Chapter 17: Three, Two, One Leaving An Impression

“Take Lieutenant General Debuk Jin to the Medical Center. Is injuries are too severe...” General Logan instructed as his line of sight fixated on the horizon and the distant back of the departing figure.

Eventually, he successfully reached an agreement with Zax. To avoid conflict, his Blessed Army paid one Star Scavenger for one dark attribute’s essence, which would be delivered fully equipped within a month. To compensate for the second dark attribute’s essence, General Logan offered again the resources to assist the nurturing of third level Martial Mortals, but since the price was still insufficient, he also added a thousand ton of each type of medium quality attribute’s essence. This staggering amount of attribute’s essences impressed Zax even more than the other promised resources and he even suspected that much of it was gathered and brought over from other Stars and Plains. For the third dark attribute’s essence Zax had a change of mind and asked for nothing tangible, other than a piece of a rather special type of paper, an Oath Parchment with General Logan word of assistance in one endeavor. The last sums to pay were the arrest of the Dewgong family and their extradition to Kingdom Earth, along with the permit for Monivore city.

General Logan closed his eyes and sighed, an unbecoming gesture for someone of his rank, hence an invisible ripple spread from his sea of consciousness outward, mesmerizing all onlookers in his base.

‘If the Violet Star Commander was not pressured by those other Immortals, I wouldn’t have needed to care about offending Heavenly Immortals, much less someone who is just at the Mortal Enlightenment state’. If need be, in every other assignment he could have asked for Immortal reinforcement, but here he only had Horn Kikon. ‘Hopefully, Hamumni’s investigation will lead to the whereabouts of the Godly Law Template. We’ve been here too long’.

...

Although his desire was mostly fulfilled, Zax was far from being complacent, for he now was on his way to tangle with yet another fifth level Martial Mortal, the strongest of the five powers...

Violet Scaled Troops’ headquarters was located at the southern region of the Western Continent, at a place referred to as “Yellow Grassland”. It was a meadow of coarse and sharp yellow grass that grew by absorbing the nutrients in the warm yellow sand in which it took root. The meadow stretched for almost four kilometers and several kinds of Deformed Beings were grazing freely at its expanse. It was a soothing panorama that was only ruined by the grotesque pillar of earth that stuck up at its center, hundreds of meters from the ground and with circumference of one point five kilometers, like an extremely oversized termites nest.

This grotesque, earthly structure was the Violet Scaled Troops’ headquarters, otherwise known as the Great Cave. Though it would not seem like it at the moment, but the Great Cave had over a hundred entries, however they were all sealed until the next time Violet Scaled Troops will hold the Elite Tryouts. The only entrance that was constantly open was at the top of the Great Cave.

Zax arrived above the Great Cave and his presence far from being concealed, like when he got to the Blessed Army. Consequently, this time he received a proper welcome...

“Why have you come here?” Horn Kikon’s voice reverberated from the Great Cave, dispersing the soft patches of white clouds that left slow moving shadows on the meadow. Following the enquiry, a golden man, cladding a red fur cloak emerged out of the top entrance.

“For a more than a fair trade”. Zax smiled sincerely, knowing that he could not uphold the same mien he used in the confrontation with General Logan.

“A trade?” Horn Kikon crossed all four of his four arms. He too was perfectly aware that in this occurrence his feral temper will fail to intimidate the adversary before him. Nevertheless, the aura he emanated was as regal as ever. “Ulvi involvement was negligible; you are not eligible for her life”. After Horn Kikon informed his Feathers, fourth level Martial Mortals, about Zax’s prodigious rise, Ulvi told him what happened in Monivore city. Since then he was prepared for Zax’s arrival, whether General Logan alerted him of his visit or not.

“Knowing your reputation, I’m not convinced that you would’ve spared anyone who even looked at you the wrong way”. Zax snorted. “Ulvi wasn’t the main instigator, but her participation in my pursuit is indisputable”.

“Even so...” Horn Kikon frowned. Dropping his arms, he moved to a transformation posture, should the need arise. “You are alive”.

“Even so...” Zax unleashed his black aura. “I’m pissed”.

Silence.

The two were in a stalemate. Neither was willing to back down nor initiate a meaningless fight.

“I said that I will agree to a trade”. Zax repeated, waving his stubbornness and took Horn Kikon’s quiet as an indication of being listened to. “Annulling my feud with Ulvi for surrendering someone else”.

“Who?” Horn Kikon asked in a heavy tone.

“Someone from the Malignant Monkey clan, a Velvet Furred Alouatta named Mand”.

“Him?! My Feather’s Chaoyue apprentice!” Horn Kikon bellowed, referring to Huland’s father.

“Better a Feather’s apprentice than a Feather clipped!” Zax retorted.

“He is a Chaoyue”. Horn Kikon took pride as the epitome of his kind, and although he cared more about his subordinates’ cultivation, he still had a bias for those of an esteemed type as a beast.

“Do I look like I give a damn?!” Zax shot back angrily. “Kikon, a dirtbag is a dirtbag no matter how you address him”.

“How did he offend you?” From Zax’s comment, Horn Kikon realized that the issue was more personal to Zax than he assumed.

“He killed someone he shouldn’t”. Zax answered plain and simple, to avoid implicating Huland. “That’s all I’m going to say on the matter. Are you sending him out? I know that he is in your Great Cave”.

The wind blew from all four direction of the compass, bringing with it a veil of dark cloud that slowly shrouded the bright sky. The stimulation of the elements was triggered by the movement of the ubiquitous worldly attributes energy, as it was drawn by Zax and Horn Kikon.

In the meadow, the grazing Deformed Being felt their instincts shivering and hastily left in a stampede.