Chapter 34: Flash back

Chapter Thirty-Four: Flash back

Connie's voice carried through the chaos, steady despite the danger. "Then there's the Elemental Class beast, and its portal. This is where crowds of powerful Mutated Class hunters get wiped out."

He ducked under a low-hanging branch, his boots finding solid ground.

"In the normal sense, it's impossible for a Mutated Class hunter to see the Spiral of Thousand Colors—the gateway to the Elemental Beast Realm. Unless you're from a particular bloodline. The Archives."

He paused, his breath coming faster.

"But the Survey Corps knows the exact location of the portal. They control powerful Cosmic Class and Elemental Class elites. They use them to transport hunters there. This time, it's not just the beasts they're fighting. It's the environment itself. The world they control."

Gina glared at them both, her voice cutting through the wind. "Ugh! What are those two talking about?"

She dove over a branch, her body twisting mid-air—when a tiger burst from the shadows.

It had taken a secret path, circling around for an ambush.

"No!" Gina screamed.

Connie's eyes widened. The shadow of the tiger swallowed them whole.

Kael moved before he could think—shoving Connie aside.

The tiger landed on him.

THUD.

Connie's back hit a tree. He spat blood, his eyes trembling as he stared at the beast. His heart pounded against his ribs.

"Connie!" Gina boosted, spinning in the air—and then a white feathered dragon materialized, its wings catching the light. It dove down, scooping them up and rising into the sky.

Connie's eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh! That thing is actually—it's chewing Kael!"

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He pointed, his voice cracking.

Gina slapped his arm. "Fool. Shut up. Not when we're on his mount. And look—"

BOOM!

Blood sprayed into the air. A massive hole burst open from the back of the horned tiger.

Kael crawled out slowly, his body drenched in crimson. The other two tigers slowed, halting as they stared at the figure emerging from their packmate's corpse.

His eyes poured darkness. Black lines jagged across his neck, spreading like veins of shadow. His skin was pale. A wrong smile curved across his face—too wide, too sharp.

Silence.

The wind itself hesitated.

The atmosphere shifted. Every living creature nearby sensed it: something was wrong.

Kael rose his head and smiled.

"Woohoo! It's fun to be back!"

Crucify's voice erupted, high and joyful. It had taken over without permission. It jumped around like a boxer, light on its feet, energy crackling in the air.

"Hey, buddies, let's play!"

Crucify grinned—and boosted.

The tigers couldn't move.

It tripped.

"What?" Crucify's voice faltered.

"Arrgh!" Kael's voice broke through. "Stop! Give me back my body! Please—not now!"

He struggled, fighting for control, his body jerking and twitching. The tigers noticed the commotion and moved to pounce.

Slash!

Their heads flew into the air.

Crucify dove upward, spinning, shadow claws extended. It landed, sliding across the ground, a trail of blood in its wake.

"Geez, that was super fast!"

CRACK.

The smoke vanished. The black jagged lines receded from Kael's neck.

Kael fell to his knees, panting. Sweat dripped from his face, pooling on the ground beneath him.

"I won't be your friend again!" Crucify sobbed, its voice suddenly high-pitched, like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Wh—what just happened?" Connie stammered, his eyes trembling.

"He just slit those heads off like they were paper," Gina said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And he's struggling. Talking to himself. That's strange."

She gazed at Kael, something stirring in her chest that she couldn't name.

Kael stood up slowly, regaining his composure. He was still weak. The Shadow Leopard soul had drained him.

The white feathered dragon landed. Gina and Connie jumped down.

Kael looked at Gina—who wasn't terrified like Connie, but curious.

He spoke, his voice flat. "Then there's the Cosmic Class. That's one of the highest. Both Elemental and Cosmic based souls can be summoned outside Mystical Eraland, right?"

Connie staggered for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Enough of this." Gina walked toward Kael, her light skin contrasting with his brown. She was an inch shorter than him. She grabbed his collar.

"So. Are you in?"

Kael glanced at her hand, then back at her face. "Remove."

Gina didn't move. Her grip tightened. She glared at him.

Kael snorted.

She's either the bravest or the stupidest girl I've ever seen.

She lowered her hand.

"You haven't answered me."

"The only answer is yes. I'll join you. And let's share the beast meat." Kael's voice was flat, almost bored.

---

Mid-Spires — Hours Later

Kael walked down a quiet road slowly. His steps were measured, his hands in his pockets. His headset was off, hanging around his neck.

His mind drifted back to Gina.

She's funny, he thought.

He replayed everything—the way she grabbed his collar, argued with him, her endless drama.

Then he stopped.

He remembered when he first met Gina.

The sentence struck again.

"You piece of shitty wood!"

He paused. The voice echoed in his head—deep, male. His eyes reddened. The memory was becoming clear.

His face clenched. Tears flowed down his cheeks.

Then a finger tapped his head, pushing it backward, slow.

The wind was cold.

His head bent to a certain degree. He could feel the sensation—the pressure of that finger, pushing his forehead back.

The memory flashed: that same finger, that same voice, over and over.

"You piece of shitty wood!"

Kael slowly raised his head.

Shanyuan stood before him, smiling.

His white hair moved with the wind.

"Hey," he waved. "How are things going?"

End of Chapter Thirty-Four.