Chapter 21: Danger At Home

As his soul quivered in a rush of excitement, soul energy spread the thrill like surging wave from Zax’s sea of consciousness to the rest of his body.

Asking for ten thousand kilogram of dark attribute’s essence at once turned out to be a long shot, as he predicted which still paid off. For him to breakthrough into the second stage of the Three Stages Of Hyper Physique, all that he needed was mere eleven hundred kilogram.

‘A hundred kilogram will soon be all that is left. And before Senior Gid will deliver the second portion, with my absorption speed increasing I could easily fill the last point one percent with dark attribute worldly energy or collecting dark attribute’s essence on my own’. Zax thought while making sure to maintain a composed mien. “When can I get the God made and first regular portion of dark attribute’s essence?”

Yurnal gave Zax a scornful look. “You deal with him”. He told Gid Chu and turned away to leave. Accompanying him was a group of thirty something dissatisfied members of the chain.

“Everyone, the review is over. You can leave”. Gid Chu said to those who stayed and those who turned their backs as if there was not a divide.

With no more words being said, of the seventy two members that were there to begin with, seventy one left the central edifice, additionally some departed the undersea cave, leaving Gid Chu and Zax alone in A-1.4.1 vault.

Flipping his right hand palm up, a slightly pale, spherical dark bulb appeared in Gid Chu’s hold.

Seeing God Demirva’s dark attribute’s essence presented for the taking, Zax’s eyes could not help but lit up and then turn gloom as he remembered losing his own God made dark attribute’s essences to Dewgong family of Monivore city.

Gesturing with his hand, the Solar Basil Leaf appeared floating above Zax’s palm. He was worried that a prolong touch will cause the same reaction as with the Diluted Element, which made him absorb prematurely, against his will.

Tossing the two treasures at each other and making the trade simultaneously, Zax grabbed the God made dark attribute’s essence as Gid Chu grabbed the Solar Basil Leaf and both drew them immediately to their spatial rings.

“The one thousand kilogram of regular dark attribute’s essence will arrive in approximately three weeks. You can stay in the cave until then”.

Zax did not mind the wait, but... “You carried the God Demirva’s dark attribute’s essence on your person?” With the chain having two leaders, he expected a compromise that would have them hide the organization’s treasures someplace natural, equally easy for both of them to reach.

“That one”. Gid Chu smiled, phrasing himself and giving the indication that the chain had more of God Demirva’s dark attribute’s essences without caring of enticing Zax’s greed. On the contrary, the new member of the chain proved himself capable of obtaining quite a loot wherever he goes. By letting him know that the chain does not lack valuables to exchange, maybe in the future he will surprise them with another extraordinary swag.

“You should know, Zax, from now on your face cannot be revealed above the surface of the Earth, unless you want for the five powers to detect and pursue you”.

“The five powers can only utilize fourth and fifth level Martial Mortal to chase after me and how many of them do they have? They can order and hope for their other members, stationed across the planet, to inform should they encounter me, but if they don’t want me to start slaughtering their weaker members, it will be smart of the five power not to use them as extended eyes and ears”.

“And what about the common people? Since the completion of your task, you haven’t got the chance to explore the current happenings in the villages, tribes, cities and clans ... I was notified that the five powers released a bounty on your head, and they did not skimp. They offer a hundred million Splinters to whatever information that could give your exact position, a billion to anyone who can capture you”.

“A billion Splinters?!” Zax was shocked. With this sum he could buy anything that could be bought with money. Moreover, Splinters were not just a currency, but a cultivation material. Granted, to use them for cultivation a great quantity was needed, but a billion Splinters were more than right up that alley.

“That’s the same bounty on my and Yurnal’s heads. The five powers should know your battle power, which at the moment doesn’t deserve this sum of Splinters, so they probably assessed you by your growth potential, deciding at the very least you are a threat on the same level as I and Yurnal”.

“My appearance was revealed, so they should know that I’m the same person who got the perfect dark attribute’s essence in the ridge”.

“And that before consuming it, you weren’t much stronger than Peak Core Master, yet a few years later you can stand your ground versus a Beginner fourth level Martial Mortal”.

“I understand. Outside the undersea cave I’ll use the Bone And Muscle Transformation technique to conceal my face”.

“That’s a good, but temporary plan. Have you forgotten that the five powers have a small number of people who can recognize and connect you to New Earth?”

“The Curators!”

“Yes, and big brother Ariel. Although you don’t need to worry about big brother exposing your identity, you must by wary of the five Curators”.

“Dammit!” Baleful undulation erupted around Zax as hysteria dawned on him. “What should I do? When I previously left to New Earth there were different Curators than those who marked me!” If any of the five from back then will see the mug on his bounty, then his loved ones in New Earth will no longer be safe from the consequences of his transgressions toward the five powers! “Why did you not inform me earlier?!”

He was more furious at himself for not considering the existence of the five Curators. In retrospect, he also did not take them into account after letting Sister Beatriz, Sister Iaura and Stelero Mars leave in Demirva Ridge, which shows that at the time the five powers preferred to avoid making an enemy from a mere lucky mercenary with prosperous future...