning these creatures to leave Manjo, because Killing a creature brought in omen and upper echelon of society generally avoided killing such beings.
But that was just a personal preference, in their eyes the King didn’t believe in omens and hadn’t come to sort out these beasts, they assumed that the King was in lookout for another being, that being which was rumored to be the traitor.
“Go back, We don’t want to alarm the outsider.”
The guards decided to follow their King’s wishes, in terms of strength, their King was the supreme, who would dare to disrupt this King? One lazy strike from him was enough to warn a bunch of high grade beasts away, so what was a single traitor?
As soon as the King was left alone, his deep gaze turned to look towards the distant forest at the edge of the city. One where the leader had previously taken refuge.
A gust of strong wind swept up the area, as the surrounding streets cracked under unknown pressure. The King’s figure became blurry and he reappeared inside the forest, watching Hordor Na’Ris leave the premise as per orders. Hiding behind the shadow of trees, the King did not disrupt the Hordor’s work, what he wanted to find was the snake hiding in his province, still alive and slithering.
The King decided to check the other areas in the forest, his blurry image disappearing and reappearing all over the place, an unknown pressure lurking around his figure, distorting the plane with every appearance.
By coincidence, the King landed right next to someone who had been frantically running to chase their disciple.
That is right, He’Da almost got a scare when the King appeared next to him, at the edge of the forest, his robes fluttering as the energy oozing out from him rattled others in advance, making their core freeze and their movements slower. It was basically the King’s way of trying to capture an escaping traitor.
“Majesty, you… I was just looking for my disciple.”
The King’s hooded face was shadowed over, but the sharp glinting eyes stared right at He’Da when he spoke, “Your disciple is safe, go back. Don’t hinder Us.”
He’Da was relieved when he heard it, hurrying to leave now that the King had commanded so. In his heart he wanted to know just who it was that made the King come out personally, but fearing he would be overstepping his bounds, he did not ask and just heeded the command.
The King watched the master leave as per orders, and his eyes settled towards the direction of the central compound. He did not believe the traitor would dare to hide in midst of people, but because this traitor was still young, it wouldn’t be strange for them to try a different approach.
Narrowing his eyes, the King’s figure disappeared and reappeared at the edge of the central compound where the competition took place. The surrounding three buildings were no longer vacant, since those which were allocated to the competitors were packed, and the residents who had been brought to the plaza were using the temporary tents organized by the guards for night stay.
The evacuation process had been successful and the locals – nearby the compound – had been directed towards the plaza before the barrier was erected up for safety reasons. If the traitor was hiding in their midst, it was easier to take hostage and escape.
Although with the guards present, the King was sure this traitor wouldn’t be arrogant enough to do what he thought, but he couldn’t be too sure.
His eyes roamed over the plaza, over the settling people and the tense crowd.
From above the roof top, the King’s silent figure flickered in midst of the crowd below. But because the King was a ghost race, he had the ability to disperse his form into thin cloud, like a mist. This intelligent mist was equivalent to invisibility, but this form was more vulnerable towards damage if caught by the lurking enemy.
A little child sneezed as he felt something cold pass by him, but seeing his mother and father still there, the child felt safe and the instinctive response to danger was ignored.
Within the crowd that had settled themselves inside the tents and at the intersecting passages around the tents, the Ghost King silently lurked, like a breeze tasting breath.
Somewhere a set of cooks were cooking food for the masses, some places the guards had settled their base, some places people sat together telling each other folklores and stories of the day, then by the edge of the platform, barriers were set up to guard the locals. Outside the barrier, two men wearing blue robes stood, looking out in every direction in vigilance.
The Ghost King felt that this traitor had been lost and he would have to wait again for them to reveal their face, but shockingly, a foreign presence suddenly prickled his senses, coming from the direction of the third complex… wasn’t it the same complex where Ruzen had been given room?
The fog suddenly became dense and took on a humanoid form, as it flashed towards the corridor of the third complex.
~
When Ruzen opened his eyes again, he found himself in his room, the same one he had been given for temporary residence after the competition started.
His body was covered with a soft blanket and next to his bed, on the side table he saw various herbs placed inside bottles. A leaf of paper skin with directions had also been provided. And not so far away, a plate of food had been kept, enclosed within a hemispherical lid.
Sitting upright, Ruzen yawned, he now knew what it felt like to be inside a crystal ball, and he wasn’t that impressed. He looked outside the window and saw the darkness of the night, surely, it still wasn’t dawn.
A soft torch glowed on the right wall, imparting enough illuminance to shower the room with visibility. Ruzen was thankful, because he didn’t feel like using his sharp senses all the time, it was tiring being vigilant throughout the day.
Just when he started wondering about the day’s events, there was a soft knock on his door. A little startled, Ruzen called out, “Who is it?” He strangely felt like it was DeJa’Vu.
He wasn’t much polite, he was hungry and tired, his arm which had been injured was hurting and he needed some sleep to cope up with everything that had happened.
But then, his grouchiness vanished when he heard a soft voice call out, “Master, I am back.”
Eyes widening, Ruzen smiled, getting up from his bed to open the door, “Ah’Hen?”
His little ghost was back, Ruzen couldn’t wait to see him again. Even though he had missed the little ghost, he had been reluctant to ask the King about him, but now that the ghost was here, he was delighted.
A/N – [Please read :)]
First of all, I would like to thank all the people who comment and share their thoughts on this platform after reading my chapter. And I also like everyone who donates / or silently lurks around enjoying my story.
Let me tell you that comments and donations are what tell me that my story is loved, it is the ultimate encouragement for me and keeps me going. (I also get to know your thoughts and what interests you in my plot, so it is helpful for future plotting)
But I am sure you have seen that I rarely reply back to these comments. It is so because I am shy and don’t really know how to respond every time without sounding robotic or monotonous. That is why I just read the comments and leave little author notes at the end of the chapter to thank everyone for their thoughts. So please don’t be discouraged if I don’t reply to you, because someone was sad about it and I felt really guilty, so I decided to talk about my shyness and hopeless social interactions.
Anyway, you don’t need to force yourself to leave comments, I know how many people are shy like me and don’t always comment, so its okay. But your comments are always welcomed and I just wanted to say that I read each and every one of them.
Thank you for your patience with me and your thoughtful interactions!
lol don’t feel bad about not replying to comments! You writing this great story and providing consistent uploads is more than enough to show that you appreciate us readers 🙂
So once again thanks for the chapter!!
Most of the time I don’t comment because I don’t really know what to say… I really love the world you’re building, the King and Ruzen !
Thanks for the chapter~
don’t tell me…Ah’Hen is the traitor? but that seems unlikely 🧐 maybe someone is impersonating him?
I read your note! it’s okay if you don’t answer my comments 🙂 I sometimes feel shy too and hesitate to comment, it’s alright!
thanks for the chapter 😊
❤❤❤
Ok this just kept getting more and more interesting! Loved it loved it loved it!!!! I really can’t wait!
Goddamn I am looking forward to the next episode. The plot is slowly coming together now.
with the bits and pieces we have got till now, I think al’bae is probably one of the main antagonist. He was the one who did something to have ruizen come to this world.
Since al’bae’s name is an ill omen, I expect that to be a one of the motive for ruizen’s appearance.
If al’bae isn’t an antagonist tho, I guess my mind goes to him trying to get another life or cancel out his bad luck or something.
I am not really the person to go and analyse the little hints and clues left behind, I am just putting the basic things I have gathered that pretty much everyone grasped lmao.
I personally think the names Al’bae and Ruizen have a huge part to play in the plot because of the emphasis on the importance of names.
Thanks for the chapter. And don’t feel bad about not replying back to comments. I feel like the authors notes always makes me feeled read even if you don’t reply directly ^_^
❤🧡💛
I wonder if it really is Ah hen or an impostor.
This is so exciting. There are lots of mysteries.
its ok not to reply. Most translators dont reply which is normal. Im commenting just to show my gratitude and support.
🙂
Thank you for the update
*Most translators or authors
I comment all the time because I am shameless and like to interact with the author/translator/reader and show support. I don’t expect replies at all, though!
also because if the updates take longer, it reminds me that I have already read the chapter!How is the little ghost back? I hope Ruzen thinks clearly and remembers Ah’Hen is with the King and now roaming around…thanks for the chapter! <3
I was so excited when I saw there’s a new chapter 😂 and it’s okay even if you don’t reply to the comments, your hardwork and effort to update is enough <33 thank you for the chapter <3
I enjoy this story very much and I think you have a grand talent for writing! With so many novels online it’s not always easy to find one that isn’t like all the others,but yours is different. !!!!!!
Lovely author you should be showered in love for your hard work and I take every new chapter as a reply to my comments.
😘 So my sweet shy author let me shower you with my heart felt comments since I’m a selfish human and just can’t keep myself from imposing my opinions on you. 😊
idk y I get the feeling Ah’hen is related to the other ghost keeper, whose sister-in-law hates him because her brother is not the same after meeting that keeper. I have a fishy feeling about him.
Love the new chapter, its perfect as always thank you
Is truly a huge ass work load you punt on your shoulders, and I think you are brave for that. One of my favorite writers said that grateful people see the light of the sun, and ungrateful people see the stains, we readers are like little seedlings feeding of the light you make, so don’t feel bad or guilty for not responding comments.
Tho is always nice and fun when a comment gets a response, there is no pressure behind it.
Thank you for the bonus chapter❤
Don’t worry author and just be as you are, the story is getting more and more intriguing. I am amazed with all that I have read so far, this is such quality work
Just a comment for encouragement…
Ah Hen was trouble 🙁 we knew it but couldn’t help loving the little thing. Also, I hope the King’s health is well enough for him to have some major fights with strong enemies.
You reading them is enough, thank you for the chapters