Ball of Nothing Chapter 3: 113, a 13 tzameti fanfic

Chapter 113: The Doctor Is In (9)

Ball of Nothing

"Alright, Zero. Let's have a chat, shall we?" Hua Tuo eyed the brunet who appeared nervous. Still, he did not refuse the physician. Hua Tuo didn't know if Zero knew the impact of what he'd done. Making friends with the Demon King was something unheard of. Demons were known as creatures who did not understand the meaning of love or loyalty. Demon King Baal was one of the seven who ruled the abyss. His reputation would make anyone quake in fear. Yet Zero had gone and made friends with a creature born from nightmares without much effort. Cuteness was justice but how far could it go? Not to mention, the brunet had revealed some very hard to believe facts about Baal. A sleepy klutz? Really? All those years of disasters caused by Baal's supposed fury were merely side effects of his carelessness? Hua Tuo found it hard to believe and even harder to accept such facts. It was easier to imagine Baal as the merciless and unpredictable Demon Lord who killed thousands with his roar of rage rather than a sneeze from a sensitive sinus after waking up.

Zero didn't know what to do. His teacher was giving him such an intense look and it was getting uncomfortable. Hua Tuo would've bored a hole through his forehead with the intensity of that stare if Zero didn't snap him out of his thoughts.

"What are we going to talk about?"

"Huh? Oh yes, we were going to have a chat. Take a seat, don't look so tense. I just have a few questions to ask you."

Zero nodded and relaxed a little seeing the usual Hua Tuo return.

"How long have you known Demon King Baal?"

Zero hummed and tried to recall when it was. He hasn't been friends with Bell for long so it was still easy to answer.

"Slightly more than a week?"

Hua Tuo didn't know what to think. Why would a Demon Lord decide to help a child he knew for less than a week? Hua Tuo was no fool. Even if Baal wasn't completely evil, it didn't mean he had a heart of gold. This generosity may only be extended towards Zero but the physician still had his reservations. There may be deeper reasons behind Baal's actions and neither he nor Zero had the answers to it.

"How did the two of you meet? I'm sure you didn't have the time to be sneaking away to make friends with someone from the abyss. We've been travelling for the last two weeks."

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Zero grinned and brightened up. "That's right! I made friends while I was travelling. If not for mediation, I wouldn't have been able to make friends this easily. It was slightly scary at first meeting so many new people and going to so many new places but it worked out in the end."

Wait... people? As in plural?

"Please don't tell me you've made more than one friend... also, how did you meet them when you were meditating?"

Zero frowned in confusion. Hua Tuo wasn't making any sense to him. Was he not supposed to make friends when meditating?

"But I did it the normal way? You told me to empty the thoughts from my mind and I did... then I went back to the space that I came from and waited until someone found me."

Space? Now Hua Tuo was confused. "How did that space look like?" He'd heard of Buddha meditating into a different dimension the spirit world. There were many dimensions that one's soul could travel to after mastering meditation. He hadn't realised that Zero had progressed to such levels.

Zero frowned. "It's dark and empty. I can't see anything, feel or move. It's not warm nor cold... there was just nothing there. It's exactly how I was before that bright light appeared."

Hua Tuo made a mental note to ask the Great Gods more about Zero's past. He didn't know what light or space his student was talking about but there was one thing clear. They were not on the same page.

"Alright, can you tell me what happened after that? How did you make friends?"

Zero grinned. "I heard voices calling out for help and responded to them. It was always a different voice and sometimes they responded, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they said really mean things but then there are some who turned out to be real like Bell."

Hua Tuo didn't know how to react. Those voices... could it be that Zero had the ability to listen to prayers? He didn't know that Demon Kings prayed because they had no Gods to pray to but those voices Zero heard and described sounded a lot like the voices of people praying to the God of Medicine.

"What did these voices normally say?"

Zero tried to recall what he heard. "Most of them were lonely. They just wanted someone to listen to them or talk to so I did."

Hua Tuo didn't quite understand this. Gods could listen to the prayer voices if the people praying to them met two conditions. The first was to know of their existence and the second was to believe in their powers. The stronger their faith, the stronger the effect of blessings a God can bestow upon the person praying to them. Gods had different domains and prayers worked much like in a company. Different types of prayers were categorised and sent to the God responsible for the domain. For example, Sedna would listen to all prayers about safe sea journeys. She wouldn't receive or entertain any prayers about wanting blessings for fertility. Then there were those whose prayers didn't have any God to listen to and were discarded somewhere in the void. The voices that Zero heard sounded like those discarded into the void. But why would Zero end up in a void?

"Alright. Who else did you meet there?"

Zero didn't answer so readily. "It's a secret. I can't reveal their names or identity for now because I promised them."

Hua Tuo didn't push it. He had expected something like that after all. He assumed that all the people Zero made friends with were somewhat powerful and influential people. It would be bad for their reputation if the secret got out that these powerful beings were lonely. Just imagining Baal confiding that he didn't mean harm and was a natural klutz was a frightening enough image for Hua Tuo. Instead, he had one last question.

"How many friends have you made from meditating?"

Zero paused and counted them. Hua Tuo began to worry when Zero counted more than three but sighed in relief when the brunet stopped at four.

"Four I have met like Bell but many others whom I have not. I've spoken to a lot of people. Some come back to talk to me again but some don't so it is difficult to know who's considered a friend and who's not."

The physician almost face-planted at that explanation. Here he was hoping that Zero wouldn't go more than five but it was now a lost cause. He'd have to teach Zero about stranger danger, a lesson that Truen failed to get Zero to understand. The physician didn't know if Zero's ability to readily trust strangers was a good or bad thing. The worries he had for his apprentice only increased by the day and Hua Tuo felt exhausted. They haven't started any consultation in the village or done any surgery but Zero's made quite the impact by himself.

"I see... thank you for answering me honestly. Lovina and I need to discuss a little bit more about the healing magic method you proposed this morning so there is still a little bit of time before dinner. I'm not sure if the kids are back yet but I'm sure they would love to continue the game of tag. You haven't had the chance of becoming the tagger yet, have you?"

Zero shook his head. "I'll go ask around right now!"

Hua Tuo waved goodbye and sent Zero out with a smile. Once the brunet was gone, he quickly phoned Buddha for an explanation.

"Buddha speaking."

"How can Zero hear the voices of prayers in the void?"

The Sage God of Enlightenment let his smile drop a little. "Pardon?"

Hua Tuo scowled at the other end of the line. "You heard me. What is the child's background? He meditated and his soul returned to the space that had nothing in it. He was in the void and he said he came from it. What's going on? Why can he hear the discarded prayers? Not too long ago he'd just told me he was friends with Demon King Baal."

Buddha blinked and the smile fell from his face. "Baal? As in the Demon of Sloth, Belphegor?"

Hua Tuo sighed. "Yes, that Demon Lord. The same Demon King Enma requested me to treat in the abyss a few centuries back. That unpredictable all-powerful King of the Abyss who could level a country with a sneeze. The one that Zero said was a klutz who didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Buddha was lost. "Can I call you back? This requires a meeting."

Hua Tuo shrugged. What could get worse than this? "Sure. As long as you come back with an answer."

Buddha ended the call with a troubled expression. As a confidant of the late Great One, he knew certain secrets. However, he didn't know everything. Demon King Baal wasn't one of the Gods' creations. This required Isis' powers to travel back in time and view history. Also, it might be time to tell both Hua Tuo and Merlin more about Zero's 'birth'.

"Seriously, where have you been? We were worried sick when we were told to evacuate suddenly."

Zero raised both his hands up in surrender as Rima yelled at him. Jacqueline and Leon were uncharacteristically silent as the spirit propagator ranted. Zero could only bow his head in apology until Zoe stepped in, placing a calming hand on both children.

"Thank you, Zoe," Rima said and turned back to Zero with a slightly annoyed but resigned expression.

"I'm glad that nothing bad happened to you. Just don't do it again alright? Leave the dangerous things to the adults. We have very strong warriors protecting the village."

Zero nodded and Leon proposed continuing their game of tag, livening up the mood.

"Can I be the tagger this time?" Zero asked and all three kids agreed without arguments. Zero grinned as the three kids took off. Zoe smiled at Zero and patted his head gently before giving him a light push, encouraging him to go. The brunet flashed her a bright smile and started counting aloud, planning silently who to go after first.

"This is delicious!" Zero moaned as he took another bite of the wrap.

He'd never seen such a strange meal but he loved how creative it was. Lovina and Cleo prepared a wide spread of fillings that could be put in the thin pastry. Zero could choose to put anything in it and add different sauce. Every wrap had a different taste and Zero found the barbecued meat to be his favourite. Zero liked the applesauce even though Hua Tuo kept giving him strange looks whenever he added it to the wraps he made.

After dinner, Cleo handed Zero a cup of herbal tea to wash to food down. Zero thanked her and then Lovina asked him a question that made Zero jump up in excitement, almost knocking the cup of tea over.

"Yes! I would love to... Master can I? Please...!"

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Hua Tuo pretended to consider and gave in when Zero pulled the wide-eyed look. He chuckled and granted Zero the permission to 'skip work' for an entire day tomorrow.

Zero couldn't believe it. He never thought that he could become a part of Half Moon village and it made him happy to know he could become one of them even if it was temporarily.

Cleo smiled. "Well, you'll have to sleep early tonight since we wake up before the sun comes up to tend to the fields."

Zero agreed and left in a hurry, much to the physician's amusement. Unknown to him, Hua Tuo and Lovina arranged for the village to babysit Zero while they worked on researching Zero's idea. If it worked, Grandma Moppo would never have to rely on her staff again and many old injuries for many of the warriors could potentially be cured.

Zero skipped along to the hidden underground passageway entrance. He'd gotten quite familiar with the village after the game of tag with the kids. Hua Tuo was impressed with how energetic Zero was despite the long day. He just knew that the moment the lights went out, Zero would drift off immediately. Unhurriedly, he walked over and waved goodbye to the occupants of the tree apartments.

It was five in the morning when Zero was woken up by a stranger. In the dark, it was hard to tell who it was but Zero didn't mind since Mii didn't alert him of immediate danger. He let the lady lead him to the well to get freshened up.

As he became more awake, Zero noticed how he couldn't sense her presence at all. Perhaps the lady was one of those without life essences? She was beautiful in an ethereal way, more so than Zero remembered. Moona didn't look alive and Zero wondered how that could be.

"Good morning, you look a little different today...?"

The silver-haired lady smiled. Unable to hold back his curiosity, Zero blurted out and asked if she was a ghost. The lady chuckled charmingly.

"No, I'm not like Zoe. I'm a spirit born from the moonlight."

Zero looked lost. "You were born from the moonlight? How does that work? The moon didn't carry you in its stomach like Karris, did it?"

Moona smiled mysteriously. "Who knows? Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. I wouldn't know. However, I cannot exist without the moonlight or the dark. I don't blame you for thinking that I'm a ghost. I turn almost invisible at noon when the sun is the strongest."

Fascinated, Zero wanted to ask more but couldn't as he was startled by someone else hugging him from behind.

"Oh my! You look adorable this morning too... almost worth the pain of waking up this early. Hello, Moona. Did you look at the stars again last night?"

"Qin Yun, you might want to let go of Zero. He looks slightly blue..." Latitia commented.

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The demoness blinked and quickly unwrapped her arms. "Sorry, dear. You were just too adorable and I just wanted to eat you up."

Sekkin was a lithe hunter with shoulder-length light brown hair, a cleanly trimmed moustache and a bushy beard. His eyes were pitch black and Zero knew he wasn't human when he shot out some barely visible thread from his hands to drag Qin Yun away before she could take the opportunity to smother Zero in another one of her hugs.

"We apologise for scaring you so early in the morning. Have you eaten? It's going to be hard work in the fields."

Zero shook his head and someone tapped Zero on the shoulder from behind. The brunet wasn't expecting to be offered food and beamed at the... creature?

"Don't worry," Latitia smiled. "Chowkah might be huge but he is very friendly."

Zero accepted the bread gracefully and asked, "I heard that Chowkah was a Yeti. Is he something like a Camie because he's huge!"

Cleo who was still yawning as she walked overheard that and grinned. "Nah, a Yeti is a guardian chosen by the mountain to guide lost travellers during a snowstorm. It's not the same as giants."

Zero had many questions but held his tongue as Cleo gave instructions to everyone about what they're going to do today. Zero became excited when he was told they would be harvesting. He'd harvested herbs with Hua Tuo before so he knew the basics. However, today, they were harvesting food that would be used to make lunch. Sekkin whispered to him that lunch usually tasted better if it was made with freshly harvested vegetables in the morning.

"Chowkah and Sekkin, you will draw water and till the soil before replanting the next batch of seeds. Latitia and I will tend to the remaining crops to speed up the growth of existing crops and water them. Qin Yun and Moona will check the plants for any signs of insect invasion and pull out the weeds. Zero," she paused to look at the youngest member on their team. "you will be following Qin Yun and Moona. I heard that you have some experience tending to the fields with Hua Tuo. Some of the bigger vegetables are too heavy for you to harvest so leave that to the men. You can help pick tomatoes after you're done with weeding."

Zero bounced with joy and Cleo clapped her hands twice to dismiss the meeting. Everyone scattered away to fulfil their jobs. Moona and Qin Yun pulled Zero along, explaining to him what they needed to do. Zero couldn't help but notice how Qin Yun would sneakily hold his hand or semi-cuddle him as they walked. Moona gave Zero sly smiles but didn't comment. They had to work fast because the sun was rising and Moona wouldn't be able to stay for too long in the fields.

Weeding was done in an almost robotic manner. With Zero's extensive knowledge in plants, they were done in no time. The brunet ran over to help with picking tomatoes, much to Latitia's amusement. Zero blinked when Latitia used magic to water the plants.

"Is it normal to use magic to do chores? Master usually scolds me if I tried to clean the house using water magic."

The flower fairy descendant grinned. "It feels like cheating to do so but I always think that you've got to make full use of the gifts you're given. It's better if I can use it to help everyone so I always offer to water the plants."

Zero scowled. "Master didn't allow me to use water magic to clean but he makes me do it all the time. I don't think that's fair."

Latitia giggled. "Different strokes for different folks. I guess he was trying to teach you something there. Oh, you can pick that tomato. I can make it ripe with my magic later."

Zero nodded and continued harvesting. He looked to the side and saw how Chowkah worked endlessly, ferrying water from the well to the fields. Sekkin had his back bent, replanting seeds with practised ease. He couldn't see what Cleo was doing but he saw plants growing at astonishing rates every few minutes. Zero wondered if the village would ever run out of food if Cleo didn't speed up the growth of plants using her magic.

The hours flew by quickly and Moona had to stop because the sun was coming up. Zero saw how translucent she was under the morning sun and noted that the moonlight sylph became more sluggish.

"That's a wrap," Cleo said. "Let's help to carry all the harvest to the kitchen so that Zoe and Qin Yun can prepare lunch. In the meantime, you can have breakfast with Lovina before you join the warriors for a hunt."

Zero skipped all the way back. By the time he reached Lovina's apartment, Hua Tuo was already seated and sipping on tea.

"How was your morning?" he asked his apprentice.

Zero related what he saw and experienced before throwing the old physician off with a statement.

"Latitia said that magic is a gift and it might feel like cheating to use it for chores but if it was used to benefit everyone, it should be used."

The physician nearly choked on the pancakes. After two cups of tea and working lungs, he looked at Zero seriously.

"What kind of chores are we talking about here?"

Zero became serious too and the tension in the room increased.

"Washing floors. I could do it with water magic."

Hua Tuo sighed.

"Starting fires too."

Hua Tuo gave it a thought. "Starting fires outside the house, yes. Inside, no. Washing the floors with water magic is not allowed."

"But why?" Zero pouted.

The physician sighed and Lovina eyed them with interest. "The last time you used water magic to clean, we had to repair the roof."

Zero blushed in embarrassment at that memory. "I'll get better, I promise."

The old doctor shook his head. Zero might improve but his old house might not be there by the time Zero perfected it. He wouldn't take that risk.

Sensing Hua Tuo's distraught, the witch stepped in and offered Zero more pancakes. "Let's work on that cleaning magic another time, shall we? If you can control your magic well enough, I'm sure you can try using it."

Hua Tuo gave the lady a silent look of thanks when Zero finally gave in

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"I hear that the hunting party leaves at nine. It's about time, do you want to join them?"

Zero shovelled all the pancakes into his small mouth, gulped down the tea and nodded.

Lovina chuckled and bid Zero goodbye as he ran off to join the hunting party.

"Now that he's gone, shall we discuss that healing magic?" the witch smiled.

Hua Tuo and Cleo nodded at the witch and the discussion began.

"Am I late?"

Zenobia smiled at her favourite child of late. "No, you're just on time. We're still doing final checks. Have you met the team?"

Zero looked around. Every hunter on the team looked scary but when they saw their latest addition, that sternness on their faces melted away.

"Why, hello there!" A man with a very wide grin greeted Zero. He held out his hand and Zero shook it, noting how human he looked.

"Hello, I'm Zero. I'll be in your care today."

The man with a wide grin and shaggy dirty blond hair introduced himself as Gweshr.

"Are you human?"

Gweshr trained his brown eyes onto Zero with a mischievous twinkle in them. "What do you think?"

Zero frowned. Gweshr looked like one but Zero knew for sure he wasn't one. There were only two humans in the village after all. Also, Gweshr wasn't a ghost. Zero could detect him on Mii's map.

A huge hand patted Zero's fluffy hair and the brunet blinked. He hadn't heard the man move and was that a horse's body he saw?

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"Don't worry about that dog, Zero. I'm Crudgel, those two fellows are Vrald and Gerald. The lady beside Zenobia is Mitch, you've met her husband earlier."

Mitch glared at Crudgel and fired an arrow at the horse-man who dodged it with ease.

"Don't call me Mitch. It's Mitchnew. Also, in case you're wondering, my husband is the fool called Sekkin."

Zenobia had to break up the tension before it could a fight could break out.

"Does this happen often?" Zero asked.

Zenobia sighed. "Mitchnew is a little testy so don't take it personally. She's not a bad person. Also, Gweshr is a werewolf. You'll be following him during this hunt to check traps and track prey. I heard from Hua Tuo that you were an expert."

Zero beamed. "Leave it to me! Also, can I ask what Crudgel is? Is he more of a horse or a man? I can't tell."

Vrald, the man with red hair and eyes, guffawed. "That's a good one kid... I can't tell either. He eats like a man but farts like a horse."

Gerald, the man with golden hair and eyes, elbowed his companion and silenced him with a glare. "Sorry, Crudgel. It appears that my companion here is lacking some brains. He's caught a deadly disease that cannot be cured."

Zero perked up. "What disease is that? Perhaps I could try... my master is a great doctor."

Gerald was amused. "Can your master cure stupidity?"

Everyone laughed when Zero honestly told Gerald that it wasn't possible. "There are many unknown diseases that exist but my master has once said that there was an incurable disease that exists amongst humans and sometimes species of the other races. Stupidity is one of its names. Don't worry, it's not infectious. The best treatment to reduce its side effects is to apply sympathy."

Mitchnew walked over to Zero and slapped him on the back lightly. She was laughing so hard that there were tears in her eyes. Zero thought that she looked beautiful and that Sekkin was a lucky person to marry such a great lady.

"I think I'm going to like you, Zero. Well said. I couldn't have done any better myself."

Vrald spluttered and Crudgel teased the warrior until his face matched his hair. Gweshr taught Zero how to do a fist bump and talked a little more about everyone on the team.

"Ex-adventurer!"

The werewolf nodded. "He may be an idiot but he's strong. Both Vrald and Gerald travelled together before settling here. They're dragon descendants. Crudgel is a centaur. That means he is both man and horse equally. He's a great archer like Mitchnew and the chieftess. Mitchnew is a half dark elf. I've never seen her laugh like that before. You're the first to make her do so."

Zero blushed and tried to redirect Gweshr's attention elsewhere. The werewolf grinned at Zero's shyness and decided to spare the poor brunet. He moved on to explain to Zero about the kinds of traps they had and where they were located.

"Why are they located in such weird places? Do they catch anything at all?"

Zenobia overheard the question and grinned. "You're a curious one. Normally, they wouldn't. However, Wiser did a little something so they're very effective in catching whatever we need during the season. For example, we catch rabbits in the autumn with them, deer in the winter, boars in the summer and sometimes bears in spring."

"Season?"

The chieftess paused. "Have you not experienced it?"

Zero shook his head.

"Well then," the chieftess blinked. "I suppose you can learn about them when we set off. Feel free to ask Crudgel when you're on his back later."

Zero nodded and wasn't sure of what she meant by 'on his back' but agreed nevertheless. They quickly gathered what they needed and set off at once. Zero came to understand what Zenobia meant. He was literally carried up and placed on the horseback of the centaur. The view from Crudgel's back was certainly different and Zero was equal parts excited and scared.

"Hold onto my waist," the centaur advised. "We'll be travelling fast through the forest to check the traps first. Any game can come after that."

"Why don't we hunt first and check the traps later?"

The centaur smiled. "We don't want to hunt too little or too much without knowing what's caught already."

It made sense. Zero nodded and asked about seasons. Apparently, Earth experienced weather changes all the time. The four seasons happened at a specific time of a year. Sometimes it became very hot and that was called summer. Sometimes it becomes very cold and sometimes snow started falling. That weather was known as winter and these weathers can last for months at a time hence they were known as seasons.

"What about rain? Is rain a season?"

Crudgel scratched his chin. "I don't think so. It doesn't last for months does it?"

Zero shook his head. It lasted for less than a day most the time so it didn't count. "But what if there was a place that had rain that could last for months? Or perhaps, years?"

The centaur shrugged. "There might be such a place but I wouldn't know. Maybe it could be considered a season if it happened? Like light rain season, heavy rain season, warm rain season.. I don't really know."

Zero found that idea fascinating and thought about what he would name them when he found such a place. A place with lots and lots of rain sounded cool. However, that also meant that Zero would miss the sun. Maybe it would be rainy every other day and sunny only once in a while like how the normal weather was now? Zero would love to visit such an interesting place. Would the plants there grow resistant to the rain?

Before he knew it, they've arrived at the first trap. Zero hopped down Crudgel's back with some difficulty and scurried over to help Gweshr check the trap. It was empty so they quickly reset it and moved on.

On the third trap, Zero saw a trapped baby jackal-monkey screaming for help. He thought that Gweshr was going to kill it but was surprised when the hunter let it go.

"Why?"

Gweshr blinked, not quite understanding Zero's question. "Why what?"

Zero pointed to the trap. "We caught it didn't we? Why did we have to let it go?"

Mitchnew smiled. "It was a baby. We let the baby animals live so that they can grow up and produce more babies. It's the cycle of life here. If we kill this baby, there might not be enough adults to keep the species going."

"Mitchnew... he's only a kid. He couldn't possibly understand this," Crudgel began but Zero shook his head.

"No, I understand now. It was my mistake. Back on Endow Hill, I can't remember how many baby animals I've hunted because they were easier to catch. A boar was difficult to catch but a baby boar was manageable. I won't do it anymore."

Zenobia watched all these from the tree she was on, impressed. Zero was very wise and intelligent for his age. Hua Tuo had chosen a wonderful candidate to pass his knowledge to. The chieftess was slightly envious. Unlike Lowis, she had no kin. The skills and knowledge she had would die with her if she had no one to teach. Zero was a brilliant child and Zenobia entertained the thought of adopting him only to dismiss it. According to Hua Tuo, Zero was going to travel the world. She wouldn't bind Zero to such a tiny village.

The fourth trap turned out to be a dud too and Zero was feeling slightly hopeless. Gweshr smiled and told him not to worry.

"We just need to hunt more if there isn't anything in the traps. The mountain and forest are generous, fear not."

The fifth trap came into sight and Zero held his breath. When Gweshr cut the rope loose, they saw a dead fire pheasant. Zero helped reset the trap while Gerald and Vrald helped to dismantle their catch.

"Are you ready for the real hunt now?" Crudgel asked Zero.

Needless to say, the brunet was ecstatic. Zenobia then asked Zero and Gweshr to track their prey. Zero didn't have to spend much time or effort to locate the prey. However, he was curious about how Gweshr did it so he asked how the werewolf did it.

"I have a superior sense of smell and hearing. I just head into the general direction of the smell and sounds until I find an animal track. We chase them from there."

Zero blinked. It wasn't magic but a superior sense of smell and hearing sounded like a huge cheat. Zero never used detection magic to hunt on Endow Hill and it usually took him a few hours to find anything. Thankfully, he was familiar with the terrain to know where to find his prey. Here, Zero was at a complete loss.

"Can I use detection magic to locate the prey instead? Would that be considered cheating? I'm not too familiar with the terrain here so I thought it would help..."

"You have detection magic?" Mitchnew was surprised.

Zero nodded and even the ex-adventurers went silent. Nobody spoke for a while and Zenobia cleared her throat to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Zero, could you share with us how your detection magic works?"

The brunet thought for a while. "I usually call for Mii and she will help me with it."

"Mii?"

Zero grinned. "She can't stay out here for too long because it uses too much mana. But if it's for a bit, she could say hi."

The hunting party watched with amazement at the materialisation of a small strawcherry fairy. The fairy had red hair and eyes, wore a top made of leaves and pants shaped like cherries with strawberry seeds. Mii flew around with a pair of transparent wings and Zero blinked. Did Mii always look like this?

"Did you grow?"

The strawcherry assistant looked annoyed. "No, I evolved. With all the hunting and learning, did you think I would always remain as a strawcherry?"

Zero apologised. "It's great to see you again physically. Mii, meet the hunting team of Half Moon village! There's Lady Zenobia the chieftess, Vrald and Gerald the ex-adventurers, Gweshr the werewolf, Mitchnew the half dark-elf and Crudgel the Centaur. We're currently hunting and need to use the map to find prey. Could you help?"

Mii rolled her eyes. "After months of not seeing me the first thing you ask of me is to work? I hate you."

Zero apologised once more. "What would you like in return?"

Mii thought about it. "Zoe makes great food right? I want to eat meat if I help with the hunt."

A strawcherry fairy that eats meat? It was unheard of but nobody questioned it. They were too busy gawking at the screen that appeared in front of them.

[Zero has invited you to the hunting party. Do you accept?]

Gweshr was the first to smash the "yes" option and he wasn't disappointed.

"What is this?" he asked, pointing at the strange window with colours and dots.

Everyone stared at the same window that appeared before them.

"Why are there green, red, orange and yellow dots? Also, there are white ones in clusters all over behind the green ones."

Zero grinned and explained how to understand the map.

Gweshr was impressed. "I saw we go for the orange one to the north from here. I can smell venison."

Vrald and Gerald offered to help while Zenobia had a different idea.

"With this map, we could split our hunting party to work more efficiently. Crudgel, Mitchnew and I can take on the smaller prey. What do you say?"

The centaur disagreed. "What if we meet unexpected danger?"

Mii grinned. "That is when party calls work best."

"Party calls?" Zero asked. He didn't know that such a thing existed.

"You know how you call Truen sometimes? It works the same except the call never ends and you can talk to everyone in the party. It's something that unlocked when I evolved."

"Testing, can everyone hear me in the call?" Mitchnew decided to try.

Gweshr jumped, having sensitive hearing. "It's loud..."

"You can adjust it," Mii offered to help and it took them ten minutes to get organised with the new system.

"Alright, team alpha... ready?"

"Team alpha on standby," Zenobia grinned.

"Best of luck, let's see who can catch the best meat," Gweshr grinned and took off with Vrald and Gerald.

Zero was hanging onto Gerald's back as the hunters took off. The archers went in the opposite direction and split up. Zero monitored all of it happening while Gerald ran. The brunet also noted how the dragon descendants didn't pant or sweat, unlike Gweshr. He could feel how powerful Vrald and Gerald were as they ran. The preys on the map were running away as if they sensed something and Zero frowned.

"Something's not right. The preys to the northwest are scattering. Should we check it out?"

Vrald took a brief glance at the map and exchanged looks with Gweshr. The werewolf nodded and all three hunters stopped running. Gerald let Zero down gently and Gweshr bent down, asking Zero to get on.

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"Change of plans, kiddo. Let's get you back to the village alright? Thanks to your map, we could avoid getting into trouble. Zenobia, can you hear me? We've got some trouble northwest."

The chieftess replied swiftly. "Vrald, Gerald. Check the enemy numbers and strength and report back. Avoid confrontation. Normally I would have Gweshr do that but Zero's safety comes first. The rest of us will regroup to proceed with the next course of action."

Zero wanted to help too with his detection magic but Zenobia disallowed that. "We are responsible for your safety. Please stay with Hua Tuo when you return, I promise everything will be fine."

Reluctantly, Zero agreed and left. He left the party on Zenobia's request and had Mii stay with the ex-adventurers to help them. All the way back, Zero was worried. What was happening? He saw some red dots around but didn't think they would really be enemies. Mii mentioned it before that red dots were enemies but back in Sleepy Cave, they turned out to be simply monsters. Could he be wrong? Were they not monsters?

Zero felt uneasiness brew at the pit of his stomach and a frown made its way onto his face. He knew that the peaceful days were probably numbered.

Hua Tuo frowned. Zero was back early. Lovina and Cleo stopped talking and watched as the werewolf let Zero down gently. They couldn't hear what was said but judging from Zero's worried expressions, they could guess what happened.

Wordlessly, they made their way down to meet the brunet.

"Ah, you're here. That's great. Could I leave Zero in your care for a bit? I have to return to help."

"Sure, no problem. How would you like some tea, Zero?" Lovina asked.

Reluctantly, Zero cast one last worried look at Gweshr before he was pushed along by Lovina who left Cleo and Hua Tuo behind to get details from the scout.

"What happened?" Cleo asked, beating Hua Tuo to it.

"Zero used detection magic and shared it with us for the hunt. He spotted some strange movements with it to the northwest. Vrald and Gerald went ahead to check the numbers and strength. The others should be there by now. I'll return to see what they need help with."

Hua Tuo frowned. "Are the humans still bothering this village?"

Cleo grimaced. "Humans can be a rather generic term. Most humans wouldn't set foot into the cursed forest or Endow Hill. They know better than to do that. However, there's a newly instated Count who wants to gain the favour of the King. He's been going on about bringing down the beasts living in the cursed forest to gain recognition and more wealth. Carrabas is his name. It's not the first time he's attempted to attack us."

Hua Tuo sighed. This Count of Carrabas sounded like a real piece of work and the Sage God wished he didn't have to step in. He didn't want to take sides or be involved with any conflict. Zenobia and Half Moon village knew this very well. However, the doctor's main concern was Zero. His charge was still very ignorant and naive. There's no telling what Zero would do.

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"Understood. We won't delay you any further, please keep us updated."

Gweshr did a half bow and ran off towards the forest once more. Cleo and Hua Tuo shared a look before heading back.

Meanwhile, Lovina was very skilful at getting Zero comfortable. If Hua Tuo didn't know better, he would've thought of her as a charming lady. The witch gave the doctor a sly wink when Zero was not looking and Cleo looked at the cup of herbal tea. She shook her head gently and decided to get to work. Hua Tuo didn't say anything as the half Dryad left. As the protectors of the forest, Dryads had extensive control over plants. There was no better informant than a Dryad in a forest. If Carrabas had any men planted in the forest, Cleo would sniff them out in no time.

"Zero, I think the kids are up already. How about a game of tag before lunch with them?"

Lovina worked her magic and Zero didn't suspect a thing, happily agreeing and bouncing off to find the children. The physician watched his apprentice go with a troubled heart. The discussion earlier prematurely. Although they now had some sort of idea about how to test it, they had no means to do so. Testing it on Grandma Moppo was out of the question. They needed to be sure that it would work before risking the use of the new healing magic on anyone.

"I feel so bad for influencing his emotions," Lovina groaned when Zero was out of earshot.

Hua Tuo chuckled. "You have no idea how useful it is sometimes. Knowing Zero, he wouldn't leave it. That child would find loopholes to get what he wants. If I said no reading in the kitchen and no food in the room, he would sit in the centre of two spaces to read in the room and eat in the kitchen boundary. That's the kind of apprentice I'm dealing with so don't feel guilty."

Lovina wasn't too sure about it but agreed anyway. "I suppose it's a good thing they detected the threat before it got too late. The last attack, we got away with some casualties. Carrabas wouldn't let it end here. He's sure to bring in bigger cavalry and I heard from Coux that rumours have spread in towns about his recruitment for beast hunts. Many mercenaries have signed up and they're not the amicable kind."

Hua Tuo sighed. "I just hope that he doesn't get any ideas."

Lovina giggled. "We'll just have to keep a close eye on him then. I'm sure nothing will happen to him if we keep him busy. Is he interested in stories? I'm sure some of our warriors can entertain him with stories of their valiant battles. I'm guessing Mitchnew has taken a liking to him from how he talked about her. That elf never smiles."

Hua Tuo's eyes were wide with surprise. "Mitchnew? Smile?"

Lovina nodded with mirth. There was hardly anything that could faze the immortal. His apprentice was surely something. Hua Tuo massaged his temples.

"I think Gerald and Vrald would be better candidates than Mitchnew. I don't want Zero to hear about the darker side of life. Zero treasures life as a doctor. He wouldn't be pleased to know that there are jobs out there taking away the lives he's trying to save."

Lovina grimaced. She didn't think about that. "I guess not... Being an assassin isn't something most children would aspire to be. Yes, Gerald and Vrald would be better storytellers, especially Vrald."

Hua Tuo wasn't too sure about it. And Lovina tutted at the dubious look he was giving her.

"Don't be so judgemental! Give him a chance... he's not as bad once you get to know him. If you ignore the part about him that lacked intellect, he's a good boy."

Hua Tuo cringed. "Idiocy is infectious. I don't want Zero anywhere near that walking muscle head."

Lovina sighed. "Gerald will be there so don't worry too much alright?"

Hua Tuo gave in reluctantly as Lovina started pulling out dusty books after dusty books. "Let's get started, shall we? I'm sure we can catch some fishes from the river to try it out. I'll have Douglas catch some for us. That lad hardly does anything around here anyway."

Hua Tuo agreed and they continued their earlier discussion on a more serious note.

"Oh gosh, Zero! How are you so good at this?" Leon groaned and flopped to the grass, panting. Jacqueline was visibly tired as well and only Rima appeared fine.

"I didn't do much. You guys gave it away too easily."

Leon sulked and Jacqueline frowned.

"But how? I was so careful too..."

Zero grinned. He didn't use the map because Mii was with Zenobia and the hunters. Tag was easier than he thought. Using magic perception boosted by meditation, he was able to sense any life forms including spirits. It was startling to be able to sense where Zoe was but Zero got over the initial shock easily. It was tricky to identify which life pulse belonged to who. The brunet would initially run to a location where there was magic only to find that he was chasing a bird. It took trial and error to know how to differentiate and identify each and every villager's unique magic in the effective radius. Zero tried to sense further than the limit but found himself suffering from a massive headache so he stopped. He wanted to know what Zenobia and the rest were doing but they were too far.

Before Zero could tell them the secret behind his skills, they heard Qin Yun calling out to them. Leon leapt to his feet immediately and Jacqueline chased after him despite being fatigued only a moment before. Zero was puzzled when Rima took off like a comet, leaving Zero in the dust.

"Last to reach won't get to choose the meat!" the werecat hybrid yelled and that got Zero running too.

"Wait for me! I helped with the hunt, please reserve some for me!"

Lunch was scrumptious. Zoe and Qin Yun worked hard in the kitchen all morning and Zero was grateful. After a game of tag, he was starving. What's better was how all the ingredients used were fresh. Zero saw the tomatoes, carrots, cabbage and potatoes they harvested that morning in the soup. The meat was roasted and Zero recognised the fire pheasant from earlier.

Mii returned with the warriors with a huge haul and was taking her share of meat from Zero's plate. The brunet didn't mind sharing some of the meat he had with the strawcherry fairy. However, he had to slap Leon's straying hands away. Zoe didn't look pleased when she caught Leon trying to steal meat from Zero's plate and punished him by giving him dishes duty. Leon groaned and complained but Zero didn't pity him at all. Jacqueline constantly made faces at Leon, rubbing salt into the wound metaphorically that got her a chiding look from the Zashikiwarashi. Rima was smart and ate her food in complete silence, blending into the background while Qin Yun dumped a second helping onto Zero's plate in secret when she walked by.

In a nutshell, it was chaotic.

It got worse when the warriors dined and Zero lost count how many time Mitchnew had to be stopped from throwing her knife at somebody's head over lunch. Gerald and Vrald came up to Zero and started some small talk which led to Vrald bragging about his days of glory.

"And then I told him, "You won't best me with that tiny horns of yours!" as I charged straight up to the minotaur."

Zero's eyes sparkled. So absorbed into the story, he didn't notice how the crowd lessened. Zoe took the children away, dragging Leon by the ear to enlist them into helping with the dishes. The warriors silently slipped away, leaving Gerald and Vrald behind. Hua Tuo, Lovina and Cleo excused themselves in haste and the feast cave soon became quiet. Gerald watched all these happen without comment and sat beside his airheaded friend.

"What happened next? Did you win?"

Vrald snorted. "Of course I did! Although it was only by a slight margin, a win is still a win."

Zero rolled his eyes. "I bet you got kicked before you killed the monster."

Gerald chuckled. "He got more than a kick from that cow. In fact, I had to save him."

"You did not!"

"Did so."

"Did not! I killed it fair and square by slashing from its shoulder to hip, it was a clean strike."

Gerald rolled his eyes. "Yes, after I blocked a charge from it. You struck it from the back while I was distracting it."

Zero laughed when he saw them bicker. Adventurers were truly amazing and Zero wondered if he would meet some on his adventure."

"Why the sudden interest in adventure stories?" Gerald asked. From what he heard, the brunet wanted to become a travelling doctor. That was something completely different from adventuring.

Zero blinked. "I just like hearing stories of brave battles."

Vrald waggled his eyebrows and nudged Zero before giving him a sly look. "I see somebody also wants to become a hero huh? Are you interested in gaining the recognition of the King or slaying the Demon Lord and winning the hearts of girls?"

Zero blinked. Why would anyone want to slay Baal? That's terrible! Also, girls scared him so badly! Qin Yun and Coux were terrifying women. If possible, Zero wanted to have nothing to do with them. Mitchnew and Zenobia were in their own league and as much as the brunet admired them on the battlefield, their other aspects leave much to be desired. The second helping of meat that Qin Yun snuck him was the only exception but he digressed.

"Sorry but I don't think becoming an adventurer is something for me. I'm better of travelling as a doctor like how my master did before. I'd love to record down new illnesses, new herbs and experiment new kinds of treatments or medicine. There are many people out there who are in need of treatment but cannot afford it. I want to be able to make a difference for them so I must decline."

Gerald looked at the young boy before him and smiled. "That's a very noble dream, Zero."

Zero blushed and fumbled for words. Vrald sulked. "Being an adventurer is so cool though... being a doctor sounds difficult. You know, not everybody can be saved even if you become a doctor. There will be some who you won't be able to save."

Gerald elbowed his friend harshly and glared at him. Zero only shook his head. "No, I understand. Still, it's good enough if I could save that one person or reduce their suffering. I can't save everyone, not even Gods could do that. But I could save someone if I tried. If I could save the people I care about, that's enough for me."

Zero's maturity surprised both dragon descendants. Vrald was the first to speak. With a gentle smile, he asked, "Will you save us if we're dying?"

Without a shred of hesitation, the small boy looked at them with determined eyes. "Yes."

Gerald swallowed hard. He clenched his gloved hands into fists. That resolution in Zero's eyes was something he would never forget. As dragon descendants, they were both blessed and cursed with bloodline gifts. Some were stronger like in Gerald's case and some were weaker like in Vrald's case. However, the lives of dragon descendants were never easy. It could only be filled with carnage and bloodshed.

The golden-haired warrior looked at his gloved hands. He always wore white gloves because he hated to see them sullied and went to great lengths to keep them clean. Gerald hated the life he had. As a strong person, everyone depended on him to protect them but when he needed a place to rest, it didn't exist. Before he came to Half Moon village, he wandered around as an adventurer taking quests, slaying monsters and lived on the road. These dragon claws hidden by his white gloves made him both revered and feared by humans. He didn't have a place to belong.

It wasn't until he met Vrald, a distant brother of sorts that Gerald felt a sense of comfort. However, the void in his heart still existed. Vrald was able to use Draconian magic to a small extent thanks to the curse of his dragon bloodline. Other than that, he could easily blend in as an excellent swordsman. Gerald always envied his airheaded companion for that. On the other hand, the way Vrald never left his sword more than an arm's length away from him even in sleep told a different story. Contrary to how people perceived Vrald, the sword master wasn't such an easy-going person. Seeing someone much younger and weaker claim that he would save them with more determination than stronger and bigger men they've seen warmed their stone cold hearts. Gerald and Vrald were shown hope that they never knew existed and even though neither of them was in need of saving physically, they knew now that there was somebody who could heal the wounds in their hearts.

"What a small doctor, are you sure?" Vrald teased.

Zero huffed and the air made his fringe bounce a little. "I'll be bigger in no time! Just you wait, I'll become a great doctor just like my teacher!"

Gerald laughed heartily. "That's some mighty claim there, big boy. Make sure to eat a lot, we'll be waiting."

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Before Zero could retort, the sound of something exploding rumbled and the cave shook. Zero lost his balance and fell right into Vrald's lap.

"What..."

Gerald sighed and Vrald clicked his tongue.

"What a way to ruin the moment. I bet Raj and company messed up again. We should probably check it out."

Zero agreed and they made their way over via the dimly lit underground passageway. Zero had been eager to meet Raj the inventor of the pulley system used. Now, he wasn't too sure.

Zero couldn't see anyone yet but he heard coughing from the underground passageway. Vrald shrugged and continued walking as if it was a normal occurrence. Gerald gave the brunet an apologetic smile and urged him along.

"Are they nearby? I heard someone coughing..."

"Don't worry about it," Vrald grinned. "You can hear a lot of things from the underground passage. They're not far but they're not that near either. Sound travels a lot faster and clearer underground after all."

Zero didn't question it and followed the path out the tunnels, past the farm. There was a small quarry behind the special living quarters that he didn't see before. As they passed by the special quarters, the brunet waved to Grandma Moppo who was having tea with Amaraline.

"Are you visiting the lab?" she asked and Zero smiled.

"Yes, I am. There was an explosion earlier. Is everyone alright?"

Amaraline giggled. "Don't worry, it's just Raj and one of his crazy experiments again. Also, you should come over for dinner. Brother and uncle would be pleased to have you."

Zero beamed. "Ok!"

Vrald led them around the cliff to a small hill. During the walk upslope, Zero wondered if the workshop turned lab was very far. The explosion sounded very loud and Zero became worried as they walked into the forest again.

"Is the lab very far?" he asked.

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Vrald hummed. "It's not far if you can fly. However, not everyone can do that or climb the cliff so we have to take the longer route."

Zero blinked and recalled the only two people he knew could take the shortcut. "Wouldn't it be bad if somebody attacked the village from this side?"

Gerald laughed. "Oh, you don't have to worry about it. Raj and Wiser have done some real modifications to this area so if it's one of the most secure places in the village. It's also the main reason why the special accommodations are where they are. Raj's creations may not always work but when they do, they're something not to be trifled with."

"That quarry you saw earlier is one of the escape paths. There's a stronghold near the workshop and a secret route to the farm through the well in case of a raid. Wiser may be an oddball but he's very good at what he does."

Zero smelled the muddy waters of the swamp as they walked and frowned. Were they leaving the forest?

"There it is," Vrald grinned. Zero smelled smoke in the mix and wrinkled his nose. The air smelled funny, full of iron, sulphur and some other weird chemicals. He couldn't see what Vrald was pointing at until they got closer.

The workshop was a small cottage made of stone and wood. The sides of the stone walls were green with moss so it was difficult to tell. The house blended so well with the swampish forest that Zero believed it wouldn't be spotted by the enemies easily. Even without magic, it did well to hide of sight. There were vines climbing all over the thatch roof and if it wasn't for the black smoke coming out from it, Zero wouldn't have spotted the workshop.

"I told you that it wouldn't work. Now look what you've done!" a soot-faced pixie-sylph yelled. She was covered in black soot from head to toe. Zero couldn't tell her gender if it weren't for her voice. The map didn't detect her presence and even if she did, it wouldn't tell Zero her gender.

The pixie-sylph had emerald green eyes and short pixie-bob hair. She was dusting soot from her wings and Zero winced when she sneezed. Beside her was a fat dwarf who laughed heartily with a rumble in his voice. The dwarf was also covered in soot except for one eye that was covered with a monocle. He polished the monocle and grinned.

"At least ye know now it's a dud."

"That's Hyelin the pixie-sylph and Tambolt our dwarven blacksmith. The man groaning at the doorway is Raj the inventor and the human behind him is Wiser," Gerald introduced.

Zero blinked. Raj looked very sick and dashed behind to puke rainbows. Wiser didn't seem to be affected very much even though he was also covered in black soot from head to toe.

"Experiment #166.8. Result - Failure. Reason: Overheated and exploded when Chemical Agent Y reacted with Chemical Agent ZS. Notes for future reference: Reduce chemical quantities by 500% for lab scale testing."

Zero blinked. He understood that it was common language. However, the man spoke it in such a weird fashion that threw the brunet off badly. Zero simply stood rooted to the ground and stared at the tall yet thin man. He spoke in a high and nasally voice while coughing badly. Zero didn't think that his cough wasn't entirely caused by the soot. According to what he learnt, it sounded like a cough caused by the infection of the air tubes in the lungs. From the looks of it, Wiser must have been experiencing these coughs for a long time now. He'd have to ask Hua Tuo about it to be sure.

"I see that you've all been busy," Gerald greeted as they got nearer.

Hyelin stopped bickering with Tambolt and blinked. "Oh, we have guests! That's rare. I'll bring tea," the pixie chirped then turned to Zero and flew right up in his face, startling him.

"Hmm, you look human but don't smell like one. Oh well, that's fine. Wiser hates humans so be sure to clarify that with him. Also, please don't mind the mess. Raj will be here soon enough..." she glanced back at the still retching half-djinn and grimaced.

"On second thoughts," she turned back to the dragon descendants. "Could you give us a moment? We'll clear out the workshop really soon."

Zero nodded and the pixie flew off, dishing out orders left and right. The brunet decided that they were an odd bunch. Hyelin looked like she owned the place, scolding everyone who did things wrong.

"Don't sweep the floor first! Dust the shelves or the soot will dirty the ground again!"

"Do you have no brains? You can't use a dry cloth to get the soot off... you need water!"

"Don't use the blower! It'll just mess up the places we've cleaned! And don't touch the siphoner. That project hasn't been tested."

Zero laughed weakly as the chaos escalated. Vrald and Gerald bailed, not wanting to get roped in to help with the cleaning. The brunet didn't quite know where to start as everyone started arguing over his head.

"Project Super Siphon is perfect! We should take this chance to test it out!"

"Don't be ridiculous! Do you want to make things worse than what it already is?"

"What could be worse than this? Even the tea set is covered in soot. There's no harm in using it!"

"The two of you should learn how to SHUT UP AND LISTEN! Soot is a POWDER and can only be removed with CHEMICALS."

Zero grimaced and quietly sneaked away from the four-way crossfire. He went back down to Grandma Moppo's house and asked for a bottle of white vinegar.

"Oh dear, are they fighting again?"

Zero nodded. "They're cleaning the soot but can't agree on a good way to do it. I thought that I would try help. I've seen master use vinegar and water to clean it off once when I accidentally burnt the kitchen."

Grandma Moppo chuckled and gave Zero a bottle of white vinegar. "Let me know if you need help. Also, Hua Tuo mentioned that he will be here for dinner so don't stay too late. Those lab enthusiasts can be so engrossed in their experiments that they forget to eat half the time. Be sure to remind them for me, won't you?"

Zero grinned and thanked Grandma Moppo before hurrying off with the promise to be back for dinner and remind the quarrelling company when it is time to go.

Zero arrived at the workshop by following the sounds of Hyelin's yelling and Tambolt's laughter. The workshop didn't look any less sooty than it did when he left. Thankfully, the soot had settled and Zero wondered if it was possible to test his cleaning magic.

"Mii, is it possible to absorb this bottle of vinegar and mix it with the absorbed water to clean the workshop?"

Mii calculated the possibilities and reported, "Yes, it is possible. However, due to the nature of the mess and property in the workshop, gentle cleaning is recommended."

"Gentle cleaning?"

"The usual method of washing out the house or high-pressure water jet sprays are not recommended. Water bubbles infused with clean water and vinegar are recommended to go over the affected areas. It is easier to rid of the soot inside water bubbles controlled with magic than throwing it out and washing it away. Will that be acceptable?"

Zero thought about it and frowned. "Why didn't we use the water bubble method when cleaning master's house?"

Mii scoffed. "Master should learn how to clean his own house."

At his strawcherry friend's answer, Zero wanted to faint. No wonder cleaning magic didn't work before! Mii simply didn't intend to clean... she intended to destroy Hua Tuo's house.

"Mii, we need to talk after this. For now, let's start cleaning before things become more out of hand."

The strawcherry assistant didn't say much in Zero's mind but Zero knew she would've stuck out a tongue if she materialised.

Zero started cleaning the outside of the hut and the chimney while Hyelin continued to yell. He moved on stealthily to the insides of the workshop and started on the ceiling before making progress on the furniture and walls.

By the time the pixie realised it, the workshop was almost completely free of soot.

"Wh-what?"

Zero smiled. "Just give me a few more minutes and it will be done. I'm afraid I can't return that bottle of white vinegar Grandma Moppo gave me... I've used almost all of it cleaning this soot."

Raj looked at Zero in fascination and Hyelin gaped. Tambolt was equally stunned and his jaw hung open. Wiser only observed Zero with both interest and caution. The brunet remained oblivious to it all and continued to clean. Once the workshop was sparkling clean, Zero offered to help clean the sooty lab mates with his magic. Only Wiser refused, insisting that he wanted a bath.

"Young Zero, we will meet again," he said and left promptly.

Zero had a lot of questions but didn't have time to think when Hyelin demanded to be cleaned first. Once all three lab members are squeaky clean, Zero took a good look at everyone.

Raj was a half-gnome and half-djinn so he looked very different. The inventor was stubby like any ordinary gnome but he had a wisp instead of legs and had eyes that glowed white. Zero didn't know what to think of a djinn that didn't live in a lamp. The half-djinn had a crooked nose, white beard, no hair and wore a white lab coat. Raj spoke with an accent that curled his 'r's a lot so Zero found it challenging to understand.

"Young Zero! Good to finally see you and thank you for saving our lab. Here is your lab coat… we had Mitchnew stitch this really quickly. You are now officially lab member 20070, be impressed!"

Zero couldn't reject the lab coat when Raj dumped it on his head and launched into an energy-pumped tour of their tiny stone cottage called "The Lab".

"Here, we have the magnificent Zamba-Cooker 4000! It works really well and sets fire to animals, giving them a brilliant slightly charred roast. I highly recommend tomato paste with the meat, it's scrumptious. Although please keep in mind that Zoe might not appreciate it. The woman has talent but only in the kitchen with no eye for scientific beauty."

Zero glanced at the strange metallic cylinder and cringed at the fire that came out when Raj pulled the trigger. Hyelin wore her goggles and applauded. Zero noted that the pixie's hair was actually red and she had freckles on her cheeks. If she wasn't so crazy, Zero might think that she was a beauty.

Tambolt looked smug when Raj demonstrated the disaster called Zamba-Cooker 4000. Zero vaguely wondered I there was any sane lab member but gave up hope as the demonstration dragged on.

After the eleventh prototype demonstration, Zero felt weary. The sun was going down and all he'd seen were the failed experiments that everyone seemed so proud of. Many of them spelt disaster and had wacky names like "Crow Spanner", "Pigeon Cannon" or "Yellow Tail Curler". Zero had a very different image of the man behind the ingenious pulley system and was completely disillusioned.

"I have a question."

"Yes, lab member 488552?" Raj beamed.

"It's actually 20070 but I wanted to ask if you were the creator of the pulley system."

Raj paused and the white glow in his eyes dimmed to one with a bluish tint. "Yes, it was. The pulley is something created for Grandma Moppo and Amaraline to move around with greater ease. Unfortunately, I couldn't create anything to help Grandma Moppo walk without her staff or eyes for Amaraline to see again. I'm a failure of an inventor just like how I was a failure of a djinn..."

Zero was puzzled when the crazy mood changed. Did he step on a landmine? Also, a failure of a djinn? He had so many questions but couldn't ask them with Raj looking so sad.

It was Hyelin who broke the tension. "Come on, you were never a full djinn to begin with. They couldn't fault you for having stronger gnome blood. Who needs magic when you have inventions? I can't imagine having to wait for Latitia to come help water the crops with magic when the plants are dying. I'd rather water them myself and thanks to your water pump in the well, even Rima can do it if Latitia was absent."

"That's right, old fren. Don't think about the past so sadly. We're glad to have ya 'er. Couldn't imagine not having someone needing me skills to pound the iron."

Raj smiled and the glow in his eyes brightened.

"Oh stop it! You make me shy... why do you do this? I hate you fools so much!" He giggled.

Zero was stumped by the complete change of mood. His brain couldn't grasp what was happening but like Hua Tuo said, still waters ran deep. Still, he was happy to see the odd bunch getting along so well even though they were at each other's throats earlier over the soot.

"Ya know, Zero? Ya have the smell of an inventor."

Zero blinked. "Pardon?"

The dwarf smiled. "I may be a blacksmith but I can smell it. You love finding answers to questions, don't ya?"

Zero swallowed. "Yes?"

Hyelin flew over and tackled the brunet to the ground, hugging him tightly. "I knew it! If you want, you could live in this village with us. We have lots and lots of projects and experiments that could use your help. You could even start your own projects!"

Zero smiled and gently pushed Hyelin away. "I'm sorry but I've already decided to become a doctor. I want to travel and discover new treatments and illnesses. I want to save as many lives as I can."

Raj pouted. "That's sad. Well, I suppose it makes sense. You wouldn't become Hua Tuo's apprentice if you didn't. I just thought you'd be a great inventor like us. We want to help improve lives with our inventions, although as you can see from what happened earlier, not everything we do work all the time."

Zero laughed. "Do the things you make always explode?"

Tambolt thought about it. "Half the time, it does. The other half, we make things like the Sky Bridge and the water pump."

Hyelin brought out some bars of nice smelling things and shoved them under Zero's nose. "We do floral scented soaps too in our spare time. A lot of things that you see in the village were created by us. The hunting traps, the spears... Clowis' secret talon guards for battle purposes as well. Don't tell anyone we told you this, Clowis would die of shame."

Zero blinked. Those were actually great inventions that helped and Zero wondered how the same inventors could create things like the Zamba-Cooker 4000 and the Sky Bridge.

"Ya must be wondering how we could make things like the water pump and the Pigeon Cannon at the same time. Well, to tell ya the truth, it's an inventor thing. When the creativity hits, it's like an itch ya can't get rid of until ya scratch it. None of those ya see 'er are real inventions. Think of it as a toy. However, these are toys that can kill a man so ya gotta be careful whose hands they land in. Don't want no Count coming with the Pigeon Canon wrecking the village, do we?"

Hyelin shot Tambolt a reprimanding look when Zero asked who the Count was.

Tambolt's face hardened and looked away. "Sorry, Young Zero. I've said too much. You best get back to yer master before he cuts our necks and maybe have Soon stitch them back together."

Hyelin smiled and offered to bring Zero back to Grandma Moppo's hut. "Thank you for helping to clean the soot, we would've taken forever if you didn't help."

Zero smiled warmly. "The pleasure is mine. I've learnt a lot today, can I keep the coat?"

The pixie-sylph grinned. "Of course, lab member 20070! Although you're not a permanent member, you'll always be one of us. You might be a doctor but we know on the inside, you have the spirit of an inventor. If you need any help from us, just let us know. It doesn't matter what it is, we'll do our best to make it come true."

Zero thought about it. They were nearing the cliff and Grandma Moppo was waiting just around the corner.

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"In that case, could I trouble the lab to help create medical tools in the future? I imagine that it would be very useful when I'm on my travels."

Hyelin grinned. "That depends on how much you're willing to pay! We can do it, no biggie but only if the price is right. Since I like you so much, I can put it on your tab for now until you grow big enough to start earning money."

Zero laughed. He knew there'd be a catch somewhere. Hyelin smiled at the cheerful brunet. Wiser would like the kid.

"Alright, we're here. Don't keep Granny waiting for too long. Come over anytime alright?"

Zero grinned and waved as Hyelin left again. He walked the remaining distance to Grandma Moppo's hut and knocked on the door. His stomach was growling as the sun set. It had been a long but fulfilling day. Now that he knows how to clean using magic that didn't destroy a house, Zero was ready to bargain with his hard-headed teacher.

"Come on in!" Grandma Moppo smiled when she saw Zero at the door. The inside of her cosy home was brightly lit and Zero felt his stomach rumble when he smelled the wonderful aroma of stew in the air.

"Is that venison stew?" he asked.

The half-dwarf grinned. "Venison stew loaded with herbs. It's good for blood circulation. Your teacher is here already so go wash up real quick. Dinner will be served soon."

The brunet bounded away and the half-dwarf went back to stirring the pot when there was another knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Hua Tuo told the old lady.

Zero helped set the table and heard his teacher greet the cockatrice descendants. Amaraline and Clowis turned out to be regulars at Grandma Moppo's place. Lowis happened to drop by for a meal and Zero wondered if there would be enough food for everyone.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Clowis bowed as they entered. He guided Amaraline to the chair and Zero beamed.

"Hello!"

Lowis looked tired and was startled when Zero greeted them. He didn't think he'd have the opportunity to see the interesting child so soon and smiled. Zero noted the fatigue and can't help but worry slightly when he recalled how the hunting trip went.

"Oh, it's Zero!" Amaraline smiled. The brunet allowed her to touch his hair and settled into an easy conversation answering the siblings' questions about his day.

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"Really? That's amazing," Clowis mused. "Mitchnew isn't a sociable person."

Amaraline frowned. "Don't say that. She's a nice person with a great heart! Besides, Zero said that Mitchnew helped make Zero's lab coat."

Clowis rolled his eyes and even though his sister couldn't see it, she smacked him on the arm lightly.

"Don't you dare roll your eyes when I'm talking to you!"

Clowis gawked. "How? You can't see!"

The fortune-teller grinned and Zero shuddered. "I don't need eyes to see what you're doing. I can hear your thoughts."

"Alright kids, settle down. Dinner is here," Lowis scolded and helped Grandma Moppo set the table. Zero scurried over to offer his assistance while Hua Tuo spoke with Amaraline in low tones.

Dinner was full of chatter and stories. Clowis and Lowis took turns telling tales about their hunts, making Zero slightly envious. Amaraline and Grandma Moppo kept urging Zero to eat more and everyone was slightly amazed by how much Zero could eat. Truth be told, that pot of stew was meant to last several days but Zero who didn't know that thought it was rude to refuse and opted to absorb what he couldn't eat.

Hua Tuo didn't comment anything but tried to hint to Zero to stop. Unfortunately, his dense student didn't get the message and the brunet ate everything Grandma Moppo brought out. The half-dwarf was slightly concerned when her guest didn't seem to show any signs of stopping. It took Zero to force a burp to convince her that he had enough before the old lady stopped trying to find food for him.

The brunet felt slightly guilty for eating everything. He promised silently to make it up by secretly hunting or gathering more food from the forest tomorrow.

Washing the insane number of dishes took forever and by the time it was done, Grandma Moppo had to excuse herself to bed. The night was chilly and her knee ached badly so Zero used some healing magic to ease the pain. Grandma Moppo thanked the wonderful brunet and headed for bed while her guests saw themselves out.

Lowis excused himself to take his night guard shift while the siblings invited master and student back to their home. Zero didn't decline and Hua Tuo followed. Despite the long day, Zero was still brimming with energy so he decided to allow his student to stay up a little longer. Once they returned, Hua Tuo would have a serious talk with his student. The discussion Zero's proposed use of healing magic with Lovina and Cleo had finally reached a conclusion. After some trial and errors, Lovina managed to prove that it was possible. Cleo was still worried as their collected proof only worked on plants. Hua Tuo was confident that if anyone could pull it off successfully, it would be Zero.

"Come on in," Amaraline smiled and Clowis lit a candle behind her.

The blind girl made her way to the small kitchen and prepared some soothing tea for her guests. Clowis decided to excuse himself and Zero wondered why he had to go in such a rush. The look he gave Amaraline seemed strange as well but the brunet caught sight of something that set the suspicion alarm in his head off. He'd only heard of it but Zero was almost sure that Clowis was secretly sneaking those talon guards when he left for a 'bath'.

Hua Tuo didn't say anything. He was used to it. The siblings were very close and relied on each other heavily. However, they had a habit of keeping things from each other as not to worry the other party. That often led to arguments that Lowis had to intervene. Hua Tuo didn't know if he should call it an admirable trait or foolish one. Both siblings try so hard to protect the other while putting themselves on the line. How long would it take them to understand that it would take both of them to be safe for any of them to be happy? They should learn to rely on the village more but it wasn't his place as a wandering doctor to comment so he held his tongue.

Zero thought of the same thing his master did. Clowis was foolish in his opinion. He had his uncle, Grandma Moppo, Lady Zenobia and the whole village looking out for both him and his sister. It wasn't necessary to put his life on the line for her. Amaraline was blind, not defenceless or weak.

There was strength in numbers and only fools would charge into a battle alone. Zero read many stories about heroes who 'single-handedly' saved the world by killing thousands of enemies. The brunet could only roll his eyes at that. He didn't believe in heroes. To him, they seemed like a bunch of arrogant and ungrateful people who pass of the contributions of others as their own accomplishments. Didn't the blacksmith make the hero's armour that enabled him to withstand a swipe from the dragon's claw when he was careless? That high-grade healing potion was brewed by an alchemist. Those magically enchanted weapons were only possible with the help of wizards. How dare heroes claim that they saved the world 'single-handedly'?

No, Zero decided that he didn't like the Clowis who was trying so hard to be his sister's hero. Still, he said nothing because Amaraline was in front of him.

"To be honest, I invited the both of you over for a reason..." Amaraline admitted after the silence stretched for too long.

Zero blinked. He was too deep in his thoughts to notice how serious Amaraline looked until she spoke.

Hua Tuo remained calm. Knowing the girl, she must have had another vision.

"How can we help?" the doctor asked. Zero didn't quite follow but chose to observe for a little moe.

Amaraline shook her head and place the cup of tea own.

"It's not your fight. We should be able to hold them off on our own so you shouldn't get involved as per the agreement. However, I beg you to please save my uncle! He raised us when we lost our parents, I do not wish to see him die. I intend to drug his tea the night before so please drag him away while he is unconscious. He will die if he meets the Count."

Hua Tuo didn't know what to say. On one hand, it wasn't in his nature to meddle with the affairs of mortals. On the other hand, it went against his principle as a doctor to let a patient die. If death could be prevented, Hua Tuo would do anything within his means to help. However, that was for a normal circumstance. In war, everything changed. It wasn't his place to decide if Lowis should enter battle or not. After all, the chieftess had the last say.

He wasn't too sure about the details but Count Carrabas seemed to be hell-bent on taking Half Moon village down. The number of mercenaries and soldiers recruited for this expedition required every able-bodied member of the village to fight. The village was always disadvantaged in terms of numbers. However, with Wiser's strategy and Zenobia's ability to lead them on the battlefield, the village managed to hold its ground. Hua Tuo wasn't too sure what would happen but he had Zero to worry about. Becoming a village doctor was a very different experience as compared to becoming a doctor during a battle. A village doctor saved anyone and everyone within their means. A doctor on the battlefield decides who gets to live and who to let go. It wasn't something the Hua Tuo wanted to ever teach his apprentice.

"Sorry," the physician bowed his head in apology. "You should take this up to Lady Zenobia. I'm in no position to interfere with village matters. If what you mentioned was true, you should tell her your vision in detail so that Wiser can devise a better plan that can save your uncle."

Amaraline was devastated. Even though a part of her knew that it was hopeless to ask Hua Tuo of such a favour, she still had to try. The power to see the future was both a blessing and a curse. All her visions came true and as much as Amaraline tried to change the course of action, it was like fighting against the strong underwater current. The fortune-teller simply wasn't strong enough to defeat the power of fate. She could shift it just a small bit but she couldn't prevent it from happening.

"I understand," she said weakly. Amaraline despaired.

The only hope she thought she had was gone when Hua Tuo refused to help. The physician was stoic and Zero felt slightly mad. However, his teacher's next words made Zero change his mind.

"I won't be helping but I will stay. My duty as a doctor doesn't end when there is a battle, I will continue to treat anyone who needs it. If your uncle gets injured, I'll have him treated immediately."

The brunet looked at his master's hardened gaze and swallowed nervously. Hua Tuo may have his stern moments but this hardened look wasn't something was familiar with. Zero didn't like the look his teacher had now. Although he didn't know what Hua Tuo was thinking about, Zero was certain that it had something to do with the time when Hua Tuo was still alive. It looked sad and defeated. Zero didn't know what he could do to remove that pain.

They left not long after and Zero secretly cast a spell of calming on Amaraline before she went to bed. Hua Tuo didn't speak and Zero followed behind wordlessly all the way to their apartment. There were many things flying in his mind and Zero needed time to sort the thoughts out. Sadly, the day couldn't end just like this.

"After you wash up and get changed, we need to talk. It's about treating Grandma Moppo's knees with healing magic that you mentioned yesterday..."

Zero felt his heart speed up in both excitement and nervousness. What if Hua Tuo said no? Zero didn't know if he would cry or be angry at his teacher.

"Ok. I have something to tell you too, it's about cleaning magic."

Hua Tuo made a face but Zero glared at the old man and huffed. Conceding, the physician agreed that they would talk about it.

Zero changed and washed up in record time. He even brushed his teeth without having to be told, impressing Hua Tuo.

"Alright, would you like to go first or would you like me to go first?"

Zero hummed and thought for a while. In the end, he decided that it might be better to let his teacher go first because it was only right to respect his elders.

"That healing magic has been tested today. It worked on plants but it is very difficult to control it. We can go over to Lovina's for breakfast tomorrow. She will teach you how it is done. Only you can perform this healing magic for Grandma Moppo and we do not know if it will make it better or worse for her. If done correctly, Grandma Moppo can walk again without the staff. If not, she might never walk again. You will be the one to decide if the risk to heal her knees should be taken."

Zero swallowed and his hands turned cold with anticipation. He wanted to help ease the half-dwarf's pain but at the same time, he was afraid to make it worse.

"I'm done. It's your turn," Hua Tuo sighed.

Zero didn't know what to feel. He'd have to talk to Truen about everything that happened today. The wood elf might have some advice and Zero missed his friend very badly now of all times. Still, he told the physician about how he helped clean the soot today as well as Mii's pranks.

Hua Tuo seemed genuinely surprised when he heard of the bubble cleaning magic.

"I see... it might work if you use that bubble magic. I didn't know that it was possible to replicate slimes using magic but the world of magic is full of mystery. Alright, I'll give you permission to use this bubble magic to clean the house when we get back. However, if this still fails, you need to promise me never to try again. The house can't handle any more damage... we still need to fix the roof."

Zero agreed. He had more confidence in cleaning his teacher's house with magic than healing Grandma Moppo's knees. The physician excused himself to prepare to retire for the night and Zero jumped on the opportunity to call his best friend.

Truen sounded happy to hear from the brunet and Zero almost cried. Without giving the wood elf any chance to speak, Zero launched into a detailed story about his day and the problems he faced. With the patience rivalling Buddha, Truen listened to the brunet babble and rant. When Zero finally calmed down enough, Truen spoke again.

"I get what you're saying now. So you have three problems. Well, the first problem about having enough money to get the lab to create the tools you want... you can leave that to me. Finance will never be an issue for your travels. For your second concern, I think it is best to leave it in the hands of Lady Zenobia. If Lowis is going to die, I believe that you will be able to save him. I have faith in you. That is also my answer to your third worry. If Grandma Moppo has already said that she doesn't mind trying, then you should believe in yourself. If you mess it up, I'm sure you will find a way to fix it. After all, wasn't this idea yours to begin with? Nobody else has the answer to it. You've already exceeded Hua Tuo's expectations so why not go even further and impress him? If anything, this new type of healing magic can transform lives. There is more good than bad to it, have faith in yourself."

Zero nodded and felt his heart calm down at Truen's reassurance.

"Truen?"

"Yes, Zero?"

"I miss you."

The wood elf paused. He had to put the flask down to savour the moment. Parallel minds or not, he needed all his minds present to enjoy the short moments he has with Zero.

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"I miss you too but we'll be seeing each other really soon. Don't give up alright? I want to see the Great Doctor Zero once we meet again. We're going to go to so many new places and explore so many new things."

Zero smiled and yawned.

"It's getting late," the wood elf smiled. "You should sleep. Also, be careful when the battle happens. If the doctor is hurt, the villagers cannot be saved on time. Don't do anything reckless, ok?"

"I won't," Zero promised and bade his best friend goodnight.

Hua Tuo was already tucked in so Zero blew out the candle before snuggling into his blanket. He didn't know what would happen tomorrow but it had been a long day. Within moments, the brunet was fast asleep.

Ball of Nothing

Zero woke up early the next morning and at pancakes with Lovina and Hua Tuo. Cleo was out in the fields and that gave the witch some time alone to teach the brunet what he needed to do.

Hua Tuo looked tense and Lovina was worried. Zero had been exhausting himself for the past hour to perfect the magic. He'd experimented on all types of plants available and even on himself. Hua Tuo panicked when Zero wanted to remove his big toe entirely and try reconstructing a new big toe. Naturally, they didn't allow Zero to practice on himself. Lovina's heart almost gave out when Zero suggested it the first time. In the end, they agreed to let Zero try it out on some flowers outside.

Zero regrew petals, leaves, stalks, and roots with increasing efficiency as he practised. He didn't stop till the sun was up.

"We should get going now. I heard that it will be a busy day. We have patients to check up on later so save your energy. After that, you'll help me prepare some medicine."

The brunet agreed and thanked Lovina for her hospitality before they left.

Standing in her living room, Lovina looked at all the plants that bloomed with vitality after Zero's treatment. The witch had mixed feelings about Zero's talent. On one hand, her heart was at ease knowing that the village would probably be alright even if they faced Count Carrabas' army. On the other hand, she was worried and afraid for the young doctor. The path he has chosen would not be a simple or easy one. Lovina only wished she could become his ally and accompany him on his travels. Unfortunately, she couldn't leave the village. Perhaps, she could teach Zero some magic to protect him and share with him some stories to deter him from walking such a thorny road.

With her mind made up, Lovina left her apartment to seek Zoe out.

"Good morning Zero! Did you sleep well?"

The brunet saw Grandma Moppo and grinned. "I slept very well, thank you. How is your knee this morning?"

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The fae-dwarf smiled warmly. "It hurts a little but it's not as bad as it was last night."

She welcomed them in and Zero glanced at Hua Tuo nervously. The physician said nothing and only gave him a reassuring nod. Zero sighed and mustered all his courage before surprising Grandma Moppo with a question.

"Grandma Moppo, what is the first thing you'd like to do if you could run and jump again?"

The fae-dwarf blinked and thought for a while. Zero's heart pounded in his chest.

"Don't you think I'm a little too old to do such things?"

Zero shook his head. "Not at all."

Grandma Moppo laughed at his honest answer and had to wipe tears from her eyes. Zero waited patiently for her reply.

"Oh Zero, if I could run and jump again, I'd visit the Sky Bridge."

Zero nodded. "The view from the Sky Bridge is something that should not be missed out on. I'll take responsibility for bringing you there if I do not succeed."

Grandma Moppo blinked. She knew they talked about healing her knees before but didn't expect it to happen so soon. She wouldn't be surprised if she was told to wait for another year so Zero's declaration was a very pleasant surprise.

"I'm in your care now, doctors," Grandma Moppo bowed humbly.

Hua Tuo assisted the old lady to the living room and made her comfortable before Zero started his work. Hua Tuo assisted by using acupuncture to numb all feeling in her legs. Zero cast a sleeping spell on the half-dwarf and concentrated. Hua Tuo's lecture stuck with him and Zero felt around Grandma Moppo's knees to feel the outline of the bone.

"Remember that once we cut open the skin to reach the bone, you have only ten minutes on each leg. If I think that she's losing too much blood, we stop immediately. Are you ready?"

Zero nodded and donned his mask. Hua Tuo wore gloves and a similar mask. Zero sterilised the surgical knives and Hua Tuo started cutting. Zero swallowed when blood began to flow without any signs of stopping for a while. The experienced physician held the skin open and was chanting some spell to keep the area around the wound isolated from the living room's air. Zero ignored the blood and focussed on examining the state of Grandma Moppo's knee. The bone structure looked frail and Zero noticed how badly worn her knees were.

As practised, Zero focussed his magic and reconstructed the bone to how it would have looked like. Hua Tuo was very alert and paid attention to everything from the spell to the blood, Grandma Moppo's condition and Zero's progress. He admitted that Zero worked very quickly. In three minutes, Zero had completely restored one knee. Hua Tuo had to stitch the cut back and Zero took over maintaining the area around the wound isolated. According to Hua Tuo, it was important so that the germs in the air will not enter the wound.

Once the wound was sealed, Hua Tuo took over the chanting and Zero focussed on closing the wound with normal healing magic. Once that was done, he cut away the stitches quickly and healed the rest. Hua Tuo let the spell drop once Zero was done. He needed a breather and it hasn't even been twenty minutes. Working with magic always tired him out.

"I'll be taking a short break to recover the mana. Please ensure that the patient does not wake up before we are completely done. Do you require mana potions?"

Zero checked his status and shook his head. Grandma Moppo's venison stew helped a lot and he still had some reserves for a few more operations.

"Can I use healing magic to improve Grandma Moppo's overall health? From the examination earlier, it's not only her knees but all her bones suffer from calcium deficit."

Hua Tuo thought about it. Normally, he didn't want to interfere that much but with Count Carrabas' army prowling around, they could use any help they could get. Even if Grandma Moppo couldn't fight, it would be good if she could carry her own weight to run.

"Alright. Don't overdo it, we still have two more patients before lunch."

Zero agreed and Hua Tuo took a short break, drinking the mana potion he brewed yesterday with Lovina's help. It took about a minute before the potion's effect kicked in and the physician glanced over to his student. Zero was still busy feeding mana and Hua Tuo didn't think the brunet would be done soon. He took that chance to inspect Grandma Moppo's knee. The cut had been beautifully healed and Hua Tuo frowned. Zero did a really great job and there was no scarring. Normal magicians less proficient with healing magic tend to over-heal which causes scarring so Hua Tuo was proud of his student for not making such a rookie mistake.

"Have you recast the sleep magic?" he asked.

Zero blinked and looked at the still sleeping half-dwarf. "The magic is still in effect...?"

Hua Tuo smiled. "You're right. It's not necessary but sometimes there are people who have magic resistance so it doesn't last for as long as it should. Casting it twice is simply a precaution. You can dismiss the spell when we're finished. Zoe will cook a lot later for you to replenish the energy you require so until then, use it sparingly."

Zero nodded and they commenced operation on the second knee. Zero no longer flinched at the sight of blood. In fact, the success for the first round had boosted Zero's confidence and he moved with greater ease. Hua Tuo didn't feel as tired as he did the first time. Zero worked very quickly and the physician felt pride swell in his chest, watching Zero pass him the scalpel before he asked. It wouldn't be long before Zero could become a real doctor.

The process took no more than fifteen minutes this time but Zero was mentally fatigued. The operation atmosphere was so stifling that Zero needed some time to recover his state of mind. Hua Tuo saw how his disciple slumped over in exhaustion and grinned. To cheer the brunet up, he patted the boy's head.

"Congratulations on having helped perform your first surgery. Once we return, you'll be training how to hold a knife and practice stitching. Speaking of which, maybe we should ask Mitchnew to teach you the basics."

Zero grinned.

After Zero dispersed the sleep magic, they waited for Grandma Moppo to wake up. At first, the half-dwarf didn't feel anything strange. Hua Tuo ran an assessment of her health and had her walk around.

Out of habit, the fae-dwarf reached for her staff to help her stand and was surprised to find the staff heavier in her hands than without. The next thing she noticed was how she was able to straighten her back. That never happened in years. Lastly, when she took her first step, the half-dwarf noticed how light it was. Soon, she was trying to jump and threw her staff down.

"Does anything feel funny?" Zero asked nervously when the old lady didn't speak after a while.

Grandma Moppo startled Zero by hugging him with a force he never knew she had.

"Thank you, child. This old bag of bones still has a few more years of fight left. With this, I can take down some of Carrabas' men with me."

Hua Tuo tried to dissuade the old lady but Grandma Moppo was fast. She swung her staff with amazing speed and grinned.

"You shouldn't underestimate the blood of dwarves in me. In my youth, I could easily win against a wolf. I'll have no issues taking down a few hastily recruited farm lads in Carrabas' army."

Unable to convince the rejuvenated Grandma, the physician and his apprentice left to visit their next patient who lived not too far from the lively half-dwarf's home.

"Hello, Zero. I hear Grandma Moppo laughing from here. Is everything alright? She doesn't sound very sane..."

"How did you know that it was me?" Zero blinked.

Amaraline giggled. "I can identify who it is by hearing their footsteps. Unlike Leon or Jacqueline, your footsteps are lighter and calmer."

Zero chuckled. "What about Rima?"

Amaraline frowned. "She doesn't make noises when she walks. The same goes to Zoe, Hyelin and Moona."

Zero followed Amaraline in and Hua Tuo wondered how Amaraline would feel if she knew that her sight would be returning to her today.

"Wouldn't it be nice if you could tell who it was without having to hear their footsteps? Especially for the villagers who do not have footsteps..."

Amaraline smiled sadly. "Yes, it would be nice... unfortunately I'll have to do with guessing. Don't worry. I'm getting better all the time!"

Zero swallowed and became nervously silent for a while.

"Zero?" Amaraline grew worried when her guest grew silent. Somehow, the atmosphere was weird. Could it be because of what she asked of Hua Tuo yesterday?

"Amaraline," Zero started. "What if we can bring your eyes back? Of course, it's just the sense of sight. I'm not sure if you'd regain any cockatrice ability like Lowis or Clowis but just your sense of sight... would that be good enough?"

Amaraline froze "Is that why Grandma Moppo has been jumping? That new healing magic... did you find a way to perfect it?"

Zero grimaced. "I'm only asking because it isn't perfect. Things could go wrong, we don't really know because I've only tested it on plants. Plants do not have magic in their blood so I'm not sure what would happen if I restored your eyes. They may not be able to paralyse or turn items into rocks if you stared at something..."

Amaraline smiled. "Don't worry about it. If you could bring my sense of sight back, I'll be very thankful. Living in this dark world can be rather lonely at times. I want to see how much my brother has grown too. Besides, I have never been able to paralyse or petrify anything. The magic in my blood only allows me to see the future in my mind."

Zero nodded at Hua Tuo and explained what they intended to do.

"Of course, once you wake up, there should be no signs of having them removed in the first place. Unfortunately, the scars over your eyes from the old wound cannot be removed."

Amaraline was slightly frightened. The thought of removing her eyes and have Zero reconstruct new ones scared her. However, it wouldn't make a difference if she had faulty eyes or no eyes at this point. Her sight would not be returning to her.

"I-I would like to take the risk. If wouldn't make a difference if I had no eyes or defective ones now so I don't mind. Just... will it hurt?

Hua Tuo reassured Amaraline that she wouldn't feel a single thing during the entire operation.

"I see... Is it alright if I let my brother and uncle know? I don't want them to worry."

Hua Tuo nodded and told the fortune-teller that they would be back soon. Zero bounced away to find Clowis and Hua Tuo left to find Lowis to convey the message. The fortune-teller took that time to look into her future. After a few moments, a small smile appeared and she wiped the tears that fell from her closed eyes.

An hour or two later, Hua Tuo felt like he needed a nap and Zero downed an entire bottle of energy potion. He checked his reserves. Amaraline's operation was tricky. It was a lot messier too and Zero was only thankful that it worked. Although he got the colour of her eyes wrong, the fortune-teller laughed it off. Zero genuinely felt bad for not realising that the siblings shared the same eye colour. When they removed Amaraline's eyes, the cells were dead so her pupils turned black. He should've known that they were yellow and blamed himself for it. Hua Tuo had a different explanation for what happened.

"There is something called genetic in those cells you used to recreate the eyes and any body part. That genetic code in the cells usually decides how a person would grow. In this case, both yellow and black eyes in Amaraline's genetic code were equally strong. Yellow eyes won the first time they were created. However, during the second creation, black eyes won so that's what happened. It's not your fault. You need to remember that Amaraline is a cockatrice descendant and from what I know, the creature has two kinds of eyes."

Amaraline nodded in understanding at the explanation and grinned. "Zero, your teacher is right. The yellow eyes were the snake part of a cockatrice. My black eyes could've come from the rooster part of the cockatrice. You did a great job, although it is still slightly blurry now, I can see."

Zero nodded and promised not to beat himself over it. Clowis and Lowis who had been waiting outside were finally let in and Amaraline who saw them for the first time in a long while cried. The three were sharing a moment so Hua Tuo and Zero took their leave stealthily, not wanting to disturb the family.

"Who's next?" Zero asked, sounding tired.

Hua Tuo felt weary too but couldn't sleep just yet.

"Let's head back first. Wiser's cough can be treated with simply medicine and some normal healing magic. I'm also going to be making a new rule. Unless it is an emergency situation, no more than one operation that requires reconstruction magic in a day."

Zero agreed as they trudged back to their apartment.

For the first time since his apprenticeship, Hua Tuo allowed Zero to use his lamp to sleep and recuperate. Zero had Isis' permission to use the time dilution effect to allow them more time to prepare medicine later.

The nap lasted four hours in the lamp but only forty minutes on Earth. Refreshed, the doctor and apprentice duo started making pills and syrup with vigour.

Wiser wasn't expecting guests so he was badly startled when he heard someone knocking on his door. At first, he thought it was a product from all the stress lately. With new information from the scouts and Amaraline about Carrabas' army, the strategist had his work cut out for him. The coughing only got worse but Wiser ignored it.

"Who is it?" he called out as he went to get the door.

The moment the door was opened, Hua Tuo grabbed the human from behind and Zero shoved something into his mouth, making him swallow it. The man was too startled to react and allowed them to manhandle him to the bedroom.

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"What-?! Hey, stop that! You have no right trespassing in my property even if you are a-" Wiser's rant was interrupted by more coughing and Zero watched as the man hacked out blood.

"I can't believe you let it get so bad. Lovina and Cleo could have easily treated it before it reached this stage. You're a strange person..." Hua Tuo mused and pulled out his needles.

Zero agreed and cast a spell of paralysis on the struggling Wiser. The strategist was appalled by their forcefulness but wasn't able to protest to their treatment. Whatever they made him eat was helping and Wiser allowed Hua Tuo to do what was needed. He almost fell asleep when Zero worked gentle healing magic into his system. It was so warm and comfortable that Wiser had difficulty paying attention to what Hua Tuo was saying.

"Take it twice a day. Use this whenever the coughing gets too bad and you'll be alright. Remember, eat and sleep at regular intervals. No cold drinks at night!"

As sudden and as quick as they came, they were gone. Wiser was left blinking at the door from his bed, wondering how that happened. Were doctors usually this forceful when it came to treating their patients?

Ball of Nothing

"Report. What are their numbers?"

The werewolf kneeled on one knee and bowed.

"Greetings, Chieftess. Roovan and I circled around their camp twice. Count Carrabas is taking part in the charge this time. He has with him twelve knights, thirty militaria, fifty conscripts and five adventurers. There is one mid-tier magician in the adventurers and one mid-tier ranger. The other three adventurers are fighter-types. They look like a decent party with lots of experience."

Zenobia frowned. "Didn't he engage some mercenaries?"

Gweshr shook his head. "Roovan went to confirm the rumours. There was some dispute with the mercenaries so Carrabas engaged adventurers even though it was more expensive. What's the plan, Chieftess?"

Zenobia sat down and sighed heavily. Wiser hasn't come up with a solid plan yet and she was getting all kinds of weird information from different villagers. As the chieftess, Zenobia had the responsibility to lead the village and ensure everyone's survival. However, Amaraline's words were heavy on her mind. They would lose Lowis in this battle. She wanted to prevent Lowis from taking part in this battle but with the latest report on the enemy's numbers, it would be impossible to win without the help of her head warrior.

"Thank you, Gweshr. You may rest. I need some time to think over this. Please get someone to gather the battle council for the meeting this afternoon."

The werewolf bowed and left swiftly. Zenobia massaged her temples. Hua Tuo and Zero were still in the village and as per the agreement with Hua Tuo, she couldn't involve either of them in this battle. Hua Tuo had made his stand clear that he wouldn't be involved in the battle but he would treat the injured. The chieftess had no issues with that. In fact, she was glad that Hua Tuo would be taking the children along with him when the battle begins.

Thereafter came another piece of news that had Zenobia's mind reeling. Zero managed to heal Grandma Moppo's knees and Amaraline's sight. It was a miracle and with the addition of two more fighters on the team, Zenobia didn't know if this was a sign from the Gods that Half Moon village wouldn't be abandoned. The lady was ready to give up on fighting with the Count and evacuate the village completely in search for new lands in order to save everyone. Zero may not know the impact of what he had done but Zenobia did. In her prime, Grandma Moppo was a hunter who once battled three mountain wolves and won. She knew the terrains here best and with her on the field, Zenobia had another commander. On the other hand, while Amaraline was going to participate as a commander during the battle, Zenobia had to ensure that she had at least one strong warrior to guard her during the battle. That meant one less person during the war and manpower was something Zenobia sorely needed. Now, Amaraline had her sight back and didn't need a guard. Zenobia saw some hope.

"That child has to be a gift from the Gods... who knew that he was such a terrifying doctor?" Zenobia mused.

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There was a knock at her door and the chieftess leapt out of her chair to open it.

"I'm here," Wiser stated and walked in calmly. Zenobia noted how her advisor was no longer hacking his lungs out and was surprised.

"You're cured!"

Wiser scowled. "Thanks to the two crazy doctors. What kind of doctor would manhandle their patient and force them to swallow medicine?! I swear I saw the borders of hell back there... They just came in without warning and force-treated me!"

The half-beastman giggled. She could imagine the look of shock and outrage her advisor had when Zero and Hua Tuo did that. Instead of teasing her fuming right-hand man, Zenobia patted his shoulder.

"At least your cough is gone. It's a good thing they did that too. We can't afford to have you coughing and giving away our advantage when the war starts."

Wiser sighed. He knew that Zenobia was right. Still, a part of him was sore from being treated that way. Wiser wasn't a child. He knew when to seek treatment when he needed to. It wasn't going to kill him so he was going to postpone it for a bit and get it treated before the battle begins.

"Anyways, I believe you've heard the news. The numbers are in for both our forces and the enemy's forces. Grandma Moppo is practising her swings and Amaraline is practising her archery with Mitchnew this morning. Speaking of Mitchnew, did you know that the she-devil has offered to teach Zero how to stitch? If we could recruit that boy into our numbers, this war will be a piece of cake to win. All he has to do is to charm that she-devil into slaughtering everyone."

Zenobia smacked Wiser lightly on the arm. "Don't say that. She's left her past behind her when she came to the village so I expect you to respect that. I'll also be very disappointed if that is your war strategy."

Wiser made a face. "Don't even start. It hurts my pride to think about how low my intelligence would be if I formulated such a plan. Shall we get started?"

Zenobia smiled and ushered him over to her study. There, Wiser took out a parchment and spread it out across the table.

"This is the map of our forest. I've marked out the places where we could potentially set traps and ambush our enemies. The main battle will take place here, here and here. We're dividing their forces this time into three because the adventurers are not easy to deal with."

Zenobia nodded. She had something similar in mind too. The open clearing where the children normally played tag was a good place for the main battle. She looked over to the circled part across the river and agreed. There was only one bridge there and a battle there would give Half Moon village the advantage. However, the last location was something she hesitated.

"Are you sure you want them to know about our underground tunnels?"

Wiser grinned. "It's not an issue. Dead men cannot speak."

Zenobia sighed. "I don't like killing. Those conscripts are probably farm boys who'd barely hit puberty. They probably joined for some easy money to feed their starving families so I want to avoid slaughtering them."

Wiser sighed. "I can't understand your sympathy for humans. They should just become extinct in my opinion but I figured you'd say that so no, the people dying are not the conscripts. They will be on the main battlefield. I'm talking about Carrabas and the knights. We'll hold the adventurers at the bridge, lure the conscripts and militia to the clearing and Carrabas and his foul knights into the tunnels."

Zenobia thought about it. "Sounds like a good plan. Who are we appointing as commanders?"

Wiser took out another parchment and unrolled it. Zenobia took a look at the names and raised an eyebrow.

"We're having four groups?"

Wiser grinned. "Of course. You won't be leading any because you need to coordinate attacks and fill in the gaps. I will be leading the command on the main battle. Amaraline will be leading the battle at the bridge and Lowis will be in the tunnels. I need Mitchnew to take command of the special forces."

Zenobia looked apprehensive.

Commander: Wiser

Team:

1. Camie

2. Chowkah

3. Titor

4. Yxaan

5. Xvyal

6. Cleo

7. Soon

8. Manny

9. Peter

10. Vishnu

11. Gweshr

12. Clowis

13. Raj

14. Hyelin

15. Tambolt

16. Zero (Healer)

Commander: Amaraline

Team:

1. Vrald

2. Gerald

3. Lovina (Healer)

4. Douglas

5. Qin Yun

6. Crudgel

Commander: Lowis

1. Grandma Moppo

2. Zoe

3. Sekkin

4. Coux Van Doux

5. Hua Tuo (Healer)

Commander: Mitchnew

Team:

1. Roovan

2. Gweshr

Evacuees:

1. Latitia

2. Leon

3. Jacqueline

4. Rima

5. Karris

"I'm assuming Mitchnew's team will be leading and guarding the evacuees?"

Wiser nodded. "We're going to use them as a bait to lure the Count and his knights down."

Zenobia felt her heart drop. "That's too dangerous! They're only children!"

Wiser scowled. "Do you have a better plan? From what I see, every single member of the village is needed to win this. I know that they are children. Karris is also pregnant. That's why we're using them to become bait. It's nothing dangerous, Mitchnew will get their attention as a distraction while they hide away in the secret rooms in the tunnel and wait till everything is over. Gweshr and Lowis' team will be in the tunnels. Roovan and Mitchnew will cut down the numbers from outside so we're looking at only the Count and maybe eight knights in the tunnel. They would be split up so it's easier to deal with them there."

Zenobia didn't want to admit it but it was a plan better than what she thought about.

"Can't we have them hide in trees or something?"

Wiser deadpanned. "And have the Count burn the trees while they're trapped up there? Good idea."

The chieftess growled. She didn't like being insulted even if Wiser was right.

"Calm down lady. It'll work. Besides, I've taken into consideration Amaraline's vision about Lowis' death and assigned Hua Tuo to be in their party. We're not losing anyone. Also, if Karris should start giving birth there, Hua Tuo will be with them."

Zenobia calmed down a little after listening. "We'll go with this for now. What about the adventurers? Don't you think we have too many people there?"

Wiser smiled. "That's right. We not only have many people. We have powerful ones there. It serves two purposes. Firstly, they will stop the adventurers from coming into the village, especially the mage. I'm talking about ten minutes, tops, for them to be subdued. After which, they will rejoin the main force to cut down numbers and give Mitchnew some time to sneak into the tunnels."

Zenobia hummed. "How long to subdue the main force? Wiser gave her a funny look.

"Less than a minute once Lovina arrives? You don't want them dead so the only other option is to put them all to sleep. Literally. Cleo has that sleeping powder that might take out half of them when they're off guard but the rest? Magic should do the trick."

Zenobia nodded. That should work. "Will we join them in the tunnels after?"

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Wiser shrugged. "Depends on what happens on that day. It's your decision but I don't suggest cramming everyone in it. Less space to fight means more injuries. For all we know, the Count might be dead already and we won't need to send in any reinforcements although I doubt it. Knowing Carrabas' nature, I wouldn't put it past him to bring in something sneaky at the last moment."

Zenobia agreed. Carrabas was a despicable person but for all the flaws he had, there was something Zenobia respected. The man was always cautious and had many plans. That was only to be expected from someone who spent all his time scheming but Zenobia saluted the man for his effort.

"Alright, it sounds decent. We'll hold the warrior meeting later so that we can hear their opinions. We need to talk to Hua Tuo about it too. I'm not sure if he wants Zero in the busiest part of the battle."

Wiser laughed. "Busiest? If you're talking about tying eighty people up, I'll call it busy. If you're worried about his safety, you don't have to be. That's why I have Roovan patrol near them. If anything happens to the tree, Roovan will save Zero. Don't worry, the kid will not be in any real danger. Arrows won't reach the top of the tree and Zero can even toss rocks down if he wants."

Satisfied that the brunet was in no real danger, Zenobia gave her approval to the plan. Now all that was left would be to get the consent from all parties.

Ball of Nothing

Zero ate with gusto. It didn't matter if he was already bursting at the seams. The combination Grandma Moppo and Zoe's cooking was a powerful drug that left him craving for more. It only became more delicious with every plate. Zero saw how there were no signs of stopping from the two women in the kitchen. They whipped up new dishes every ten minutes and Zero wondered how extensive their culinary repertoire was.

Hua Tuo was mortified. He'd never seen his student ate as much as he did. Sure, Zero would occasionally end up finishing a whole roasted boar but the physician chalked it up to Zero's abnormal need for energy. He'd never seen the brunet smack his lips and grab food with both spoon and hands. In fact, Zero moaned and smiled with every plate he cleared as if he was truly enjoying the moment.

"Don't choke, there's more from where that came from!" Grandma Moppo laughed heartily as she set down two more plates.

Zero nodded and gave them a huge messy smile before digging into the piping hot pie. Zoe came to clear the plates. Leon, Jacqueline and Rima had stopped eating half an hour ago. They were too full and have fallen asleep after eating too much. Hua Tuo shook his head. A few hours ago when they received lunch invitations, he didn't think that it meant a party to celebrate Zero's miraculous cure. It was actually Amaraline's suggestion. Clowis and Lowis arranged a secret hunting trip to bring back all the food they could. Cleo and Latitia worked extra hard so that the harvest would be bountiful for the celebratory feast. The whole village worked together to thank Zero in the only way they knew. Zero was in bliss, savouring every bite. He blushed at their thanks but didn't turn down the food.

Zoe and Grandma Moppo didn't stop. As the most experienced members of the village when it came to cooking, they pulled out everything they had from their reserves. Zero loved authentic dishes and unique cuisines so Zoe tried to replicate everything she knew. Thankfully, the villagers of Half Moon village had a very diverse background so Zoe had many options. Grandma Moppo decided to bring back some original cuisines from her childhood. It was the first time in many years that the old lady made such nostalgic food and it was quite the treat for the village. Zero found the exotic dwarven-fae food exciting and Zoe took the opportunity to commit those recipes to memory.

One by one, the party died down with villagers excusing themselves after eating their fill. Some brought food for their comrades who have yet to eat and the only left eating was Zero.

"Mii," Zero called out from their mental link. "Are you able to remember the taste of all these food? I'd like to be able to replicate them for Truen and the Gods when I see them again."

The strawcherry assistant gave Zero a snappy answer, annoyed at being disturbed from her initial task of monitoring enemy movements for Zero.

"I can't do two things at once... you have to make up your mind, Zero."

The brunet made a face when he heard Mii's reply. Zoe saw it and was slightly alarmed. She signed to Zero using her hands to ask if he was alright.

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Zero took the chance to learn some basic sign language from Zoe earlier so he understood the gist of what she was saying. He gave her a reassuring smile and signed back that he was fine.

"Why are you so snappy?" Zero groaned to Mii who huffed.

"It's only natural to be snappy when somebody asks the impossible of you. I'm not able to multitask just yet. I can only do one thing at a time since you're not strong enough to unlock the rest of my abilities. The world you've seen is still too small and your understanding too shallow."

Zero winced. Mii knew exactly what to say to make it hurt the most. "I'm sorry... I just wanted to make people happy..."

At Zero's dejected tone, the strawcherry fairy sighed. "Look, I'll tell you what I can do. Since the villagers are patrolling the area and keeping watch on the enemy's movements, I'll work on getting those recipes you wanted. As long as you absorb a part of it, I can analyse it and recreate the recipe. Do you still have that magic reader?"

Zero nodded when Grandma Moppo and Zoe were not looking. Mii sounded satisfied and told Zero that once she was done analysing it, she would compile all the recipes in a book to the magic portable library. Zero was thrilled and Mii warned him that knowing the recipe wasn't enough to recreate the dishes perfectly.

"Cooking is an art. It requires a lot of patience, practice and trials to get it right. A novice like you wouldn't be able to get it right on the first try."

Zero was deterred. In fact, he became determined. "I'll do it again and again until I get it. I'm sure master would be happy if I took over kitchen duties for a while."

Mii considered it for a moment and agreed before cutting off their mental connection.

Hua Tuo observed how his student had that strange expression again as he ate. He was probably talking to someone using mental connections but Hua Tuo wasn't sure who it was. Was it Demon King Baal again? Also, the physician was slightly worried. His student didn't show signs of slowing down but Grandma Moppo and Zoe were already showing signs of fatigue. They'd been cooking non-stop for two hours and had yet to eat anything themselves. As a doctor, that wouldn't do.

"Grandma Moppo, Zoe... please rest. I'm sure Zero knows how thankful the village is by now. You need to eat something yourselves."

Zoe blinked and shook her head. Grandma Moppo wiped the sweat off her brows and grinned. "Don't worry doctor, we have just a few more dishes to finish up. I'll eat later. Zoe doesn't really need to eat but she'll rest up. She'll be fine tomorrow morning."

Hu Tuo didn't know much about Zoe or Grandma Moppo. He didn't pry his nose into the villager's business too much after all. Zero who listened on the side-lines blinked.

"Zoe, won't you be hungry?"

Zoe signed to Zero and Hua Tuo could only wonder what she was saying. Zero smiled brightly after Zoe finished signing and grinned. "I see, that's great!

Twenty minutes later, Grandma Moppo finally sat down to eat and Zoe was entertaining Zero with some stories. Hua Tuo took the moment to return back to the apartment to make up for his lack of progress in meditation over the past few days. He'd been too busy after all. Zero waved goodbye to his mentor and chatted one-sidedly with Zoe.

"That's nice, I'm sure Rima will find her fated person one day. I'm just really worried about the village now."

[Don't be] Zoe signed. [The warriors are strong and the children can protect themselves.]

Zero frowned. "Wouldn't it be sad if everyone had to leave?"

Zoe looked wistful at that. [The day would eventually come, Zero. It will only be a matter of time before this home is abandoned. It's an honour for a Zashikiwarashi like me to have lived for so long. Usually, we don't serve masters with long lifespans and many generations. Half Moon village has always been a little special.]

"What do you mean?"

[We're ghosts born from the feelings of family love. Grandma Moppo is the last living master of this village. I've been here for a very long time, longer than you can imagine.]

Zero looked slightly worried. "What happens when she leaves?"

Zoe smiled sadly. [I will no longer be bound to this village. Zashikiwarashis exist to serve and protect the homes of their masters. If the master abandons their homes, the Zashikiwarashi will continue to be bound to the home until the master's lineage completely disappears.]

Zero was mortified. "That's incredibly lonely! But everyone else is still here... will you really disappear?"

Zoe shrugged. That's something no Zashikiwarashi had the opportunity to find out. Normally, a clan didn't accept so many strangers without common blood. Nobody knew what would happen to a household spirit if the family they served adopted heirs.

[We'll get to find out what happens when Grandma Moppo returns to her ancestors.]

Zero didn't like it. Grandma Moppo had just regained her ability to walk without her staff. Life wasn't fair.

Grandma Moppo heard Zero's half of the conversation and chuckled. She put away the washed dishes and joined their conversation in the living room.

"Zero, it's only natural to die. All living things need to return their lives to Gaia so that we can be reborn again with new bodies."

Zero froze at Gaia's name. Wasn't it En who oversaw the rebirthing cycle? How was that related to Gaia?

"You might not understand it now but you will understand it one day."

Zero highly doubted it. According to the Great Gods, Great One couldn't die. As a result, Zero was exempted from death. Grandma Moppo chuckled and ruffled Zero's hair.

"Don't look so sad. I've lived a great life. Thanks to your magical abilities, I'm once again able to live up to my name as a great Dwarven-Fae hunter. You'd think that dwarves and fairies wouldn't be able to get along due to their conflict of nature but you'd be wrong. My ancestors are proof that understanding could still happen between different species. Coexisting with humans will be possible one day too."

Zoe clapped and Zero was confused. Grandma Moppo grinned. "A very long time ago, dwarves and fairies never got along. The dwarves couldn't stand the fairies' lackadaisical attitude and love for mischief. They envied how fairies could fly and had magic so the hate grew. On the other hand, fairies didn't like the dwarves because they kept destroying the earth they tried to protect by mining and building strange things using it. They hated how the dwarves were always loud and insensitive until one day, a dwarf called Dunford and a fairy called Elmory met."

Zero was absorbed in the story and urged Grandma Moppo to continue, curious as to how two races who hated each other could come to live together and create such a unique village.

"Dunford was an odd dwarf. He didn't like drinking and loved to cook. He was always scouring the forest for ingredients to create new recipes. The dwarves didn't quite like Dunford because he didn't share their same love for shiny metals and good beer. On the other hand, Elmory was a fairy who loved helping lost travellers in the forest. She was kind, beautiful and hardworking, unlike her friends. The fairies laughed at Elmory and called her foolish for wasting her time helping ungrateful travellers when she could be sipping on nectar and napping in flowers."

Zero nodded. Grandma Moppo's eyes sparkled as she continued.

"One day, Dunford got injured when he went out to collect ingredients. He fell into a pit and broke his leg. Elmory who'd been passing by spotted him and helped him. She was fascinated by a dwarf who had a different hobby and they became fast friends."

Zero grinned. "Did they fall in love after that?"

Grandma Moppo chuckled. "Yes. Yes, they did. However, the fairies and dwarves didn't like that so they had to leave their original villages. That's when they came by this forest and cliff and decided that it would be a great place to build their house. Remember the lab in the forest where Raj and company frequents? That was the original house."

Zero's eyes went wide. "How did this happen then? The tree houses and underground tunnels..."

Grandma Moppo grinned. "This is done by the children of Dunford and Elmory. Some children married other dwarves, some married fairies and to satisfy both communities, they decided to build both in the trees and underground. These half-dwarf and half-fae children were often targeted by other dwarves and fairies so they had to build some sort of defence in the village. The architecture for the tree houses was created by a very clever fairy who married a half-dwarf here. Her name was Elaine. The tunnels were actually the creation of some mischievous children who decided to dig holes underneath to hide when they played tag. Fairies had magic and dwarves didn't so the dwarven children created secret tunnels to outwit their fairy cousins."

Zero giggled. It sounded like fun to dig and hide. "How did it become a passageway for travel? Wouldn't it be too small for adults if it was made by children?"

At that, both Zoe and Grandma Moppo became more solemn. "Humans came once and tried to destroy the village during the dark ages. The passageway only allowed children to hide, so many adults died. The remaining children of the village decided to widen the tunnels so that they could live in for a few hundred years until the humans no longer bothered them."

"A few hundred years?" Zero marvelled. From what he knew, humans didn't really live as long as hundred years.

Grandma Moppo laughed at Zero's incredulous expression. "Fairies can live hundreds of years, so can dwarves. It's not very surprising. However, there will be some changes if fairies and dwarves lived underground for a few hundred years. The dwarves became fairer and the fairies became stronger physically as they couldn't rely too much on magic. The feast cave used to be a farm during the dark ages."

Zero was amazed as Grandma Moppo told Zero more about the village's past and secrets. "Only Zoe knows everything there is about this village. I've not been able to tell anyone yet."

"Why would you tell me the village secrets? I'm not even a proper villager..."

Grandma Moppo smiled. "That's because you're the only person I can count on. Zoe will cease to exist when I die. It's a very lonely thing for a household spirit to not be able to welcome a master home. Zenobia and everyone else will one day leave this village. The children will find spouses and move away from it. However, you're different. Your master is an immortal and you might be able to achieve immortality someday too. All I ask is for you to return every few hundred years to visit the village and check up on Zoe. She's a very dear friend of mine and has always been here for me. Even when the village perished from the plague, she was there, listening to their prayers till the very end. I left the village for a while but returned because I had nowhere else to go. If it wasn't for Zoe before I met Qin Yun, I would've died. As a child, I didn't know how to cook or hunt, I would've starved if Zoe didn't take care of that. The farm in the cave was maintained by Zoe but I didn't know that until many years have passed. Zoe raised me so this is the least I can do for her."

Zero looked at the Zashikiwarashi and felt a pang of pain. He could only imagine how lonely it would be for her when everyone leaves the village. He didn't know if household spirits disappear when the house is abandoned because they died from loneliness but he didn't dare ask. Having experienced loneliness in the void for a long time between waking and sleeping in that darkness, Zero didn't want Zoe to go through something like that.

"Can household ghosts leave the village?"

Zoe shrugged. [There was always a barrier that prevented me from leaving the village. The barrier expanded when the Sky Bridge was built but I've never been able to leave the village.]

The brunet started thinking. It was a crazy thought but it might be worth trying in a year or so before they left for their travels.

"Grandma Moppo, is it alright if I took Zoe with me on my travels?"

The half-dwarf seemed stunned. "Can you do that?"

"I don't know," Zero admitted. "I have an idea but it might be a year or so before I can try it."

Grandma Moppo didn't mind. "It's worth trying I suppose. However, by saying that I assume that you're ready to inherit the village from me?"

Zero paused. "No no, lady Zenobia is the Chieftess. I can't inherit it."

Grandma Moppo scoffed. "The master of the village and the leader of the village are two different things. Zenobia knew that when she accepted the role of the Chieftess. All these years I've yet to name my successor and nobody has come to claim it. Everyone has their own plans. Think of this village as a long-term inn for troubled people. Some stay here to hide from the world for life, others use it as a shelter to rest up before heading back into the battlefield."

Zero grimaced. That sounded about right too. Every villager who joined Half Moon village had backstories like running away from something or having no place to go. The Cockatrice descendants, Soon and his dead friends... even Mitchnew looked as if they were here to seek refuge and spend the rest of their lives in secrecy here. On the other hand, there were people like Raj, Wiser and Karris who had nowhere else to go.

"I understand. This is still a little too sudden for me so I'd like some time to think about it. Becoming a village master is a huge responsibility after all. I'm not confident about protecting it myself."

Grandma Moppo sighed but agreed anyway. "Well then, take all the time you need. Hopefully, you'll let me know your decision before my time is up."

Zero swallowed nervously and nodded. There was a knock on the door that saved Zero from committing to anything. Grandma Moppo got up to greet the visitor and Zero was amazed to see Lovina smiling at him from the door.

"There you are! I thought you might still be here so I came over with some of Cleo's tea. Am I interrupting anything?" she asked.

Grandma Moppo smiled and shook her head but she left anyway. Zoe took the tea leaves from Lovina to prepare tea while Zero blinked. Lovina seemed slightly strange and Zero wondered why so many people were looking forward to chatting with him. He wasn't good at holding conversations and sorely missed his teacher's presence.

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"Hello, Lovina. What brings you here?"

The witch adjusted her hat and thanked Zoe who came with two steaming cups of tea.

"I heard that you performed the new type of healing magic and wanted to talk more about it. Are you interested to pursue the path of magic?"

Zero blinked. "I will study magic next year from a teacher but I don't know if I'll become a magician. I suppose learning some magic will be helpful on my travels but I'm not sure about pursuing the path of magic just yet."

Lovina smile made Zero very cautious. The witch didn't appear to have any evil intentions but Zero felt uneasy. Just what was she planning?

Ball of Nothing

Zero froze He didn't quite know what to say. A magic orientation course sounded fantastic. Zero had no problems with it as Hua Tuo had given his consent. However, why did he have a feeling that there was more than met the eye?

Lovina continued nursing her cup of tea smiling patiently as she waited for Zero's answer. Soon and the Gemini Star descendant twins were in on it too. Frankly, Zero was very curious. He studied some of the magic basics from a book but was prohibited from testing anything out without Hua Tuo's guidance. Magic was all about creation and Zero couldn't wait to try some of the ideas he had in mind.

"Are you sure it's alright? I don't wish to trouble anyone during this busy period."

Lovina waved her hand. "It's no trouble at all," the witch chuckled.

Zero frowned as he weighed the pros and cons in his mind. Truth be told, he was highly curious about magic and having someone to guide him or share some pointers would help greatly. Mii wasn't much of a teacher and Hua Tuo wasn't too good at magic apart from healing magic that he didn't use too often. On the other hand, something in him screamed that it was suspicious. Lovina seemed like she was up to something but Zero didn't know what it was. Although the witch wouldn't harm him, Zero just felt as if something didn't add up.

Eventually, Zero's curiosity won over his suspicion. Lovina nearly jumped in joy when the brunet agreed. She just knew that he wouldn't turn her down. With Hua Tuo's approval, it was very unlikely that the curious boy would turn her invitation down.

In her prime, Lovina was a very powerful witch who specialised in poison and curses. Witches have very long lives and Lovina spent hers devoting it to research. She was a pioneer in alchemy and potion making with her vast knowledge about plants. However, something went wrong during one of her experiments to create a potion with the curse of longevity. Lovina specialised in dark magic and it backfired. The curse bound her soul to Earth through a continuous cycle of rebirthing. Every time Lovina reached a hundred human years, she would age tremendously and 'die'. Three days after the body's death, a child of about seven or eight human years would be born from a tree of life. The last tree of life happened to be near Half Moon village before it withered away. Lovina lived in the village ever since, trying to find a way to break the curse without much success. Lovina retained her memories each time she was reborn and had been searching for a way to break the curse to no avail. The witch was always on a lookout for a bright student who could surpass her and hopefully help her break the curse. All she wanted was to die in peace, returning to the rightful cycle of souls. To her, if anyone was capable of breaking the curse, it would be Zero who was able to invent new ways of using magic.

Lovina beckoned Zero to follow her back to her apartment and Zero complied. The witch was ready to pass to the brunet her most prized possession. It was a book written by her with all the knowledge about potions, known poisons and curses from her numerous experiments over several lifetimes.

Zero sat down while the witch rummaged through her cupboards for something as soon as they got to her apartment. He was afraid of what Lovina was up to. What if agreeing was a mistake? Hua Tuo gave his consent so everything should be alright but Zero had this nagging feeling at the back of his mind telling him that there something was more than meets the eye. Why did it seem like Lovina wasn't going to be simply teaching him about magic basics? Then again, he wondered why he kept having this nagging feeling. It'd been bugging him ever since Amaraline's operation. It was as if there was someone nudging him in a different direction screaming to him that there was danger before he could even see it. To be more precise, it was after he'd absorbed her faulty eyes to analyse the composition of cells to recreate working ones.

"Aha!" The witch cried out in triumph as she found the book. She was tip-toeing on a stool to reach one of the higher shelves.

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Zero watched how Lovina carefully climbed back down and dusted the cover of the book before walking over to the living room. He tried to look at the book's title but was disappointed to see that it doesn't have any words on it. It was a plain book that looked very worn and used.

"Here it is. This book will contains everything I know. It is my life's accomplishments and I hope you can put it to good use as both a doctor and a magician. You have great talents so if anyone can find a way to solve that mystery, it would be you."

"A mystery?" Zero was pleasantly surprised. He loved mysteries! Then again, perhaps this was what the nagging feeling was all about? Lovina wanted a favour in return for teaching him magic. Zero almost rolled his eyes. He could handle a simple favour, that feeling was definitely overreacting and Zero was glad he didn't listen to it.

The witch grinned. "Don't tell Hua Tuo about it. You can consult with your magic teacher about it when you see him next year but for now, let this be a secret between the two of us. I won't recommend you testing anything out until you see your magic teacher but if you have any ideas about how to break the mysterious curse, you could write me a letter."

Curious as to what the curse was, Zero flipped the book open. He was mildly surprised by how it looked like a journal. Whatever it was, Zero didn't expect Lovina to give him her personal journal. It was written like a diary too and Zero frowned. He looked at the date and tried to remember what year it was.

"Is this written by you?"

Lovina nodded. "Does it surprise you?"

Zero shook his head. Truth be told, he had many questions but surprise wasn't the thing he was feeling at the moment. Confusion would be more accurate.

"The date..."

Lovina blinked. Then she clapped her hands and giggled. "Oh yes, perhaps I should explain from the beginning? Well, long story short, I'm a few hundred years old and this book has been with me ever since. The curse I was talking about should be in the last diary entry. It's an immortality curse that doesn't allow me to leave Earth and return to the rightful cycle of souls. Have you heard about the story of a phoenix?"

Zero shook his head. He'd heard of the legendary bird. It was something that helped create the Cockatrice and Basilisk after all. Still, Zero supposed that the Phoenix must be a powerful and magical bird similar to the dragon.

"Well, simply put, the Phoenix is a bird that cannot die. Once every hundred years, the bird will combust into flames and become a pile of ashes. However, from those ashes, a new phoenix will rise. The body dies but the soul remains. That's what it is - a creature of immortality."

Zero blinked. "But my master is also an immortal... he doesn't burn and become ashes every hundred years, does he?"

Lovina raised an eyebrow. "No, I suppose he doesn't. He's a Sage and that's a little different. He's an immortal with eternal life due to some special circumstances because he doesn't have a physical body on Earth."

Zero's eyes bulged at the great revelation. "My master is a ghost?!"

Lovina blinked then hurried to correct her explanation. "No! Your master is very much alive... he's just transcended to a higher plane. He's an immortal on Earth but not on the plane of his original body."

Zero was lost. His helpless look made Lovina want to apologise. She didn't know that Zero wasn't informed about the different time-space dimensions that existed in the world. As a magician who specialised in time-space and dark arts, she'd forgotten that it wasn't common knowledge.

"I'm sorry. Let me start from the beginning."

Zero nodded and looked at the witch hopelessly as Lovina told him the story about how Earth was created and how there were many Earths alongside this Earth. Zero didn't quite understand how other Earths were created but he kind of understood it when Lovina said that different 'planes' existed in this world.

"You friend, Demon King Belphegor, comes from a plane called the Abyss. Some people call it Hell but it's the same place. Many humans believe that if you do bad things, your soul goes straight to a place called Hell where you will be tortured eternally to make up for your sins. That's only half-true. Your soul wouldn't go straight there. They would stop by a plane one level before the Abyss called the Purgatory. King Yama oversees the judgement of souls. Your teacher's body is on some other higher plane than Earth so he's an immortal here. Similarly, human souls are immortal in Hell because Earth's plane is higher than Hell."

Zero's eyes lit up. King Yama... wasn't that En?

"I know King Yama! En is my friend! He gave me this," Zero tried to remove the intergalactic communicator pinned to his shirt with some difficulty and Lovina had to help. She was fairly startled when the small brooch transformed into a cuboid device. Zero had fun explaining how it worked but the witch was lost.

"It's an interesting device that uses the concept of time and space magic to relay messages across the planes. Whoever made this must be a genius... I've never seen such a thing on Earth so it must come from a different plane."

Zero beamed. "Merlin is the best! He gave Truen and me this so that we could talk. En and Gaia have one too! In fact, all the Great Gods have it. I have them in a group chat where we usually send pictures and texts. Freya loves the cat emotion stickers. We call them 'emoges', short for emotion images."

Lovina felt faint. En? Gaia? Merlin? Great Gods? Just exactly who is Zero! She paled. Although she hasn't heard of the name Truen, Lovina was fairly certain he was also a powerful individual.

"Zero... just exactly who are you? How do you know the Great Gods?"

Zero's smile froze. Hua Tuo had cautioned him previously about not revealing too much about himself. His big mouth had done it now and Zero paled, realising the trouble he'd brought onto himself.

Lovina watched the blood drain from Zero's face and swallowed nervously. The fear in Zero's eyes made her panic. "Uh, it's ok if you don't want to tell me. I won't tell anyone so you don't need to be so frightened. I was only curious. I promise I won't tell anyone else!"

Zero didn't know what to do. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he didn't know if he should continue or run away. Lovina was in a similar predicament. She didn't know what to say to make the boy feel better. Apparently, whatever secret she had didn't compare to Zero's. The witch knew now exactly who Hua Tuo's was. She had her suspicions before but Zero confirmed it. Hua Tuo... she'd heard that name on her travels during her previous lives. In fact, she'd once prayed to the God of Medicine in hopes that he could undo the curse of immortality. Sadly, her prayers hadn't been answered. Lovina knew who Merlin was. Every magician prayed to Merlin and devoted their lives to worship the God of Magic who'd given them the gift to use magic. Lovina once prayed to Merlin, seeking salvation for her curse and Merlin answered her with a vision that Lovina had no way to interpret. It was a dark void that never-ended and Lovina despaired, thinking that all hope was lost. Looking at Zero now, she thought over it again.

"It can't be..."

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Zero watched as Lovina fell silent. It was awkward but Zero didn't know how to salvage the situation. He'd made a huge oopsie that Hua Tuo may not forgive him for even if he apologised.

"Lovina...?" he started in a small voice. The witch was looking at him very intensely, lost in deep thoughts. The brunet didn't know if it was a good or bad sign.

"Zero, I think you may be the person I've been waiting for this whole time... Merlin hasn't forsaken me after all," Lovina whispered.

Zero didn't know what to do when tears started to fall from Lovina's eyes. He dropped the book in panic and hurried over to comfort the openly-sobbing lady. It didn't look like Lovina was angry at him even after his huge mistake so Zero could worry about that later. Right now, he had a witch to console.

As Zero patted her hair gently, the brunet couldn't help but wonder what the Phoenix and Lovina's mysterious curse had to do with each other.

Ball of Nothing

Storing Lovina's diary in his inventory, Zero left her apartment with a heavy heart and even heavier thoughts. The witch explained to him how she'd been searching for a way to break her curse and how Merlin answered her prayers with a vision. Zero was troubled. He knew what that vision meant. That was something that only happened when none of the Gods could answer a prayer. Baal once told him before that he had a similar dream of being in nothingness. That same nothingness was what Zero entered whenever he meditated. He'd hear the voices and sometimes he'd answer them. Lovina's words made Zero swallow his.

"You're who Merlin sent me, right? I've been waiting for so many years, I'm so happy that the curse can finally be broken..."

Those hopeful eyes haunted the young boy. He was a doctor and he wanted to save everyone that he could. Vrald asked him the question before the lab explosion. He'd answered very confidently that he would save anyone that he could and that he understood it wasn't possible to save everyone. He could only ease their sufferings like how he could only keep Zoe company when the village is no more. Half of Zero wondered if it would be alright to always find Lovina when she is reborn again and bring her to Half Moon village to keep Zoe company on his behalf. The other half of him was disappointed at himself for trying to take the easy way out. He hasn't even tried to break the curse before he thought about an alternative. Zero shook his head. He'd think about it later. For now, he had to get to Soon's. The necromancer wanted to talk to him about magic and Zero wondered if the lich had some difficult favours to ask of him too.

Interestingly enough, Soon sent both his zombie friends away. Zero was served tea once more and accepted the cup gracefully. Unlike Lovina who made Zero wary with her friendliness, Soon made Zero feel at ease by being very open.

"Don't become an adventurer. I heard that you have superb healing magic that may have already surpassed your teacher but don't become an adventurer."

Zero blinked. He'd never intended to become one and reassured Soon of that. "I want to travel and become a wandering doctor."

Soon relaxed when he heard this and sighed wistfully. "That's good. A wandering doctor is even better. You'll become less easily attached to people and things this way."

Zero was curious and decided to ask a little more. "Why don't you want me to become an adventurer?"

Soon put the cup down and snapped his fingers, letting the illusion magic fall. Zero didn't seem startled by the sudden change of appearance even when the lich looked at him with empty eye sockets.

"Are you not afraid? This is how I truly look like."

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Zero deadpanned. How could he tell Soon that he'd already known what liches looked like? If anything, he was more terrified by zombies losing a limb.

Seeing that Zero wasn't reacting, Soon scoffed and cast the illusion again. "Nobody wants to become a lich. If it weren't for those two fools, I would've never done this."

Zero nodded. He knew that Peter, Manny and Soon were adventurers in the same party but he was curious about how they became what they were now.

"I can see the question flying over your head. It's very simple. I was a young and foolish adventurer who thought that immortality was a great thing. What mattered to me was how I could continue adventuring with my friends. It was even better that they couldn't die twice after becoming zombies. All I had to do was continue to supply them with mana and make new bodies each time they fell. Imagine my surprise when the humans we fought for turned their blades against us, calling us demons serving under the Demon Lord we wanted to kill."

Zero winced. It would hurt a lot seeing who you thought was a friend turn against you. Yet Zero understood a little more about the creatures called humans and why Wiser seemed to hate them so much.

"Is that why you came to Half Moon village?"

Soon raised a brow. "Not really. We didn't come here. We were dragged over by a crazy witch."

Zero was surprised at that revelation. "Lovina dragged the three of you here?"

The lich sighed, heavier this time. "You have no idea. I couldn't even win her in a fight. Don't you dare underestimate her. She's actually one of the most powerful magicians I know. As a lich, I should be a high-tiered magician with the ability to fight a dragon one on one. Lovina is a true monster in human skin. Her knowledge far surpasses mine. Did she tell you how she was a master in dark magic?"

Zero didn't respond. He knew it when he appraised her secretly when she was crying but he wouldn't say it. Mii was able to unlock a little more information about Lovina after their chat.

Soon didn't seem surprised. "In any case, I just wanted to tell you not to become an adventurer."

Zero smiled. "Don't worry, I won't. I don't want to have to kill Bell."

Soon looked at him for a few seconds before barking out a laugh. "I'm still so amused by how you can call a Demon Lord with such a cute nickname. Didn't he protest against it?"

Zero shook his head. "He was all for it. In fact, he wanted something that sounded more buddy-like but I couldn't think of anything better. All the chummy nicknames he came up with crept me out."

"Let me guess," Soon smirked. "He wanted something like Lord Sloth?"

Zero deadpanned. "That's way better than Baal Baby."

Soon shuddered. "You're right. I still can't get over the image gap of the Demon Lord who destroyed an entire country with a sneeze and the Demon Lord who wanted to be called Baal Baby."

Zero shrugged. "He said that he was sorry about the destruction. Not many people know it but Baal has a bad case of sinus. I'd cured him of it so it shouldn't happen again although I don't know if he'll remember to cover his mouth when he yawns the next time."

Soon gave Zero an incredulous look and Zero only shrugged in response. It was the truth and nothing could change that.

By the time Zero left Soon's place, it was time for the guards to switch. On his way back, he met Camie who beamed at the sight of him.

"Zero!" the giantess waved and ran over, causing the ground to tremble a little under her weight. She was so tall that even when she squatted, Zero had to crane his neck upwards to meet her eyes.

"Hello! I suppose you are Camie?"

Camie grinned. "You're well informed! I've been dying to talk to you ever since I saw you at the feast. I'd been so busy the past few days but I'll be off for tonight. Would you like to join me for dinner? Vrald told me that you loved listening to stories about battles. We're having spit-roast tonight at the cave."

Zero salivated. "I'll be there!"

Camie laughed heartily and waved goodbye. Once there was no one in sight, Zero quickly called Hua Tuo to inform his teacher about the sudden dinner plans.

"Spit-roast?" Hua Tuo blanched at the idea. There was too much meat in the diet lately and Hua Tuo felt the heartburn in his chest.

"I see, you can join them. I'm feeling a little unwell for meat so I'll join Cleo for dinner. Just remember to be back before midnight."

Zero beamed and thanked his teacher before bouncing off to find the kids. There was still some time before dinner so Zero thought he'd ask if they wanted to play a few rounds of tag before that.

Fate had other plans for Zero. In the clearing, two magicians were fighting. However, upon closer observation, Zero noticed that it was a fight but a spar.

The two teen magicians looked very similar to each other with their fair blond hair and pale skin. Their hairstyles were also similar, both sporting a short bob hairstyle. They wore matching blue magician robes but Zero realised that there was a slight difference. One of them wore knee-high stockings and shorts while the other wore thigh-high white stocking with shorts that resembled a skirt.

Their voices were different and it didn't take long for Zero to realise that one of them was a girl. He was so surprised that he failed to dodge a water bomb heading straight towards his direction.

Splash!

Zero yelped when the cold water hit him. He wasn't harmed by the stray shot thanks to the overpowered enchanted clothes the Great Gods gifted him. The tracksuit wasn't wet but Zero's hair was. Yxaan and Xvyal paused when they heard the yelp and hurried over to the source.

Zero wondered if someone had secretly planned an event called 'Meet the Magicians" Day today. Somewhere in the multiverse, a writer chuckles but Zero doesn't hear it. He continued to reassure the twins that he was alright.

Yxaan and Xvyal introduced themselves and Zero had difficulties pronouncing their names.

"Ye-ll and Vi-ul?" Zero tried with a cringe. The twins didn't seem to mind and nodded with appreciation at the attempt.

"It's yee-ull and Vee-ale but that works too," Xvyal grinned.

Yxaan giggled. "You can call us Yal and Val like everyone else in the village."

Zero heaved a sigh of relief at the nicknames. "What language are your names in? I've not heard of it."

The female twin blinked. "It's the language of our Star ancestors. Yxaan means Bright. Xvyal means Forever."

Zero nodded as the Yxaan help to dry Zero's hair using heat magic. In no time, his hair was dry again but the only problem remained was how messy it was. She tried to make it more presentable by combing through the tangles with her fingers but it didn't work. Zero gave up and pushed everything up so that his fringe wouldn't cover his eyes. It was high time he had a haircut and Zero wondered if Hua Tuo would help him with it. He didn't exactly want to poke his eyes out trying to do it himself.

"What were you doing here? Don't you know how dangerous it is to be near where magicians are practising? We're no archers and if it had been a pillar of fire or a bolt of electricity it would have been terrible."

Zero apologised to Xvyal. "I didn't know that. But I'm glad the water bomb wasn't that powerful."

Yxaan pouted. "Well, it's a good thing it isn't. I'm no water mage and I have poor affinity with water so you should count yourself lucky it wasn't a fireball."

Zero grimaced when he appraised the twins. Yxaan was a magician with strong fire affinity and Xvyal was a magician with strong Electricity affinity.

Wait. Electricity was an element?

Zero must have spoken it aloud because Xvyal laughed. "No, it isn't. Electricity is a combination of different elemental magic. It just means I'm equally strong with water and wind magic."

Zero seemed eager to know more so the twins invited him over to their apartment, deciding to end their duel for the day.

"What's that? How does electricity come about using water and wind? Doesn't it come from a waterwheel?"

"What's a waterwheel?" Xvyal asked and Zero explained the huge structure behind Hua Tuo's house in the river that served many purposes.

Yxaan thought about it and shrugged. Xvyal looked equally clueless and Zero decided to give up. Perhaps the waterwheel wasn't something common.

"Well, I don't know about waterwheels but I know that electricity, especially lightning, is made by causing ice particles to bump into each other at very high speeds. Using water magic to create ice and wind magic to create a strong tornado, I can create lightning bolts and fire them at the enemies. If done right, I can charge up electricity into an air sphere and fire them in a bolt."

Zero's eyes went wide in amazement when Yxaan started explaining about the basic elemental magic fusion.

"What about dark magic or life magic?"

The twins frowned. "We don't know much about them. Both traits are equally rare. We're very surprised you didn't know about magic basics because we heard how good you were at healing magic. Curing Amaraline's eyes by creating new ones... it's unheard of! It must be near Divine-tier magic..."

"Divine-tier?"

Xvyal blinked. "You don't know the tiers of magic?"

Zero shook his head and the twins looked slightly troubled.

"Zero," Yxaan began very carefully. "Do you know about the planes of magic and the laws of mana?"

Once again, the brunet shook his head. Worried, the twins discussed rapidly in their native tongue and Zero couldn't only wait for them to come to a conclusion.

"Ok, listen very closely Zero. I don't know who your teacher is but using magic without knowing the basics can be very dangerous. Magic is like fire. If used right, it can help to cook food. If used wrong, it will burn the house down."

Zero gulped. So far nothing bad has happened. The seriousness in the twins' eyes told him that it was no laughing matter so Zero sat down, paying attention to the lecture, asking questions every now and then.

After an hour, Zero realised how serious his ignorance was. Although Hua Tuo always told him not to worry and taught him about using healing magic safely, the physician had barely scratched the surface about magic. Zero didn't know how abnormal his method of using magic was until the twins explained to him about the laws of mana.

In a nutshell, Zero learnt that the dimensions and planes Lovina spoke about were further categorised into a grand total of six tiers.

Tier Zero is called the Void. People with Tier Zero chakra channels were unable to use magic. They had no means to recover or store mana so becoming a magician was out of the question.

Tier one was called Natural Magic. People with this tier were only able to use very basic magic linked to the Energy Plane. Natural magic assisted people in amplifying their feelings or sensing other people's feelings. Yxaan termed these people as Empaths. They were not able to become magicians because of how weak their chakra channels were. They were unable to produce mana and could only perceive emotions through the mana in their surroundings.

Tier two was called Dark Magic. Very few humans fell into this tier as the magic was often related to the Abyss and the purgatory. From this tier onwards, people gifted in magic could become magicians. Yxaan explained that many beastmen and devil descendants are proficient in Dark magic.

"Sekkin is good at Shadow magic," Xvyal grinned.

"Shadow magic?"

"It's a sub-tier much like fire, wind and air in elemental magic in Tier Three," Yxaan explained.

Zero nodded in understanding. They didn't have too great an understanding about the sub-tiers of Dark magic so Zero left it. However, he was interested when they became more detailed in explaining how the Tier four Elemental magic, tied to Earth also known as the Material Plane, worked.

"So we have four elements - fire, water, air and earth. Everyone can use all four magic but they have those they are strong at and those they are weak at. For example, I'm strong at fire magic but weak at water magic," Yxaan explained and started sketching on the floor with a piece of charcoal.

"Imagine the mana in your body as a number. The more spells a magician can cast, the greater the mana. For me, let's imagine it at sixty. For a strong magician, they can be somewhere between three and four hundred. For a weak magician, it's about fifteen. A dragon's magic capacity is around eight hundred and Gods are above one thousand if one thousand is the limit. A simple spell to light a candle will take five mana points," Yxaan explained and drew it out for Zero to see. Zero saw how the weak magician's bar was cancelled by a third and hers was simply a small fraction but the dragon's bar wasn't touched at all.

"Now, higher levelled spells require more mana to cast. Let's take Firebolt, a mid-tier spell for example. It takes fifteen mana points so a weak magician will not be able to cast it after he's cast a simple spell. He'd have to wait for the mana to regenerate by resting. Mana regeneration happens naturally when you rest. It can speed up if you drink a recovery potion for mana."

Zero thought back about Hua Tuo's offer when they performed Grandma Moppo's knee operation. Maybe Hua Tuo was a weak magician which explains why the physician disliked the use of healing magic. Zero nodded in understanding, pitying his teacher. Somewhere in the village, Hua Tuo sneezed.

"Now imagine this. Magic affinity works more efficiently with magic your soul is compatible with and less efficiently with the weak affinity. If a magician has good affinity with wind and bad with earth, it will take them ten points for a mid-tier wind spell and fifteen points for a mid-tier earth spell. That restricts the number of times they can cast and the power of the spell depends on the magic affinity type."

Zero did some simulation and understood now. "Doesn't that mean it is more tiring and less powerful for you to cast a water spell?"

Yxaan grinned. "That's right! It's not efficient but it's not good to neglect practice. After all, elements cancel each other out. It's better than receiving a direct hit by someone else's magic when I can't dodge it."

Xvyal rolled his eyes. "As if anyone can touch you, sister of mine. Don't believe her, Zero. She talks like this but she's really strong. When she said sixty mana points, she wasn't being accurate. As Star descendants, our actual mana capacity would be more accurate with two hundred points."

Zero's eyes went round when Xvyal told him that. However, what Yxaan said next made Zero's hands turn cold with dread.

"Even with two hundred points, it's all over when you reach zero. A magician will die if they overuse mana and the body cannot replenish it. Nothing is more terrifying to magician than the 'Life-Drain' spell that many creatures of the dark use. Soon is a lich and he could use that if he wants. His body no longer absorbs mana from the environment because he's undead. Instead, he has to absorb mana from living things around. That's the price to pay for 'immortality'."

Zero was silent in thoughts. "Does that mean Soon will die if he runs out of mana and stop absorbing it from living things? Doesn't keeping Peter and Manny around require mana?"

Xvyal went stiff. "That's true but you don't need to worry. Someone very powerful with a lot of mana is providing for them."

Zero's mind immediately went to Lovina and he scowled. Why does everyone in this village treat their lives so cheaply? Zero's heart hurt. Amaraline was willing to die for her brother and sacrificed her eyes for his safety. Clowis worked his body close to a breakdown to become strong enough to protect his sister. Lovina sacrificed her well-being as a mage to keep the lich and his friends alive. Zero had no doubts that they weren't the only villagers who'd go to such drastic extents to help another person. As a doctor, Zero disapproved such reckless behaviour. However, as a friend, he understood their feelings. If Truen was ever in danger, Zero would pull out all his stops to save his friend over and over again.

"Then we have Tier Five which is Holy Magic where demigods or many worshippers of Gods who have been blessed can use it. Your healing which is a sub-tier of life magic can be classed under Tier Five magic. It's tied to the Enlightened Plane that is also known as the land of Demigods. The last tier is Divine magic that can only be used by Gods."

"What can divine magic do?"

Yxaan and Xvyal picked out some examples. Zero was amazed by what the mild-mannered Sedna could do with her Divine magic.

"She could flood the world?!"

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"Technically she could. However, Sedna is a very merciful Goddess so she wouldn't. On the other hand, Isis' divine magic is one that works strangely. She can reverse the flow of time or carry you over to a different dimension or world."

Zero decided to ask a little more to know what the other Great Gods could do. After all, it wasn't every day that he heard stories about the Great Gods. Who knew how interesting it could be getting to know the "Godly" side of his friends when they were doing actual work. He had to admit, Zeus was a little cool when he heard that Zeus' divine magic could split the Earth with his lightning bolt. However, he thought about how angry Gaia would be and shook his head. Powerful or not, Zeus wouldn't dare anger Gaia. Zero chatted for a bit more until he noticed how the sun was going down.

"It was definitely nice learning so many things," Zero smiled. "I'm going to the cave to join Camie for spit-roast. Would the both of you like to join?"

Yxaan and Xvyal declined politely. "We don't eat meat, please go ahead and enjoy yourself. Zoe has our meals ready so we'll be heading over to the children's place."

Zero was surprised that they wouldn't eat meat but nodded anyway.

Ball of Nothing

Zero moaned as he tore out another chunk of meat from the juicy mountain goat thigh. If Freya was here, Zero would never have the chance to enjoy an expertly prepared spit-roast with his bare hands. The brunet got to know Douglas a little better over the dinner. Douglas was a half-Selkie and Zero wondered if they were descendants of Sedna.

The man was devastatingly handsome with his sea blue eyes and dark hair. His teeth were pearly white and the only indication that he wasn't human was how he had both webbed fingers and toes. Douglas had a rich baritone voice that was comforting to listen to although Zero had to fight the waves of sleepiness when he listened. It wasn't until Coux dispelled the charm magic Douglas was using on him that Zero understood what was going on.

"I'm sorry, kid. It was just so much fun seeing you try to stay awake," Douglas apologised after Coux kicked him in the shin.

Zero was amused. "That's going to bruise..."

Douglas grimaced and looked at his shin. True enough, it was starting to turn an ugly shade of black.

"Sorry, doctor. Could you help heal this?"

Coux shot the half-Selkie a glare and turned to Zero quickly.

"Don't worry, sweetie. It won't kill him to have a broken leg or two."

Zero pretended to consider the trader's words until Douglas begged for forgiveness. Everyone present watched in amusement at how playful the brunet could be. Vrald and Gerald cheered for Zero when the brunet denied the Selkie the first time. Douglas looked almost ready to cry so Zero gave in and healed the ouchie. He didn't heal with Selkie's broken heart until the man promised never to do it again.

"Ok, I'll forgive you," Zero finally relented, looking as if he was making the toughest decision in his life when he said so. "On one condition."

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Douglas agreed without hesitation. "Answer me honestly, are you related to Sedna?"

The half- Selkie blinked and grinned, dusting the dirt from his pants as he got up from the ground.

"Legend has it that all Selkies were born from Sedna's grief. I suppose we're related in a way. Sedna is our creator and the mother of all life we know."

Zero wasn't too surprised. However, he was curious. "Does that mean you have a fish's tail too?"

Douglas shook his head. "Not fish, those would be our cousin species the merfolks. Selkies are seals with the ability to transform into humans by shedding their skin on dry land. I'm only a half-Selkie so I have webbed hands and feet. However, I can swim really fast underwater and breathe in it like Jacqueline."

"That magic... can merfolk use it too?"

Douglas grinned. "You bet they can. What I used was a kind of low-tiered charm magic so it isn't very powerful. Coux is better at charm magic than I am. Hypnosis is a very powerful ability."

Zero nodded and ate as he listened to Coux explain what charm magic was.

"In fact, I think you have some sort of charm magic around you too, Zero." The half-succubus smiled.

Burping loudly and apologising for his rude behaviour, Zero blinked. "I have charm magic? But I haven't learnt how to use that yet..."

Coux tilted her head to a side with a small frown. "I wouldn't say that it is a magic that needs to be learnt. It's almost as if it's in your latent bloodline. Just like how some species always have a passive magical ability like the Cockatrice with its deadly eyes, you have charm magic around you that is always active. I just can't identify what it is as I've never come across such a thing."

Zero was lost. What could Coux possibly mean? "Mii, do you have any ideas?" he asked silently.

Mii brought up Zero's status screen and the brunet tried very hard not to look suspicious as he read the details of his current status.

Name: Zero (previously known as Great One)

Species: Unknown.

Age: Unknown.

Titles: Creator of the World, Voice in the Void, Hua Tuo's Apprentice, Friends with Gods, Demon Lord Baal's Friend

Abilities:

- Absorption

- Energy manipulation

Absorbed Abilities:

- Grapple Vine

- Intuition

Blessings:

[Mind's Eye (Mii)]

- Encyclopaedia / Appraisal

- Party Map

- Party Call

- Avatar Materialisation

[Wisdom (Passive) by Buddha]

- Can understand all languages including plants and animals

- Able to learn things at a very fast pace

[Karma by Hades]

- Will reflect back any damage intended to be inflicted on Zero to the attacker

[One-Hit Kill by Zeus]

- Can create a miracle during desperate times in a battle

[Charmer by Freya]

- Make any strong-willed being an ally when skill is active, does not work on weak-willed beings

[Adaptation by Sedna]

- Copy 1 trait (physical or behaviour or talent) from each thing absorbed to be used without limit

[Gaia's Blessing by Gaia]

- Can transfer energy or magic freely without restraint

[Beacon by Isis]

- Can guide Bon in times of doubt and bring him to an old friend

[Judgement by Enma]

- Can convert sins into instant karma

[Tri coloured petal imprint (Murvin, Law Isaben)]

- Artefact of Kindness, Acceptance, Trust (Abilities locked until Finding Nel's Quest is complete)

Skills:

- Meditation

- Summoning Contract

- Magic Perception

- Healing

- Revival

- Reconstruction

- Tranquil Mind

- Slumber

- Binding

- Health Boost

- Warrior Spirit

- Teleport

- Basic Elemental Mastery

- Basic Combat Mastery

- Godly Magic Control

Zero froze at the long list. It'd been a while since he checked his status. Many things change and it was more organised. Still, there were many new things that he was looking at for the first time. His stats had completely disappeared. His abilities have grown and some have combined into a different skill like Basic Elementary Mastery. The titles were new and Zero smiled. Indeed, he was friends with many people.

Going down the list, he frowned. Intuition seemed to be a new ability and it was under the list of absorbed abilities. Zero wondered when he acquired it. Could it be possible that it was what the nagging feelings were earlier today? Zero tried to recall what he'd absorbed recently apart from food. Then he felt sick.

Eyes. He'd absorbed Amaraline's eyes to create new ones for her using his reconstruction magic...

He didn't have much time to think over that because he found what Coux was talking about. There was a blessing called Charmer given by Freya. Although it was said to only be effective upon the activation of the skill, it seemed to be working passively. Was something wrong with the trigger? Zero didn't remember turning the skill on...

"It turns on automatically following your intention. You came to this village fully intent on making new friends and getting along with everyone. It obeys your subconscious command," Mii explained and Zero felt like his dinner disagreed with him violently.

Camie was the first to notice Zero turning into a shade of green and expressed her concern. The brunet didn't have much time to explain. He hurriedly excused himself and dashed outside to empty the contents of his heaving stomach.

"Zero, you alright?" the gentle giantess asked. Zero wiped his mouth using his sleeve and refused to answer, still visibility shaken.

Camie bent down and gently patted Zero's back. Zero was thankful for the concern and began to regain his composure. The shock of his discovery was passing slowly. It was the first time Zero took to observe the famous giantess. Zero didn't think that such gentle hands would belong to the strongest warrior in the village. Although Camie had roughly chopped brown hair, she had a pair of very warm eyes that soothed the boy.

"I did something really terrible," Zero admitted.

Camie didn't pry and allowed the boy some time to decide if he wanted to tell her more. Eventually, Zero did and Camie was silent until Zero was done sharing.

Instead of judging Zero for what he'd done, Camie placed her large comforting hand on his head.

"Don't blame yourself, Zero. It's not your fault. Besides, you helped Amaraline regain her eyesight and didn't mean to absorb her abilities. I'm sure she will understand if you explain it to her properly and apologise. I was like you once many years ago. I had human parents when I was younger but I had the strength that normal children didn't have. I can't recall how many times I broke my parents' bones because I couldn't control this power I had. It felt terrible but they never blamed me for it. I had to leave them for a while and visit the land of giants to learn how to put my strength to good use."

Zero looked at Camie curiously. "What is the land of giants like?"

The quarter giantess smiled. "It was huge. I didn't know how small I was until I went there. Adult giants were as tall as these trees. They can grow up to twenty meters and I was tiny compared to them. When I lived with my parents, I was at least twice as tall as they were. Imagine my fear when I lived with people five to six times my size... however, they were really gentle people and I learned that power could be controlled."

Zero understood what Camie was trying to say. "I want to learn how to control my powers better. Do you think the Giants can help me?"

Camie didn't know if they could but she knew for sure that the giants were creatures who were very kind and always willing to help. Even if they couldn't find a way to teach Zero how to control his powers, they would help him find a master who would teach him how.

"I'm sure they could! I heard that you're going to travel as a wandering doctor. Perhaps fate will bring you to the land of giants one day."

Zero smiled. Yes, he would definitely travel there.

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"Thank you, Camie. I think I'm much better now. I'll talk to Amaraline about it and apologise properly."

"Anytime, Zero! It's getting late. Would you like me to walk you back to your apartment?"

Zero declined politely. He needed some time to walk around and settle his thoughts.

"Alright then," Camie conceded. "Don't stay up too late and don't walk too far alright?"

Zero agreed and waved goodbye to the giantess. Now that he knew what abilities he had, it was time to do some research on how to control his powers. He had many questions and he hoped that Mii was in a good mood to answer them.

Ball of Nothing

"Are you there?" Zero asked softly.

Mii scoffed in Zero's mindscape and showed herself. She'd grown a little more from what Zero remembered. Now, the strawcherry fairy had fairy dust particles and glowed slightly in the dark, reminding Zero about fireflies.

"You know I'm always here," she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and Zero giggled. He was still walking around the outskirts of the village, enjoying the chilly breeze as he did so. It was very dark but with Mii's map, he had no problems navigating his way around.

"Did you grow again?" he asked and Mii grinned, giving him a victory sign.

"You bet I did! Thanks to all those recipes I analysed, the system upgraded again. Also, new bookmarks have been added. You might be keen to travel to both the land of giants in future and the Abyss."

Zero was impressed. "You're really smart... how did you know I wanted to visit those places?"

Mii deadpanned. Did Zero really forget that she was merely an extension of him?

Seeing the strawcherry assistant's expression, Zero stuck out his tongue and apologised sheepishly. "Alright. Now that we finally have a moment, I have many questions."

Mii sighed and crossed her legs, floating in mid-air. She'd expected just as much. "Let me guess... you want to know more about your abilities."

Zero nodded with a huge grin and Mii's troubled sighs only became heavier. "Right. Let's begin with your innate abilities and the new status window, shall we?"

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Zero paid attention to the fairy's lecture and asked questions when he needed to clarify something. Basically, the system has upgraded to version 2.0 and Mii is now more 'intelligent' with a personality that can grow alongside Zero by relying on what Zero sees, feels and thinks. Anything that Zero reads will add to Mii's database as she dubbed it and all the brunet really has to do is ask her about it the next time he wants a reference. This was great news for Zero who hated to go back to the books or reading device just to confirm a term or name for a plant. That could be a rather frustrating process with how many bookmarks Zero had. He used to think that there were so many colours in the world when he first gained his sense of sight. Now, Zero wished there was more... he'd run out of unique bookmark colours and had to repeat them, adding to his confusion whenever he needed to find something in a hurry.

"Just so you know, I don't appreciate becoming your walking encyclopaedia. You should try to remember some of those things... I've not levelled up to a point where I could do more than one thing at a time."

Zero poked Mii's cheek with his pointer when the strawcherry fairy snapped at him. "Don't be so stingy... you don't do anything half the time."

Mii couldn't argue with that. Most the time, she'd reside at the back of Zero's mind. She didn't have the spare energy to appear all the time with the overload of information she received from Zero the past few days. His learning curve was very steep and Mii struggled to keep up with her current capability.

"Just so you know, I'm always busy. In the upgraded version of the status window, you can see that there is a title section. That is accumulative and non-modifiable. Some titles you receive have status effects but I've not levelled up enough to keep a tab on your statuses. The system is still processing all the information received over the past few days but I expect the numbers to stabilise by the time your training period has ended."

Zero frowned. That was a long time. "That's going to be more than a year from now!"

Mii gave him the stink eye. "It's so easy for you to demand results huh? Who do you think is doing all the work while you sleep?"

"Owwww!! Let go, I'm sorry Mii..."

The strawcherry fairy let go of Zero's chubby cheek and huffed, blowing the stray strand of hair that fell away from her view. Despite growing more mature, Zero still retained his baby-faced appearance. Mii wondered if this was a side-effect of the Charmer blessing Zero had.

"Moving on," she snapped her fingers and Zero squinted at the familiar light blue screen. "These are your current abilities. You only have two at this point but they are very powerful abilities that are unique only to your existence. Absorption is almighty. There is nothing you cannot absorb into the void for your use at a later date. Energy Manipulation allows you to change anything within the void to energy points. You can use it to create something else within the void to be used or simply exchange those energy points for mana or qi."

"I know mana but qi...? How can qi be used apart from meditating"

Mii raised her eyebrow. "Shouldn't that be something you ask Hua Tuo? I'm sure he'd teach you how to use it seeing how he was the one who introduced it."

Zero nodded. That made sense. Still, there was a question bugging him.

"How do I control my abilities?"

Mii shrugged. "It follows your will. Also, know that I am a system created by the Great One to assist you. Sometimes, the will of the Great One and yours would differ. When that happens, the stronger will can overpower the other. In the case of absorbing Amaraline's gift, it was the will of the Great One who wanted to protect you. Without Truen around, you don't have any sense of danger and the system decided to absorb it on your behalf."

Zero swallowed. He didn't know how to feel about this revelation. It felt strange to be going against the Great One. He didn't want to fight against himself but Zero felt as if this would happen a lot more in future where they would disagree a lot when matters about Zero's interest were in question.

"We'll talk about this in future. I'll try to remember to make decisions consciously to prevent dreadful things like this from happening again. Would it be possible to inform me if the system is making a decision on my behalf in future?"

Mii paused and checked through her administrative settings. "Uh... as of now that function does not exist. I'm sure if you will it strong enough it could be there in the next update. That also means you can't slack off."

Zero pouted. "I never slack off!"

"Cleaning with magic is slacking off in a way."

"Hey! I was putting my gift to better use. That doesn't count..."

Mii smirked in silence and Zero blushed. They both knew that was only a half-truth at best. Zero was lazy and hated doing chores. Magic was something that made the boring task more fun. Plus, it was a lot faster. Zero would often take some time after cleaning to sneak into the forest to steal some honey behind Hua Tuo's back.

"Stop staring at me! Hurry up and explain to me the rest of this status window... I know that the Great Gods and En gave me some blessings before I left Heaven but I don't know what they really do. I've not used them intentionally but Coux said that Freya's blessing was active?"

Mii hummed and looked at the window. "That's true. Although it says that some of the blessings are skills that will only be activated when active, I think there is a hidden trigger requirement that automatically sets it off when the criteria are fulfilled."

"A hidden criteria? Do you know what they are?"

Mii shrugged. "I could analyse the number of times the skill is triggered and put together a list of possibilities but I can't be confident about it."

Zero nodded. "Anything is better than nothing. At least I could try to use a few during emergencies. The skill Karma sounds really useful. Also, as gory as One-Hit Kill sounds, it may be handy if I'm in anger."

Mii agreed. "If you want, I could contact the Great Gods and ask them for a detailed manual explaining how their Blessing work."

Zero nodded. "That would be for the best. Although nobody is telling me this, I think that a great battle will take place here very soon. Judgement, Karma and One-Hit Kill are Blessings that I'd like to know how to use. It could be very handy."

Mii agreed. She knew that the warriors were preparing for war but she promised to keep it from Zero. Although she wasn't telling Zero anything, they didn't mention that she could not help Zero prepare for it. Mii would only do what was best for Zero and for now, learning about his abilities took precedence over everything else.

"Thank you, Mii!" Zero beamed and the strawcherry assistant blushed. They talked about Mii's sudden growth and what kind of features might be added once Mii upgraded again until Zero stumbled upon a loitering Moona.

The silver-haired nymph looked rather nervous and Zero wondered what was troubling her.

"Hello, Moona!"

His greeting startled her and Moona dropped what appeared to be a letter addressed to Gweshr Zero bent down to pick it up much to Moona's embarrassment.

"Did you want to deliver this to Gweshr?" Zero asked cautiously and Moona blushed, shaking her head rapidly before caving into Zero's stare and admitting that she did.

Mii whispered at the back of Zero's mind that she smelled some kind of juicy romance and suggested that Zero deliver the letter on the shy maiden's behalf. Zero grinned and told the moonlight nymph that he would act as the messenger. Moona didn't decline his bold offer and accepted it shyly. Zero grinned and reassured her that Gweshr will receive it, wishing her luck just before he disappeared into the darkness of the night once more.

With Mii's navigation, it wasn't hard locating the werewolf. However, Zero tensed when they neared Gweshr. The werewolf wasn't in his apartment. He was resting against a rock in the underground tunnel near a light crystal. Zero smelled rust and salt in the air and hurried over. The letter could wait for later. Gweshr was injured and most definitely bleeding. Zero would never be mistaken about the smell of blood.

The werewolf was pale and clutched to his shoulder. There was a small dagger embedded in it and Zero gasped at the sight. Gweshr was half delirious from the pain and blood-loss so Zero acted fast. He pulled out the dagger swiftly and closed the wound using normal healing magic. Using reconstruction magic, Zero replenished the lost blood and Gweshr's breathing evened out.

"What happened?" he asked.

The werewolf blinked at the small doctor apprentice and thanked him. "I was careless," the werewolf smiled tightly and Zero frowned. He wanted to ask more but knew that Gweshr wouldn't say anything more than necessary.

"I've healed your life-threatening injuries for now but please stop by tomorrow for other injuries. Also, this letter is from Moona. I'm delivering it on her behalf. My teacher is waiting for me so I'll take my leave now. Don't overdo it with that shoulder, it will still be sore for a few more days!"

Gweshr watched the brunet leave and waved goodbye. Once the brunet was out of sight, he tucked the letter into his shirt pocket with a small smile. He'd read that letter and compose a reply later but for now, he had an urgent report to make. The chieftess was waiting.

Zero didn't need Mii's map to tell him that Gweshr was heading to Zenobia's hut instead of home to rest. He'd guessed as much and thought that if things have progressed this far, it would be better to let Hua Tuo know.

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Hua Tuo listened to Zero's short report and stroked his beard. The crease between his brows told Zero that the situation might be more severe than he thought it initially was.

"I see. Thank you for letting me know, don't worry too much about it. For now, you should get ready to sleep. We shall visit Lady Zenobia first thing in the morning to let her know tomorrow."

Zero nodded and went to grab his toothbrush. Hua Tuo sighed. Adversity came in waves and Hua Tuo wasn't mentally prepared to let his disciple undergo fate's first trial for him as a doctor.

Zero was young. He was far too young to understand the helplessness of doctors. Even the Sage God of Medicine had illnesses he couldn't cure and people he couldn't save. It was far too soon for Zero to be learning the truth about this world in Hua Tuo's opinion.

Ball of Nothing

Hua Tuo woke up with a message from Roovan saying that Zenobia had summoned everyone for an important meeting at nine in the cave. The doctor was slightly surprised that they would be summoned so soon. He didn't think that Carrabas would be moving so quickly but at the same time, he knew it would only be a matter of time before they attacked. The physician decided that he would talk to his apprentice before they went to the meeting.

Zero woke up a few hours later, expecting it to be yet another eventful day. He wasn't disappointed but the seriousness on his teacher's face surprised him. It wasn't usual for Hua Tuo to be so tense in the morning. The physician was usually in a better mood in the morning and crankier in the afternoon.

"What's going on?" Zero asked, slightly worried when his teacher wouldn't talk even after a few minutes. The silence was making him nervous.

Hua Tuo didn't know how to phrase what he was going to say. He wanted to be as delicate as possible about the topic of death but there really was no good way of putting it. As a doctor, one had to save as many as they could. With Zero's abilities, it was highly possible he could save everyone if he wanted to, including the lives of his enemies. Hua Tuo didn't know how Zero would react if he told him that enemies cannot be saved during the war even if he had the ability to do so. As such, the God of Medicine was conflicted.

Zero waited as patiently as he could. Whatever his teacher had to say must be important.

Finally, Hua Tuo spoke.

"Zero, the village is going to war with Count Carrabas."

The brunet blinked. He knew that already. Why was Hua Tuo stating the obvious? Nobody told him that explicitly but Zero was a smart boy. He'd put the pieces of the puzzle together himself and figured it out.

"We will not be interfering with their fight, only healing and saving the villagers who need it. You are not to attack anyone on the enemy side. Most importantly, you cannot save the enemies. The dead must stay dead. If they don't have a healer who knows revival magic, that is their fate. You are not allowed to use healing magic on the enemies."

Zero blinked. He knew what wars were. Enemies were the bad people. For Zero, anybody who made his newly-found friends miserable would be considered an enemy. Anyone who wishes harm on another person is not a friend in Zero's books. He was very clear about where he stood. There were some people who do not deserve to be saved, Bell had said so before and Zero agreed when he heard about what they did.

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"I understand," he told his teacher calmly and Hua Tuo was slightly surprised.

"Are you sure?"

Zero frowned. "We are talking about bad people, right? People who do bad things to make others miserable and all? Bell told me about these types of people. He said that they are the true definition of evil instead of the stereotypes that humans have about demons and other species. People fight all the time over different things. However, some people don't fight because of a difference in opinion about what's best for them or their families. They fight because they want to see others suffer. I don't want to save these kinds of people. I'll let En handle their punishment."

Hua Tuo was mildly surprised at Zero's mature response and nodded in satisfaction. It was hard to predict how Zero would react but he was glad the brunet agreed.

"That means that I will save those innocent people who were forced to fight because of Count Carrabas. I just won't be saving the person called Count Carrabas," Zero beamed and Hua Tuo wanted to smack his head into a wall.

"No, Zero. You can't do that in a war. Anyone who fights against the village is an enemy. You can't save them if they are killed."

Zero looked confused. "But they're not evil... why can't I do that?"

Hua Tuo looked exasperated. How could he explain the concept of war to Zero without confusing the boy? In war, sometimes the innocent must be sacrificed for a victory. Good men must die for their country. Evil men must be befriended for an advantage. Lying and cheating is not something frowned upon during a war as it was considered strategy.

Thankfully, Hua Tuo had a little more time to think of a way to explain this concept to his disciple. Roovan swooped into their apartment from the window to let them know that the meeting was about to start soon. They followed the raven beastmen to the cave with Zero feeling proud of himself and Hua Tuo feeling mentally tired.

The day had only begun but already, the physician didn't have the energy to continue the rest of it.

Zero was surprised to see everyone in the cave. It was usually very spacious but today, it was a little crowded. Zero didn't mind, he liked being in the company of others. However, the mood was what threw him off. Lady Zenobia stood on the stone platform in front and everyone was standing at attention, waiting for her to speak.

Zero and Hua Tuo were the last to arrive so Zenobia nodded at them in acknowledgement of their presence before she started her speech.

"Good morning, everyone. I've gathered the village here for an important announcement. Carrabas is on the move and we anticipate that they will launch an attack tomorrow with the cover of night. We have their numbers and I will be honest. It's going to be the toughest fight we have in a while. We might lose a few in this war but we will defend our home."

The loud cheers echoed in the cave and Zero shivered at the level of energy the warriors possessed. He watched in awe as Zenobia explained their strategy with undeniable charisma. No wonder she was the chieftess. It was a side of her that Zero had never seen before. He finally understood what Roovan meant when he spoke about the position of the village leader. Camie may be the strongest warrior but only Zenobia can lead them.

"Rima, Leon, Jacqueline, Latitia and Karris. I'm sorry but the five of you will sit out of this battle. Hua Tuo will accompany you after the first stage of the plan is complete. It is slightly dangerous but I assure you that you will be taken care of. Mitchnew's team will act as an escort while you lure the knights into the tunnels. Once you are there, you will hide in the secret passageway and wait with Hua Tuo. Do not engage in battle if you can. Our objective is to have everyone return from this war alive."

Leon and Jacqueline looked disappointed that they couldn't participate in the battle but with Rima's stare, they held their tongues. Latitia apologised for not being able to help. Zero didn't blame her. Not everyone in the village was combat trained. Latitia certainly wasn't. Karris clutched her stomach subconsciously but her eyes reflected determination. Zero approved of the mother-to-be's resolve. Her unborn child will be safe, he would make sure of that.

"Raj and Grandma Moppo will oversee the village fortification operation today. I want all able hands on deck. As for the battle strategy, your commander will explain the plan to you. They have been briefed so listen closely and stick to the strategy."

A chorus of "yes" echoed and Zero felt somewhat proud. Hua Tuo didn't stop him from wanting to help fortify the village. In fact, the physician volunteered to break the boulders that they required rocks from to build the traps. Zero was impressed by the great display of strength he didn't know his teacher possessed until Hua Tuo explained that it was a cultivation trick. That made the brunet determined to learn cultivation.

Zero decided to join the children and collect stones. According to Wiser, some of the weaker fighters like Raj and his lab members would be hiding on the trees and throwing pebbles onto the soldiers in the clearing while the warriors on his team acted as a decoy until Lovina came to put them to sleep. For better measure, Zero decided to practice throwing stones with slightly better accuracy. He didn't want any stones to actually fall on anyone's heads. It could be fatal.

The day passed very quickly. Zoe and Karris made rounds giving everyone sandwiches in between lunch and dinner, Zenobia made rounds and Wiser helped oversee the traps by the bridge. The fortification was done by evening and instead of sleeping, Clowis decided to have a last minute spar to work out the tension in his body with Lowis. Amaraline watched them spar from the sidelines and Grandma Moppo decided to turn in early.

Hua Tuo was still wondering how he should tell Zero that enemy forces cannot be saved or healed. After listening to Zenobia's full plan with the commanders, Hua Tuo was somewhat relieved that there will be minimal deaths and casualties. It's mostly Count Carrabas and the knights who would die. The best part was how all these would be done away without Zero witnessing anything.

"I have a condition," Hua Tuo told the chieftess.

"What is it?"

"If the situation arises that the plan does not work, please do not kill in front of Zero. He doesn't quite understand the concept of wars. I'm still trying to explain it to him but it might take some time."

Zenobia looked troubled but Wiser agreed. "We'll get Lovina to work something out. I'm sure there is a way to get rid of him without killing him. It's just a more tedious method but we can work something out."

That conversation happened hours ago. Hua Tuo sighed heavily as they walked back to their apartment. Zero sensed his teacher's thoughts and frowned.

"Are you worried about the war?"

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Hua Tuo looked at Zero long and hard before shaking his head and patting his apprentice. Zero was growing taller. The change wasn't significant but it was still a fact.

"Zero, Zenobia has agreed to try and not kill anyone during this war. However, you must promise me that if anyone has to be killed because they do not surrender, you are not to heal them or revive them. This is the way of war."

Zero looked confused but agreed. Hua Tuo looked absolutely serious and Zero didn't want to go against his teacher. There had to be a reason why Hua Tuo didn't allow it. He didn't understand the reason behind it yet but he trusted his teacher.

"I promise."

Satisfied with Zero's promise, they returned to the apartment to retire for the night.

Ball of Nothing

Everyone was tense. Many warriors polished their armours or sharpened their weapons. Raj did some final fine-tuning for his weapons and Zero finally knew how the Pigeon Canon could be of practical use.

Hua Tuo meditated and Zero decided to spend his time foraging for things to absorb. It was always good to stock up on energy points. He didn't know how many people he would have to heal today and was slightly worried. Hua Tuo made a lot of spare mana potions but Zero wasn't sure if they were going to be enough. The children were quiet today. Leon and Jacqueline hadn't argued at all and that worried Zoe slightly. Still, she cooked for everyone and kept herself busy.

Nobody knew when Carrabas would attack. Zenobia placed more warriors on patrol duty so that they could catch Carrabas before he arrived.

The day passed slowly and Zero was restless. They'd eaten dinner and it was getting late. There was still no news about Carrabas on the move. The last report came from Roovan. Carrabas was still at camp a few miles away from the village with no signs of mobilising the army. Zero was told to go to bed but he couldn't sleep. The children were also having difficulty falling asleep so Lovina made some calming tea with a tad of sleeping magic mixed into it. Zero didn't suspect a thing as he drank but found his eyelids closing slowly after a while. Hua Tuo didn't say anything but carried his young apprentice to the bed, tucking him in. He would enjoy the peace will it lasted.

Count Carrabas finally launched an attack two days after. It was two in the morning when Zero jolted from his sleep. The village was woken up by Raj's air horn blasting. The warriors got into position quickly and the evacuees were on standby. Zero hid up in the tree and palmed a small stone nervously. Mii had a map pulled out and Zero observed how the red dots were splitting up. Everything was going according to Zenobia's plan up till now. The hired adventurers were held up at the bridge so Count Carrabas had to lead his army to take the detour.

It was at the detour point through the forest at the shallower side of the river that the plans went south. Zero couldn't tell from the map he was observing but Roovan who was patrolling from the air saw it. The raven beastman quickly reported the situation. Count Carrabas was moving to the main area with the rest of his army. He'd sent three out of twelve knights to pursue the escapees but continued to march towards the village.

With Mii's help, Zenobia received the report. Party call was a great magic and the chieftess thanked Zero silently. Wiser who heard the report scowled. according to Amaraline, Lovina had finished subduing the adventurers and put them to sleep.

"No good!" Mitchnew reported. "They're setting fire to the surrounding forest to trap us in!"

Wiser remained calm. "Get Latitia and Cleo to put the fire out. Change of plans, we're attacking. Cull their numbers from the trees. Get the archers."

"No!" Zero protested, startling everyone. "Don't kill, the army is innocent. We can use the sleeping potions to put everyone to sleep and tie them up."

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"The three knights are taken care of," Lowis reported back. "What should we do now, Chieftess?"

Zenobia listened to everyone on the call and frowned. "Get Cleo and Latitia to put the fire out. Lowis join the main force. Hua Tuo, keep the children and Karris safe. Lovina, are the adventurers taken care of?"

"Yes, we're restraining them now," the witch reported.

"Good. Amaraline, take one person to watch over them. Lovina head over to the clearing to prepare a large scale sleep magic on the enemies. Zero, can you assist Lovina with your map?"

Zero replied affirmatively and Zenobia nodded. "Wiser, distract the enemies and gather them at one place. You can use every man at your disposal. Forget the sleeping potions, we don't have time."

"Yes, Chieftess!" they replied and everyone reshuffled into their position.

Zenobia hurried through the tunnels. Grandma Moppo had mentioned not to activate it till the very last moment when all hope is lost and she prayed that she wouldn't have to use it during this battle. If all else failed, they would lure Carrabas and his men into the tunnels. Zenobia would stay behind to activate the switch and destroy the tunnels after everyone left. She wouldn't be losing anyone during this war, not if she could help it.

Wiser was doing a good job chipping at the large army. Count Carrabas proved to be a very slippery man and nothing Wiser did could faze him. The Count dished out orders left and right, mobilising his army to surround the villagers, trying to trap them in the clearing. Wiser wasn't worried. He'd hidden some warriors in the trees. Soon held up the illusion that the trees were still on fire when in reality, Latitia and Cleo had already put them out. I didn't change the fact that the houses were destroyed. However, it gave the villagers an advantage.

Within twenty minutes, they reached a stalemate. Carrabas' remaining knights were engaged with warriors and separated from the main group. All the Count had left were militaria and conscripts. No one of his army was brave enough to confront Chowkah or Camie who stood in the vanguard.

The Count was enraged. Those cowards he was paying should simply die! How dare they take his money and not fight? They had the numbers. What was there to fear about two overly-grown monsters?

"What are you fools doing? Hurry up and fire arrows at them or something! Use fire! Bring out the guns!"

The army scurried into action clumsily. Wiser deadpanned. With such poor discipline, the army wasn't going to win. He felt insulted for creating contingency plans when faced with such an imbecile. Soon was hiding in the trees. Bullets and arrows were useless against arcane force fields. It was clear that the Count didn't do his research.

Lovina hurried over and was panting as she reported that she was in position. Wiser told her to give them a countdown until the large area spell was effective. In the meantime, he left the bullshit talk to Gweshr who was very good at buying time. Zero had to take notes. Some of those insults were very good at angering people. If someone made Zero angry in future, he'd be sure to call them a dunce.

The spell was a huge success. Carrabas didn't know what hit him when he fell off his horse. Zero didn't feel any pity for the pudgy Count. In fact, he'd deliberately thrown a stone onto the Count's feet so that there would be a bruise when he wakes up. That was Zero's form of punishment and he nodded in satisfaction at his craft.

Everyone got down to help tie over a hundred humans, disarming them as they did. Wiser didn't do any of the work, opting to oversee everything from a distance. It was then that Zero felt a painful tug in his chest. His intuition skill was flaring up again, stronger than he'd ever experienced before.

Unable to hold his weight up and catch his breath, Zero collapsed onto the ground, clutching at his chest and heaving. There were dark spots forming in his vision and the brunet fought against the darkness that tried to claim him. In the battle, he saw a vision that made his blood turn cold. They appeared like pictures that came and went quickly but the message was enough to make Zero pale. There was no time to waste.

"Zero! Can you hear me?" a familiar voice called out as Zero's vision returned to normal. The first thing he noticed was how the very warm and familiar healing magic was coursing through his veins.

"Master! There's no time to lose, Amaraline is going to die. We need to save her!"

Zenobia who heard Zero's claim stiffened. "Lowis, Mitchnew are you there?"

"Yes, Chieftess," they replied and Zenobia gave them orders to go save check on Amaraline's situation as they were the closest to the bridge. Hua Tuo and Zero got onto Crudgel's back to provide assistance should the worst happen.

The Centaur galloped at high speeds, hoping that he would make it on time. Zero's grip on Crudgel's waist tightened. He prayed that he wouldn't be too late. Whatever prompted that man to kill her, Zero would find out. For now, he had to stop him!

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[Important Announcement]

From henceforth you will be walking into premium territory.

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FYI, I have 6 contracted books on Web.no.vel, but I still have to do my day job because those 6 books don't earn enough to live. So, you can tell that my books don't make much as of today.

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Some things to note about the story progress from this point.

1. You'll start to see more tension, more crazy, more serious and slightly dark despite the fluff. Zero will grow up and mature. Also, it's the journey that matters more than the ending even if the pace might be like dragon ball or one piece. We'll get there someday and you can tell your children this as a bedtime story for a good ten years.

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Back at the bridge, Amaraline was waiting for Zenobia's orders. The adventurers were still sleeping and Carrabas has been subdued. She heard the commotion about Zero's collapse and the party call was cut off momentarily. Beside her, the half-Selkie observed her as she tried to contact them without success.

It was during that time when Amaraline felt a chill down her neck and barely dodged the knife aimed to stab at her nape.

The cockatrice descendant spun around only to be met with a grinning half-Selkie. To her horror, the adventurers who were supposed to be asleep were starting to awaken. They were still sluggish and couldn't stand just yet but they would be ready to fight in a matter of a few more minutes. How they broke Lovina's spell, she wasn't too sure until she eyes a small brown cloth bag tossed onto the ground not too far from Douglas.

The water! Douglas must have used a drug to cancel the spell's effects by manipulating the water...

"Traitor!" she yelled in fury. Of all the things that could happen, she never thought that one of their own would be selling them out.

The handsome half Selkie grinned and spun the knife in his hand.

"What a pity. It would have been so much better for me if you didn't find out. I obviously couldn't win that gift of yours."

Amaraline bristled. The party call was still not back, something terrible must have happened to Zero and it is all Douglas' fault. The fortune-teller was nowhere near her brother and uncle's level of fighting but she wouldn't let Douglas get away with it.

"You will die today," she snarled. Nobody threatens her home, nobody endangers her family and nobody hurts her friends.

The half-Selkie easily dodged Amaraline's jab. The fortune-teller saw the kick coming but wasn't fast enough to evade entirely.

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"So much for the fortune-telling gift. What use is it if you could foresee the future but not change it? Admit it, you're weak. I'll be getting my ticket out of here soon enough so I'll be generous. Leave the village with me. You don't have to die."

Amaraline saw red. "You're not leaving this village. Not alive after all the trouble you've caused. We've shown you nothing but kindness and this is how you betray us?"

"Betray?" Douglas sounded genuinely confused. "What are you talking about? I was never a part of this village. It was merely a stepping stone for me. Did you think that we could be friends just because you sheltered me from the slave traders? Let me tell you this. I'm not stupid. Things like friendship and family do not exist. The only real thing in this world is money and power."

Amaraline could not believe what she was hearing. For two years, the half-Selkie had lived as one of them. They knew a little about his background story. Douglas was a runaway slave who stumbled upon the village. Zenobia was kind and asked no questions about his background, allowing him to live as one of them. What went wrong? Why would Douglas betray them to Count Carrabas?

"You're wrong, we think of you as our family. Jacqueline looks up to you as her older brother seeing how you're distant cousins of sorts. Why would you betray the village like this, to a man like Count Carrabas no less? Why would you sell us out to the humans? We haven't done you wrong!"

Douglas agreed. "Indeed. You've not done me wrong. However, you will understand it once you've seen the world outside. The world isn't as kind. If you are a monster, you will be hunted. The only way out of this is to reunite with your kin in the country of monsters or gain a permit as a second class citizen of a human country. My kin isn't here and I need a permit to travel safely to find them. If only you'd just abandon this village instead of putting up with a fight, nobody would have gotten hurt. Blame it on yourselves."

Amaraline was truly rendered speechless. As a descendant of a feared monster from legends, she knew how it was. Humans feared her and even monsters do not trust her. However, the fortune-teller would never throw away her pride to sell her identity. She was a proud descendant of the Cockatrice, she swore to live and die as one. Becoming a second class citizen of a human nation was the same as throwing away your heritage. Humans have no respect for second class citizens and although they wouldn't be killed or captured on sight, the treatment was no worse than a stray animal on their streets. Second class citizens get beaten, were thrown to poor accommodations and sold scraps at ridiculously high prices.

"I will stop you," she gritted her teeth. She'd thought of Douglas as one of them. They'd shared many moments together and he'd helped her when she was blind. Now, she had to bury all these feelings away. The man before her was no brother. He was an enemy and all threats to the village must be erased.

Douglas let his smile drop. There was a little regret in his eyes but it was soon overwritten by determination. "It's going to be you or me today. I'm so sorry that you can't come to see it my way. Just don't blame me when you die because I'm not going to give my chance for freedom up."

Amaraline was ready. She was probably not going to survive this fight but she wasn't afraid of dying. She only wished the party call could work so that she could send a message back.

As if someone was listening to her prayers, the party call was active again and she heard Zero's desperate voice, warning her to run away from Douglas. Unfortunately, there was no way out. The adventurers were awake and sided with Douglas. If she ran now, the village would be in trouble.

"Sorry, Zero. I can't run. The adventurers have woken up, I'll hold them back for as long as I can before reinforcements arrive."

Zero made a frustrated sound and told himself he would chew her out for being stubborn later on.

"Can't we go any faster?" he asked Crudgel who dug his hooves into the ground harder.

"I'm sorry, Zero. This is the fastest I can go," the centaur apologised.

Zero clicked his tongue. "I'm going to teleport there," he said and Hua Tuo stopped him.

"You're going to get caught in the fight if you teleport now. We're almost there so just wait for a little. Mitchnew and Lowis are almost there, they'll be able to assist. Conserve your strength to aid the injured later."

Unable to defy his teacher, Zero held on tight. Worry was reflected in his eyes. The intuition wasn't going away and Zero felt sick to his stomach. He hoped that it wouldn't be too late by the time they reached.

"Don't worry," Mitchnew assured. "We can hear them fighting now. I'm going in to assist."

Zero nodded and checked the map. From the looks of it, the adventurers are moving which meant that Lovina's spell had worn off. Amaraline was fighting three people at once but Zero couldn't tell who it was.

Lowis was the first to reach the clearing and spotted his niece who had bloodied feathers and some of her long hair slashed off. He was confused as to why Douglas was fighting alongside the adventurers but he didn't think too much about it. Between his niece and the half-Selkie, he would always stand by his niece.

The two warriors fell and Douglas looked around in surprise. He hadn't expected reinforcements to come so quickly and took the small window of opportunity to plunge his blade into the annoying fortune-teller. If there was someone in the village he had to get rid of in order for his plan to succeed, it was this girl with the ability to ruin his plans with her gift. He'd deal with the warriors later but for now, she had to die.

Amaraline saw the dagger a moment too late. It was less than two palm lengths away from her heart and she couldn't react in time. As she watched the metal come closer to her, the fortune-teller silently apologised to the family she would be leaving behind. She didn't notice how Lowis yelled out her name or how Mitchnew took out the remaining adventurers with deadly precision, knocking them unconscious using brute force.

Everything happened too quickly and by the time Zero arrived at the scene, Lowis was bleeding out and Douglas was dead. Mitchnew had embedded a dagger in between Douglas' back, severing his spine cleanly. The adventurers were all out cold and Amaraline was crying. The dagger handle stuck out from Lowis' back and Zero quickly accessed the damage. It was a fatal pierce to his heart.

"Tell Clowis that he is finally the new head warrior. Don't cry... you did well."

Amaraline was too shocked to speak as Lowis grew colder and colder in her arms. The light in his eyes faded and Zero walked over calmly. He couldn't see Lowis' soul but he knew that the warrior hasn't left them yet. Without wasting any time, Zero got to work.

Hua Tuo watched as his apprentice walk closer to the dying warrior and observed emotionlessly. He wanted to know what Zero would do. Revival magic was something Hua Tuo told Zero not to use carelessly. When people saw a miracle of seeing a dead loved one coming back to life, many will jump at the opportunity to bring back the ones they lost many years ago. As explained, revival magic can only be used if the soul was still on Earth. The physician didn't want Zero to be stoned to death for not being able to bring dead people back by humans who cannot understand the limitations of revival magic.

Zero calmly removed the blade and placed both his hands on Lowis. Amaraline didn't notice this until there was a glow coming from Zero's hands.

Hua Tuo observed how his apprentice stitched back muscles, closed the wound, restarted the heart and got the blood running all in a matter of a few minutes. He did it so quickly without flaws and Hua Tuo had to admit that Zero has finally surpassed him in terms of healing magic. There was no denying Zero's talent. He would become a great doctor.

Lowis coughed at the awkward position he was in and Zero moved on to Douglas' lifeless body. Mitchnew wanted to stop the brunet and explain that the Selkie was a traitor but Hua Tuo stopped her.

"Let him decide, I want to see the path he takes as a doctor but be ready in case Douglas tries anything funny."

The dark-elf slunk away reluctantly and trained her eyes on Douglas as Zero brought him back to life.

Douglas blinked in confusion as he stared at the familiar forest ground. Then, he saw the brunet and scowled, trying to swipe at him. Mitchnew didn't miss a beat and quickly restrained him with her shadow magic.

The half-Selkie didn't struggle after he was restrained. In fact, he laughed so hard till he cried and Zero watched on calmly. Nobody knew what the brunet was going to next but Hua Tuo saw the look in Zero's eyes and felt reassured. Zero was a kind person but he was also a righteous person. That look in his eyes spoke of mercy but not without consequences.

"Douglas," Zero's young voice sounded oddly old and tired. The half-Selkie met those brown eyes and shuddered a little. Zero was calm but the look in those eyes held Douglas in place, sucking him into a never-ending pool of fear.

"Receive your judgement," Zero said and Hua Tuo stiffened at the activation of powerful magic. Was that En's blessing?

Douglas couldn't speak. He felt the spell Zero used clamp his mouth shut and could only watch on in fear. Mitchnew froze involuntarily at the looming threat. In fact, everyone in Half Moon village felt it. Animals and beasts ran away, some of the weaker-willed villagers knelt under the overwhelming might of the divine magic.

"For betraying the villagers who'd shown you nothing but kindness, you will be banished from this village. For selling your identity as a Selkie, you shall no longer retain that bloodline. From today onwards, you will become an ordinary human and may no longer call yourself a descendant of Sedna. This is my judgement."

When the magic ended, Hua Tuo's eyes went wide. He knew how King Yama's gift worked. He would weigh the sins of a person against the good they did and compose a suitable punishment for them to work towards redeeming their souls. Once they have completed their punishment, their sins would be written off and their souls could be reborn in a new body. For Zero to use this on Douglas, Hua Tuo didn't know if it was justifiable. The banishment was too light a punishment for betrayal. Douglas endangered everyone in the village, they could have been massacred. As for the stripping of Douglas' identity, Hua Tuo didn't know if that was Zero's way of encouraging Douglas to start anew by taking away the half-Selkie blood in him. Zero was kind, too kind and Hua Tuo didn't know if this was the right thing to do.

Douglas blinked and fell to the ground once the magic was completed. The first thing he noticed was how he no longer had webbed fingers. Zero wasn't lying when he said that the Selkie blood in him was removed. He could feel his senses dull a little, proving that he was now completely human.

"Zero... why?"

The brunet shook his head. "This is your punishment. You must now leave the village. It's a true pity that you decided to abandon the blood of Sedna in you but I hope that you can put your sufferings behind and live happily as a human. Everybody deserves a second chance, including you. Whether the village decides to forgive you for your betrayal or not is not up to me. I hope that someday you will be able to see past the lines drawn between species but for now, this is goodbye."

Mitchnew who heard Zero words backed down. She was touched by the young doctor's small speech. If it wasn't for Zenobia giving Sekkin and her a chance to start their lives anew, they would probably still be running from their pursuers and living a blood-stained life.

Douglas was a douche. There was no changing it. However, just this once, Mitchnew would let it go. Nobody has died permanently so everything is well. By now, most of the villagers have gathered to see what the powerful magic was all about. It didn't take long for word about Douglas' banishment to get around.

The former Selkie knelt on the ground with tears in his eyes. He put his head to the ground and bowed formally.

"Thank you, Half Moon village. I'm sorry for what I did. I wouldn't forgive myself for what I did, it was inexcusable but I promise to never interfere with your lives again. Jacqueline! I'm sorry for being a crappy older brother. Please grow up well into a splendid merfolk and forget about me."

Nobody spoke as Douglas stood up. He didn't say goodbye and nobody said goodbye either. It was a very cold parting befitting of a traitor.

After Douglas was truly out of sight, Zenobia spoke up to get everyone's attention. They still had Count Carrabas to take care of.

"Do we still have mana potions? Lovina, rest a little and then we'll place the curse on him."

"Curse?" Zero was surprised. "Are you not going to kill him?"

The chieftess raised her brow. "Do you want us to kill him? If you could let Douglas a traitor go, it would be shameful for us to kill Carrabas. We'll just put a curse on Carrabas so that he can no longer step foot in this forest and erase the memories of his army and the adventurers he hired."

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Zero was quite happy with this arrangement. He didn't like seeing people die even if they deserved it. Behind, he saw how Clowis threw a splendid right hook at the revived Lowis who apologised.

"Keep your stupid head warrior title! I don't need charity, I'll take it myself when I'm stronger!"

Lowis had to apologise over and over again while Amaraline simply cried in relief. It was good that the family would still be together for a little while. Zero felt slightly weak from healing two people in one go and using a divine spell. Hua Tuo noticed how Zero looked pale and decided that everything else could wait for tomorrow. The village wasn't in immediate danger so he took his apprentice and left for the cave. Since the trees were burned, they couldn't return to their apartment.

Zenobia didn't stop them and Hua Tuo carried Zero on his back, telling his exhausted apprentice to sleep. Zero didn't refuse. The divine magic was something he didn't think he would be able to use often if it wore him out this badly.

The sun began to rise, marking that the battle was truly over. Zero slept through all of it soundly, just glad that the war was over with minimal casualties.

Ball of Nothing

The sun was up high in the sky but there were still two people sound asleep. Hua Tuo had diagnosed both Zero and Lovina unfit for work as they were severely mana drained. In Zero's case, both his accumulated mana and energy reserves had been depleted after using the divine blessing magic. Lovina was suffering lethargy brought upon by mana drain. She would be fine by tomorrow but Hua Tuo didn't know much about how to help Zero. With great reluctance, he called Merlin.

"I never thought that there would come the day Hua Tuo would call me. This must be about Zero. I heard that he used a divine spell?"

Hua Tuo sighed. He still disliked the wizard. Merlin always had a way of speaking that always seemed condescending. It probably wasn't far from the truth either. The wizard disliked those who didn't walk the path of magic and treated them with disdain wrapped under a very polite pretence.

"Zero is suffering from mana exhaustion and his energy reserves are depleted. He hasn't moved at all since last night. Do you know how I can help him?"

Merlin sighed. "His chakra and mana channels are almost complete so he should recover naturally in about a week. I don't know how much of his reserves had been used but the fastest way to replenish that is to take him to La Boutique. If that isn't enough, find him monsters to absorb. The stronger the better. I can't make any mana regeneration potions for Zero because he might end up taking the mana from everything around, killing even people in the process."

Hua Tuo grimaced. "I understand. I should have stopped him when he was going to use Judgement."

Merlin shook his head. "I doubt there was anything you could have done. Just makes sure that Zero eats a lot when he wakes up."

The physician agreed and ended the call promptly. The sleeping brunet didn't stir and Hua Tuo drew the curtains close. Both Lovina and Zero were in his apartment. The witch had a slight fever from overusing magic but she was in a better condition than she was last night. On the other hand, he didn't know what he should do for Zero. Zoe prepared some nutritious broth with the herbs Cleo gathered but Hua Tuo wasn't sure if Zero would be waking up to eat it. He might have to feed his student if he is unable to wake up in a few more hours.

The village was busy. Raj and Grandma Moppo discussed the repairs that needed to be done while everyone else escorted Carrabas and his men out yesterday. Lovina did a great job holding out till the very end, putting all the necessary spells into place with Soon. It was the first time anyone had seen the witch run out of mana. She was known for her huge reserves and seeing her collapse was a huge shock for many. Manny, Peter and Soon were made to rest with Lovina unable to provide them mana. Fortunately, the village had enough hands to work on the repairs.

Raj wanted to fortify the village a little more while they rebuild the burned tree houses. The bridge was booby-trapped and a small dam further up the river was built. Every tree house was equipped with a fairy ring that will bring the occupants to the evacuation zone. Cleo healed the trees using her Dryad nature magic and their barks became twice as tough. It was now impossible to cut it and the trees had a strange resistance to any sort of heat. Wiser called them fire-resistant trees and quickly demanded samples of it so that he could study them.

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Tambolt was making new weapons for the Sky Bridge. Hua Tuo thought that they were very similar to large crossbows mounted on the bridges at the guard posts. Hyelin was working on a special kind of gas bomb and the physician left the weapon inventions to the lab members. He was more concerned about how the village would fix the tunnel that had partially collapsed when three knights came in.

"Don't worry about the tunnel," Grandma Moppo grinned. She took the kids with her to gather some clay. Hua Tuo was surprised to know that not all the tunnels were made from rocks.

Chowkah was repairing the ruined crops that got affected by the fire. They would not have any harvest for a while but Hua Tuo wasn't worried. The food store was unaffected. Zenobia and Raj had a discussion and the chieftess agreed that it was time to build up their defences.

"The village is in a very vulnerable position without walls. We should build some around after the illusion barrier. Magic barriers alone aren't enough. Once you have made the item list, Coux will go to town to gather the materials. Also, ask Hua Tuo if there is anything he needs. I heard that Zero isn't awake yet, there must be something we could buy to help."

The half-genie nodded. "Little Zero overdid it. Poor Lovina too... If only I was more proficient in magic, I would have helped."

The chieftess placed a hand on the inventor's shoulder. "Don't say that. Your inventions are very valuable. The Pigeon Canon was very effective, it kept them in a nice group and we didn't have to split our forces to take out the strays."

"Chieftess!" a loud and boisterous voice caught Zenobia's attention.

She raised her brow at the redhead who was flanked by the twins.

"What is it?"

Yxaan beat Vrald to the punch. "We want to hunt some monsters for Zero!"

Zenobia was confused. Why would Zero want monsters? Xvyal stole the words right out of Vrald's mouth before the ex-adventurer could explain. "Hua Tuo said it would help Zero recover faster. We need many big and strong monsters."

The chieftess blinked. While she didn't have issues with them hunting monsters with their capabilities, wouldn't they require more people to bring the monsters back?

"We received a space-time storage bag that has no limits from Hua Tuo! It's on loan from one of Hua Tuo's sources but we can use it to carry everything we hunt back. It's weightless too!" Vrald said, satisfied that he beat the annoying twins to the punch.

Zenobia stared at the sling bag and nodded. "Where will you be hunting?"

"Titor said that Endow Hill is the best place to hunt."

Zenobia looked slightly troubled. "Isn't there a dragon guarding it? Also, that is Hua Tuo's home. Did you ask for permission?"

Vrald grinned widely and gave her a victory sign. "Hua Tuo said that we could hunt there if we left the small animals and babies alone. In fact, I'm hoping that we can catch a dragon. That would definitely bring Zero back."

Titor who happened to pass by carrying some wood logs heard it and smacked the ex-adventurer's head.

"Don't hunt dragons! They are an endangered species. I heard that there are many chimaera monsters born from the strong magic in the air at Endow Hill. The strong magic caused them to mutate and only the fittest will survive. Zero said something about hunting pygmy boars before. He'd only caught baby boars because the adults were too strong. You could try to hunt those instead."

Vrald pouted. Truth be told, he wasn't going to hunt a dragon. He just wanted to meet them seeing how they were his ancestors.

Having heard enough of their banter, Zenobia sent the trio away and made her way over to Hua Tuo's apartment to check on Zero. In her heart, she wondered how the battle would have turned out if it wasn't for Zero. Amaraline might have died. Lowis wouldn't be here. Carrabas might have successfully razed everything to the ground if they didn't detect their army early enough to put together a plan. Half Moon village might really be wiped out from that battle and as the chieftess, she owed Zero her gratitude.

The only thing troubling her was the brunet's condition. Hua Tuo was a legendary doctor. If he didn't know how to treat Zero, nobody else would. It was unconventional to treat someone with dangerous monsters but if that was what Zero needed, Zenobia would leave no stone unturned and hunt everything there was to hunt on Endow Hill. The village repairs were coming well together and Zenobia estimated that it would be completed in a few days, excluding the new weapons that Tambolt was forging.

She arrived at the door and knocked twice before Hua Tuo opened it to welcome her.

"Lady Zenobia," he greeted. "Come in."

The chieftess to a seat and observed how pale Lovina looked. Compared to the witch, Zero appeared as if he was sleeping and Zenobia wondered if there was really something wrong with the brunet.

Hua Tuo noticed the rabbit beastman's doubt and chuckled. "Zero has a unique condition that puts him into a coma if he overuses his energy or magic. The only way he can overcome this is to consume anything that possesses life. The more powerful it is, the more life force it has. He could recover naturally but it might take years. There's really nothing I can do for him except prepare something that he could absorb when he wakes up. I'm giving him as much mana as I can but it's nothing compared to Zero's reserves. You've seen it. Zero is capable of using a divine spell."

Zenobia nodded. Zero wasn't ordinary and she gathered as much. However, seeing someone who was able to use a divine spell shocked her. Only heroes could use divine spells given by their gods. Even so, they sold their lifespan each time they used it. Zenobia was both in awe of Zero's might and terrified. If Zero used such a spell at such a young age, how long does he have left to live?

"I would like to ask Half Moon village to keep Zero's abilities and identity a secret. The fact that he is able to use a divine spell will only make Zero a target for countries who want to use his abilities."

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Zenobia understood what Hua Tuo was getting at. "I swear that as the chieftess of this village, not a single word will get out. However, can I ask if you will be stopping him from using divine spells in future? Zero is still young. He has a lot of years ahead of him. I fear that if he uses divine spells again, his life will expire very quickly."

Hua Tuo shook his head. "It's not the same for Zero, do not worry. He is my apprentice and we are immortals."

Zenobia's heart ached for Zero. She had guessed as much but hearing it from Hua Tuo was a different thing. The curse of eternal life was something she would never experience but Zenobia knew that immortals led very lonely lives. Many immortals went crazy after living for too long and losing too many loved ones. They became walking disasters and had to be killed.

"Lady Zenobia, you don't have to worry about it. I will ensure that Zero will never become one of them. I have taught him how to love life… a doctor's mission will never be complete."

Knowing that it isn't her place to comment, Zenobia nodded and left feeling both gratitude and pity for the brunet still in a coma. May the Gods above keep Zero safe.

Ball of Nothing

Baal was getting restless. Zero still owed him two more stories and he was irritated. The Demon Lord had been trying to contact the child for hours now without success. It was as if Zero completely disappeared even though he knew where the brunet was. Deciding to pay the brunet who was ignoring him a visit, Baal made his presence known.

Constructions and repairs were progressing smoothly. The villagers tried their best not to think about Douglas or Zero. They now knew that the brunet was no ordinary person. Feeling humbled by his abilities, there was a strange air hanging in the village while they worked. Nobody spoke about that incident, choosing to continue with their normal lives to the best of their abilities. They didn't know how they should treat the brunet when he woke up and that became the huge elephant in the village that not even Zenobia dared approach.

The villagers tried to maintain the normalcy despite everything that has happened but Hua Tuo still noticed the unease. Truth be told, it wasn't something unexpected. He just didn't think that Zero will blow his cover so soon. The boy could hardly be blamed. He had a kind heart with great intentions. It was simply the nature of all living creatures to fear the unknown. Hua Tuo tried to prevent this from happening so soon. Zero just wasn't ready for the harsh reality that awaited him. Sadly, fate had other plans and Hua Tuo was powerless.

Perhaps it was time to leave the village permanently. Half Moon village has suddenly become a terrible environment for Zero to continue his training in. The physician would have to start scouting for a new village soon, preferably before Zero wakes up. He didn't quite want to leave Half Moon village because Coux was a great trader. Things that were normally impossible to attain can be obtained by the half-succubus. She was Hua Tuo's best point of contact and the physician didn't want to lose her. Still, he had his obligations to the Great Gods who entrusted Zero to him. Zero dreams of becoming a physician who surpassed him rested on his shoulders too. It would do no good to leave Zero jaded at such a young age. The brunet's greatest strength was his selflessness, a treasure in this cruel world.

Lovina had woken up a few hours ago and left for her apartment recuperate in peace. The only silver lining in this mess was how Hua Tuo was able to identify the villagers who remained undeterred by the revelation. It came to no surprise that Zenobia was fiercely protective of Zero. Amaraline wasn't too shaken by it either although Clowis and Lowis had different ideas. Grandma Moppo and Lovina seemed to know about Zero's secret even before the revelation so Hua Tuo didn't have to worry too much. Surprisingly, Mitchnew and Coux didn't shy away from Zero. In fact, the ladies took it upon themselves to glare at anyone whispering about Zero who was still unconscious. That gave the physician some peace of mind while he tended to his sleeping disciple. There was hardly anything he could do for the brunet at this point so Hua Tuo continued to brood about his next course of action. At least he could count on the ladies to do some damage control while he thought of a way out.

It was three in the afternoon when the air in the peaceful village stirred ominously. The warriors who were helping with the repairs froze and dropped whatever they were doing. Zenobia stiffened at the pressure crackling with power. Her heart fell when the source of disruption seemed to be coming from Hua Tuo's apartment. With the elephant in the village and everyone treading carefully around that topic, the chieftess could barely put a lid on the matter. With this, it was sure to push everyone over the edge especially the warriors who saw Zero as a threat more than the innocent brunet who wanted to become a doctor. Dropping everything, the chieftess rushed over. Zenobia prayed that nobody would do something as silly as to try and harm the brunet. The last thing Half Moon village needed was a civil war.

Vrald arrived at the scene first. He growled and the dragon magic in his blood boiled. He could sense it. The foul Demon King Baal was here again. Unsheathing his sword, the warrior barged into Hua Tuo's sanctuary. The physician wasn't too startled when the hinges of his door snapped and the wood of the flimsy thing came crashing down onto his floor. He was more cautious about the ex-patient occupying his student's vessel.

"Lord Baal," he bowed in greeting, ignoring the uninvited guests making a mess out of the apartment. "What brings you here?"

Baal frowned and glared at the pesky warriors directing their bloodthirst towards him. It didn't hurt but it got irritating. What did he do to deserve such hostile treatment? It was unfair! If anything, he should be mad at them for failing to protect Zero. He had a feeling that something was incredibly wrong with the child and now that he was here, he could confirm it.

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"I was looking for Zero. He owed me two stories and I haven't heard from him even after trying to reach out to him for hours."

The physician blinked. How did Zero communicate with Lord Baal without him noticing? He decided to push that matter to aside for now. As the murderous intent in the room increased, Hua Tuo tried his best to remain calm. He wouldn't put it past these ex-adventurers to harm the Demon Lord residing in his student's body. If possible, he wished that they could negotiate terms peacefully and leave Zero's body unharmed.

"Zero is currently in slumber from overusing mana. His constitution is slightly special so he cannot recuperate without external influences. Lovina and I have exhausted our mana reserves during the war against Carrabas a few days back. It would take a while before we can help Zero replenish the bare minimum he requires to come out of slumber."

Baal blinked. "Mana? Doesn't that brat have a ridiculous amount of that stocked up? Who's the Carrabas fool? What did he do to Zero?"

Hua Tuo shook his head. "Carrabas is a human Count who attacked the village. Lovina has taken care of that fool. However, Zero exhausted his mana by using a divine spell that I couldn't stop."

The Demon Lord sucked air through his teeth. "Tell me everything from the beginning."

The warriors continued to guard against the threat in their village as Hua Tuo summarised the battle that occurred in the Demon Lord's absence. He explained how Zero brought the traitor back to life and punished him using a divine spell. Baal's expression became darker when Hua Tuo explained the last part. Nobody breathed when Baal's magic made the ground beneath them tremble in his rage.

"Is that Douglas person living well?"

Hua Tuo was slightly surprised. Why would Demon Lord Baal concern himself with such a minor character?

"I'm afraid I don't have that answer. He was banished only recently. Is there something you need of him?"

Baal was silent for a while. The brunet was truly a fool. Truen was right. Someone had to watch out for Zero and the Demon Lord wanted to blame Hua Tuo for everything that happened. If only the physician didn't influence Zero to walk the treacherous path of a doctor, he wouldn't be in comatose.

"Nobody stopped him from doing it? Aren't you meant to be his teacher?"

Hua Tuo trembled a little when he met those black eyes burning into his. That expression of pure fury was frightening. He'd never seen Zero look so lethal and Hua Tuo could sympathise with how the villagers felt. As an ex-human, Hua Tuo understood fear. Demon Lord Baal was a powerful existence rivalling any demi-god in terms of power. Hua Tuo wanted to avoid fighting with Baal at all costs. Those words cut like a searing knife and Hua Tuo flinched. It was true, he couldn't refute them. He was Zero's teacher and it was his failure to prevent the accident. He should have stopped Zero even if his student hated him for that. He shouldn't have let Zero bring Douglas back to life.

Coux frowned when she saw how Hua Tuo became silent. She didn't like how Demon Lord Baal was throwing his weight around. Her heart was racing in fear at the intense pressure hovering over the village, threatening to wipe their existence from Earth. However, the brave lady stood her ground. She walked up to Hua Tuo and looked into Zero's black eyes. Nobody has spoken to a Demon Lord and lived to tell the tale. However, for Zero, Coux would try. It didn't matter if more than half of the villagers in Half Moon village feared Zero and saw him as a threat. Coux was on Zero's side.

"Greetings, Demon Lord Baal," she bowed. "I understand the reason for your rage. However, please allow me to say a few things. Firstly, nobody could have prevented what happened. Zero took it upon himself to dish out his form of justice before anyone could stop him. Even if we managed to stop him on time, it would've left a scar on his heart. What is done cannot be undone. On the account of Zero's kindness, please let the sleeping lions lie. For now, Zero's health should be the first priority. Taking your anger out in Zero's body would only add to the wounds to his heart when he realises that it was his hands that have taken lives."

Baal glared at Lilith's descendant. As much as he hated the brazen succubus, she was right. He would be a hypocrite to blame Hua Tuo and the villagers for not stopping Zero. Baal wasn't present when it happened. He wasn't there for Zero even though he sensed distressing thoughts from the brunet. It was infuriating to admit it but he shared the blame as well.

"Lilith's descendant, you have a lot of guts talking to me like this," Baal growled and the half-succubus tensed. "However, I'll let it go this time as I share the blame. However, if anyone in this village mistreats Zero, know that I will not hesitate to raze this village to the ground. This is my first and final warning."

Nobody dared defy the Demon Lord. Then, Baal shifted his attention to Hua Tuo who swallowed. "Doctor, how much mana does it take to replenish Zero's reserves?"

Hua Tuo frowned and felt cold sweat form at the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, this is beyond my expertise. Merlin is more proficient at judging mana than I am. However, I assume that if we can transfer mana enough for a divine spell, Zero would be able to recover."

Baal clicked his tongue. He knew what divine spells were. Sage Gods were usually unable to use them unless it fell within their field of control as it required an insane amount of mana. With the exception of Merlin, no other Sages were able to use it more than once a year. Zero had a strange constitution as explained by Mii and Truen. Baal was troubled. As a Demon Lord, he was bound to the abyss and unable to leave it for a higher plane unless someone made a huge sacrifice to open a gateway that usually involved many lives. He couldn't transfer any mana to Zero when they were in two separate planes even if he had the means. Then, a brilliant idea hit him.

The villagers of Half Moon village tensed when Baal scanned the room. Almost everyone was in the apartment, making the space rather cramped. Coux flinched when coal black eyes landed on her thoughtfully.

"Lilith's descendant," he smirked. "Would you like to make a once in a lifetime trip to Hell? I can offer you my protection for the trip on the condition that you escort Zero with you."

The half-succubus blinked. Whatever the Demon King was about to say, Coux didn't see that coming. Was Baal negotiating with her? The moment Baal spoke to his wife, Roovan stepped in and declined.

"It's too dangerous," he reasoned but Coux wouldn't give in. The couple glared at each other, neither willing to back down until Mitchnew offered to travel with her. In turn, Sekkin didn't agree and arguments broke out. Baal's ultimatum to allow the village to send a party of up to five representatives to escort Zero to his palace made everyone settle down thoughtfully.

"I will send a familiar in two days. You can discuss it as a village and give me a reply by then. Zero will come to Hell to recover his mana in the Spring of Vitality, there is no room for negotiations. The only person capable of helping Zero recover his mana is mana drained, I will not tolerate having to wait for the stories Zero owes me any longer than I have to."

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As whimsically as he arrived, Baal left. Hua Tuo caught his apprentice and tucked him back to bed. Immediately, people started discussing who should accompany Zero to Hell. Zenobia saw how Hua Tuo was getting more restless when the discussion turned into heated arguments once more.

"Alright, everyone out! Call the entire village for a meeting, we shall discuss this in the cave." she ordered.

Disgruntled, the crowd dispersed. Hua Tuo took a look at the broken door and back to his student. Things were becoming more and more out of hand. If he thought that the broken pieces of Zero's heart could be fixed with a little bit of time before, he was now convinced that it would take the entire world's support to bring the boys' smile back. Douglas' betrayal was harsh enough. The villager's scattered opinions about his powers made it worse. Thank goodness Zero wasn't awake to hear any of it. The doctor hoped that everything could be settled by the time he returned from his trip to Hell.

The doctor sighed. He really hated this. What could he do to make the villagers get rid of their shallow-minded stereotypes? Demon Lord Baal's presence and demand only made everything worse. The villagers like Vrald may never look at Zero the same again. Hua Tuo was no fool, he saw the hatred in those eyes. Vrald must have felt betrayed and from what Grandma Moppo and Amaraline told him, Vrald isn't the only one feeling this way. Clowis and Leon were taking it much harder than the red-haired ex-adventurer.

Was there no fixing this mess?

Ball of Nothing

"Is everyone ready?" Coux asked.

It didn't take them two days to finalise Zero's escort party. Zenobia was very firm about who to send. Coux was in charge of the expedition and nobody disagreed. The party of five consisted of Coux, Amaraline, Qin Yun, Sekkin and Wiser. Hua Tuo was worried when Wiser volunteered to go with them. The strategist had no means of protecting himself, much less Zero. The oddball was human through and through.

"Don't worry," Wiser smiled. "Demon Lord Baal gave his word, nothing will happen. Besides, I don't feel like hanging out with a bunch of wussies in the village who cannot see past some flimsy stereotype."

At that, nobody protested further. Mitchnew was unhappy that she couldn't accompany Zero to the Spring of Vitality. However, she didn't have much of a choice. Sekkin managed to convince her to stay behind to look out for threats. The half-demon was a much better candidate for the escort party for obvious reasons.

Amaraline chose to leave the village for a while for the same reasons. She couldn't put up with her brother or uncle for much longer. Lovina wanted to go but was still recuperating. The witch also had the responsibility to keep Soon and friends 'alive' so she sent the small party off with a sad wave.

Zenobia wished the small party luck and entrusted the brunet to them. Cleo tucked a small four-leaved clover in Zero's hair for good luck and blessed them before they stepped into the hell chariot. The dark horse neighed and snorted smoke before kicking off into a gallop once the party settled in the carriage behind. The familiar Baal sent sat in the coach seat and whipped he dark horse twice before the beast ran straight into the portal, leaving a trail of fire behind when the portal closed.

It was over too quickly and reality hasn't quite sunk in yet. Zenobia continued to stare at the empty spot for a little more before snapping out orders to the remaining villagers, assigning tasks for everyone to resume the rebuilding project. With Coux gone, there was little left to do. The materials the needed to continue fortifying the village would have to wait.

The chieftess sighed. It wouldn't be long before the villagers started voicing their discontent, opening the can of worms about Zero's identity. She only hoped that the matter would be resolved before the brunet returned. Leon and Clowis were especially hard to reason with and Zenobia wished she didn't have to choose between her village and the brunet who'd done no wrong.

As the portal closed behind them, Coux peeked from behind the blood-red velvet curtains in the carriage. The scenery changed immediately into one that she wasn't familiar with. As a trader, Coux was well-travelled but the trip to the abyss wasn't anything she could compare it to.

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Firstly, the chariot was not touching any form of ground. They seemed to be moving in the direction of where the dark horse was bringing them to above the sea of darkness. The half-succubus was nervous as she peered into the never-ending pit of black. At the back of her morbid mind, she wondered how long the fall would be before they hit the ground if they fell.

Sekkin wasn't familiar with the abyss. Despite having demon blood in him, hell remained a myth to him until Zero introduced Demon King Baal to them in the most astonishing manner. In a way, this was his motherland. However, it didn't put him at ease. If anything, he was more concerned about the familiar Baal sent. The coachman and their only form of contact was a small rat demon with sinister red eyes. The coachman didn't speak common and nobody else in the chariot knew how to speak demon tongue so that was awkward.

Amaraline held Zero's hand throughout the journey. She wasn't too concerned about the darkness outside or the restlessness of her comrades. The only thing on her mind was how she could convince her brother and uncle to not see Zero any differently. After Zero had given her eyesight back, the fortune-teller had decided to dedicate her life to him. It didn't matter if Zero was a demon or god, she would stand by him. Sadly, her family didn't share the same sentiments. Clowis kept saying that they were unworthy of Zero's attention and shouldn't be disrespectful by speaking to him or bothering him in such a casual manner when he woke up. Clowis kept insisting that Zero couldn't be trusted after he revived the bastard called Douglas and let him go scot-free after betraying the village. Amaraline didn't know what to do.

Qin Yun was equally quiet. Of everyone present, she was the most relaxed. The fox demoness didn't think that she would be returning to hell so soon. In fact, she was amused by how fate worked. Grandma Moppo confided in her last night that she wanted Zero to become the next head of Half Moon village. She was even more insistent that Zero became the successor after finding out that Zero was an immortal and a powerful one who could use divine spells. The old lady begged Qin Yun to convince Zero to consider her proposal and the fox demoness couldn't say no. Being the village's second-longest occupant, Qin Yun had certain attachments to it. It would be lovely if Zero was in charge, she would love to see the things Zero would accomplish.

Wiser felt nauseous the first five minutes into their ride. He turned a deep shade of green after the dark horse lurched into a mad gallop after they entered the portal. Half of him regretted coming aboard but the other half remained stubborn. He had an argument with Tambolt and Raj about Zero's identity. Raj and Tambolt refused to recognise Zero as a lab member stating that he was too much of a magic person who shouldn't be tied down by their shabby presences. Wiser insisted that they should have Zero involve himself more with their activities for it could help them overcome the technological barrier with his magic capabilities. The djinn and dwarf kept insisting that it wasn't right to pull Zero into their crummy group and burden him with their nonsense but Wiser disagreed. Things got heated up and the strategist ended up calling them prejudiced fools with double standards. He got booted from the lab and spent his days sulking before choosing to volunteer for the escort mission.

"Wiser, are you alright? You're looking a little green," Qin Yun commented.

The human shook his head and the fox demoness chuckled. "Here, this is some motion-sickness medicine Hua Tuo packed for us before we left. He thought that you might need it."

Wiser accepted it gratefully and swallowed them. As expected of Hua Tuo, the medicine worked quickly. Wiser found himself sighing in relief and was curious as to how none of the other passengers in the carriage didn't feel ill.

"That's because we have demon blood to a certain extent in us. The abyss isn't a place that humans could easily waltz in and out of. If it wasn't for Lord Baal's protection, you would've been ripped apart by the lesser demons the moment you entered."

At that, the strategist looked out the windows and shivered. Even in the darkness, he could see thousands of red glowing eyes were staring at them from a distance as the passed. His whimper caught Sekkin's attention.

"Why did you volunteer anyway? It would have been fine with just the four of us."

Wiser scowled. "I had my reasons alright? Also, who's to deny such a rare opportunity to tour hell? It's like she said, with Lord Baal's word we would be safe."

Amaraline giggled. "Is it because of the argument with Raj and Tambolt?"

Wiser didn't answer but Amaraline knew she hit the mark. "Don't worry," she told him. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm here for the same reason. Clowis and Lowis are stubborn fools who wouldn't listen."

Coux frowned. "Let's hope that Zenobia would be able to resolve everything before we return."

Qin Yun sighed. "The chieftess is capable but she isn't infallible. In the worst case, we should brief Zero about the situation before we return. In fact, I think we should speak to him about it."

Sekkin agreed. "Do you think we should inform Lord Baal about it? Just to know what he thinks is the best for Zero..."

Qin Yun and Coux made a face. Lord Baal cared for Zero, there was no doubt about it. However, a demon's way of showing concern was very different from the other species on Earth. Sekkin was only a half-demon who lived like a human so he wouldn't understand the implications. Coux knew that it wouldn't be as simple as giving the villagers a slap on the wrist. If Baal was feeling generous, the entire village would be cursed. If he wasn't, Half Moon village would burn.

"Let's keep this to ourselves and place our faiths in the chieftess for now," Qin Yun reasoned. "Lord Baal is a busy person, no need to trouble him with our business."

Sekkin nodded. "I guess so. Well, Mitchnew is still in the village. Whatever the chieftess cannot accomplish, I'm sure she would take care of it before we return. How long do you think the journey will be?"

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Qin Yun shrugged. It had been some time since she last visited the abyss. Many things have changed. Then again, she was in a new district so there were many things unfamiliar to her. The fox demoness observed the rat familiar and sighed. If only it was a fox, she would've been able to communicate with it and manipulate it. Then again, Demon King Baal wasn't a fool. There was no way he would send a familiar that they could manipulate. All the party could do was sit tight and wait.

Time passed very slowly in the abyss. It was quiet with nobody having anything much to say to each other. Coux glanced out of the window often enough to know that she wouldn't be seeing anything more than darkness below and the occasional pairs of red glowing eyes. It was boring. Amaraline had long spaced out on them, probably attempting to peer into the future. Sekkin was snoring away and Wiser was trying to keep his eyes peeled. Qin Yun looked the most comfortable in their party of five. She was playing with fox fire magic, shaping the blue flame into different shapes to amuse herself and pass the time. Coux sighed to herself. With nothing much to do, her thoughts returned to the brunet in comatose.

What was she going to tell Zero when he woke up?

Uneasy about the future, she could only sit tight and wait as they pulled closer to their destination. Demon King Baal's castle could be seen from a distance. It was no less magnificent than what Coux had seen during her travels on Earth. It was built with a touch of death and screamed creepy just like everything else in hell. Still, the dark horse and their coachman remained undeterred, heading straight for the looming fog surrounding it.

Swallowing her nervousness, Coux braced herself to meet the infamous Demon King. Zenobia put her in charge of their party for a reason and she wasn't going to fail her secret mission. Demon King or not, business was business.

Ball of Nothing

Sekkin carried Zero on his back as they got out of the carriage. Wiser didn't know if he should be relieved that the carriage has stopped or fearful that they've finally arrived at the castle. Qin Yun appeared relaxed while Amaraline stayed close to Sekkin and Coux. The small escort party waited by the barbed gates of Lord Baal's entrance. The rat familiar left as soon as the guests alighted and nobody knew what to expect.

Five minutes later, Wiser regretted his decision to follow the group. Instead of having someone welcome them at the gate, they found themselves screaming for their lives and falling into a dark portal that opened beneath their feet. Sekkin immediately recognised the shadow magic and shifted Zero into a position so that he could easily shield the helpless brunet from harm.

Thankfully none of them had to worry about getting seriously hurt. No one could see what was happening but they certainly felt the magic that broke their plummet.

With a snap of his fingers, the room lit up and the party found themselves levitating in the middle of a grand throne hall. Coux was speechless. She was invited to meet royalty on Earth several times but none of those throne halls could compare to this.

Heavy black curtains lined the sides and the room was lit by hellfire torches. The throne was artfully crafted from bones and gold on top of the steps. The distance from where they were to the throne was at least fifty paces. However, the thing that caught the trader's attention was a young boy with black hair and eyes who yawned sleepily on top of that throne.

Whatever humans imagined Demon King Baal to look like, it was most definitely not a small boy with pale skin that looked almost white. His pitch black eyes and hair looked relatively normal and the only indication that he wasn't human was the single black horn protruding from the middle of his forehead.

With the wave of his hand, the magic was cancelled and gravity took control once more, sending everyone to the ground. Wiser and Amaraline landed clumsily on their bottom. Coux and Qin Yun had more grace and fell onto the balls of their feet, sustaining no injury. Sekkin flipped mid-air to right himself so that Zero wouldn't hit the ground when he landed. All in all, it was quite the invitation that nobody expected.

Exercising courtesy befitting of royalty, Coux bowed and introduced themselves. Strangely, she was stopped not even two sentences into her greeting by Baal who looked slightly annoyed.

"Let's not go into all that. This is hell and you are in my castle. Basically, I make the rules and I say to hell with formalities. No pun intended."

Wiser raised a brow at the dry humour. He had an idea or two about who that brazen child on the throne was but his brain lagged so badly trying to process that huge gap between what he knew and what he saw. So he continued to gape like a fish out of water.

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"Your Highness," Qin Yun began but was cut off by Baal's scowl.

"Just Baal will do. Belphegor is fine as well. I'm not good with the formal titles unless I'm meeting with the other Demon Lords. While I would love to entertain you with a feast upon arrival, I believe Zero's condition takes precedence. Let's head over to the Spring of Vitality now."

Nobody objected and Sekkin looked slightly relieved. Who knew that Baal would be so understanding and easy to talk to? Qin Yun didn't comment but she looked slightly uncomfortable at Baal's casual behaviour. As the mother of all fox demons, she was more cautious than anyone in the party. Baal had quite the reputation even in hell. His tantrums were often unexpected and merciless despite his lackadaisical attitude.

They were led down a twist of corridors and passageways including a secret trapdoor that didn't seem like common knowledge. Coux could only wonder where the servants were. It was a huge castle and they've seen a lot of the castle. It would have been normal to come across a few servants scuttling around, busying away. However, there were none and the trader felt very uncomfortable. Sekkin held onto Zero tighter when they were led down the trapdoor in what looked like a garden.

Amaraline stared at the carnivorous plants with interest before they descended down the secret passageway. Wiser huffed and did his best to keep up. For such a short Demon King, Baal walked fast. Sometimes, it looked as if he was floating. Without any way to tell the time, the party walked for what felt like hours before they heard the sound of water bubbling in the distance.

The trapdoor led them outside of the castle. They only discovered this after travelling for a bit and discovered that the castle was behind them like a backdrop against the red sky. The forest they entered was dead in a literal way. Other than ravens with glowing red eyes perched on dead gnarly branches, there no other signs of life around. Wiser half expected to see pools of lava lying around randomly to complete the image of hell but there were none. Baal would occasionally give a short introduction about where they were. Apparently, the abyss was old. Many things had long histories and Wiser could only imagine how old Baal really was.

The one thing Wiser took away from Baal's short lectures was how he shouldn't take anything in the abyss at face value. After tripping over a dried root on the ground, Wiser was about to grab onto a low hanging branch for support to get up when he was stopped by the Demon Lord who moved faster than one could blink.

"That's the antler of a tubeworm demon you were going to grab. Unless you want to alert it that dinner is here, I suggest you don't touch it. Nothing in the abyss is harmless."

Wiser paled and thanked Baal numbly as they continued the rest of their hike through the dead tree forest without incident. The red sky faded into a melancholic blue and that was when they heard the bubbling of water in the distance. The scenery slowly transformed into something creepier. There was a thin layer of fog as they became closer to the spring. Wiser was utterly exhausted from the long walk, unused to such intense physical activity.

"We're almost there," Baal told them.

Amaraline shivered. The air was getting colder and for some reason, Qin Yun had all nine of her tails out. She was looking more fox than human as they got closer. In fact, she wasn't the only one. Sekkin's eyes turned yellow and his arms were covered in thick black hair. Nobody commented when extra limbs protruded from his back. The cockatrice descendant knew that Sekkin was a spider demon but it was the first time she saw his transformation. According to Mitchnew, he hated his demon appearance and felt more comfortable in his human form. Coux was mildly surprised when the air tingled. There was a very strong flow of magic that only those with demon blood could sense. Unlike Qin Yun and Sekkin, her demon blood was very watered down so there was no forced transformation.

The Spring of Vitality was a huge lake in the middle of nowhere. Wiser didn't know what to think of such an anti-climatic reveal. The fog was very thick above the water and he wasn't sure how deep it was. Baal started shedding his clothes without hesitation and told them to do the same.

"The water isn't deep but someone has to prop Zero up. It is perfectly safe for humans and I apologise for taking the long route. This spring doesn't actually belong to me and it would be troublesome if the keeper of the lake finds out."

Amaraline's heart nearly stopped. "The Spring of Vitality doesn't belong to you?!"

Baal grinned cheekily and jumped into the bubbling lake. When he surfaced he laughed. "Of course not. How can such a good thing be part of hell? This Spring is under the care of an old friend. Don't sweat the small details."

Uneasily, they followed Baal's lead and got into the lake. The water was surprisingly cold despite the bubbles that gave it the illusion that it was boiling. Wiser frowned when he realised that the water wasn't hot. His scientific mind couldn't help but be curious.

"Why does it bubble?"

Baal didn't seem to mind answering some questions. However, what he said took everyone by surprise.

"Of course it bubbles! Where else would the magic come from? The water is supplied by the river Styx. The fog comes from the purgatory. The bubbles come from the air being forced through the gaps separating heaven and hell. We're currently in the borderless zone. Technically, the Spring of Vitality doesn't belong to anyone. However, a pesky archangel by the name of Raphael took it upon his nosy self to tend to it. That angel is a fraud, I tell you. He heals people with 'holy water' procured from this very lake."

"I thought you said the lake was under the care of an old friend... how are you friends with an angel?" Sekkin frowned. Amaraline gasped and wanted to smack the spider demon for speaking so loosely in front of a Demon Lord but Baal laughed.

"Didn't you know? Heaven and Hell were originally on the same plateau. At least on the same plane before the war happened. Just like Earth, you have many countries. Think of Heaven and Hell as countries. I had angel friends before I became a demon. Think of Raphael as my very annoying uncle if you must but that's our relationship at the moment. After the war, the border was drawn and Hell fell to a lower plane beneath the purgatory. It's slightly difficult to tell but in terms of soul placing, we still stand above the material plane and the purgatory."

Mind-blown at the explanation, nobody asked anymore. Qin Yun and Coux took it upon themselves to help bathe Zero. Sekkin finally took some time to relax with Wiser while Amaraline chatted with Baal quietly.

"How long would it take before Zero recovers?"

Baal shrugged. "If it takes the magic reserves of a divine spell to recover, I'll say that we could be sitting here from anywhere between half a day to half a year on Earth before Zero wakes up. I have no idea what tier of divine spell Zero used so I can't make promises."

Amaraline paled. Half a year on Earth... the villagers would be worried sick!

Sensing her unease, Baal snorted. "Don't worry, time passes very differently in hell. It could be twenty days here and only twenty seconds on Earth. It is also the reason why Hell lasts for an eternity. King Yama was smart when he entrusted us with the duty of punishing sinners. It's very different in Heaven. Two days in Heaven would be two years on Earth or something of that sort. It's also the reason why humans who go to Heaven and had their time frozen cannot return to Earth. They disintegrate."

The cockatrice descendant didn't know how to react. Her eyes fell onto the faint outline of Coux who took on the duty of propping Zero up in the Spring. Wiser sounded much better after taking a dip into the water with his hearty laughter. The poor strategist sounded so exhausted after the long walk.

Wiser was the first to get out of the Spring when his fingers started pruning. Amaraline and Sekkin were next. Baal told Qin Yun and Coux to get out of the water when he saw that. He didn't want them overcharging their magic circuits by staying in the lake for longer than they should.

"I'll take care of Zero. Follow my body double back to the castle and rest for today. There are many things in my castle that you can entertain yourselves with during my absence until Zero regains consciousness. It could be anywhere between a few days to half a year before he finally wakes up so feel free to use my castle as you please. If you want to go to town, I'll send my familiar to escort you."

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With that, Baal opened a portal and had his body double push everyone in. Once they were gone, Baal weaved a spell and cast it on Zero's sleeping form to keep him afloat. After that, there was nothing much to do apart from wait.

The Demon Lord grinned when he observed from his double's eyes how his guests started quarrelling about what they could and couldn't do in his castle. Eventually, the fox demoness decided to cook in the kitchen and the spider demonling decided to explore the castle while the cockatrice girl, Lilith's descendant and human decided to raid his library.

Baal grimaced when something exploded in his kitchen from his double's point of view. He glanced back at Zero and sighed. As entertaining as his guests were, the Demon Lord was genuinely concerned about his friend.

"I'll definitely flick you on the forehead when you wake up. How could you be such an idiot? At least learn to exercise some control and know your limits... I'll never forgive you if you don't tell me the two stories you still owe me, you hear?"

Zero didn't respond and Baal sulked. Still, the fondness in those black eyes never left. The Demon Lord sighed and closed his eyes. He would have Lilith's descendant teach Zero more about the ugly reality called life after he gives the brunet a good tongue lashing for worrying him so much.

Three days. Nobody dared to ask about Zero's condition and Baal's body double didn't give them any updates ever since they arrived at the castle. One thing they learnt quickly was how empty the building was. Coux toured every nook and cranny of the castle with Sekkin. Not a single soul was in sight. There were no servants and it made the succubus wonder how Baal maintained the castle. During their exploration, they came to understand why Baal had to take such a long detour. The castle was full of traps. If not for Amaraline's warning, they might not make it out of some unscathed. Baal's body double simply watched from the side lines, not interfering and not offering help.

Amaraline and Wiser holed themselves in the library. Qin Yun took it upon herself to prepare meals. Strangely, the food was always restocked the next day. The demoness didn't know what magic that was but there were always ingredients that she wanted. It was as if someone read her mind and readied them in advance for her. The fox demoness once asked Baal's body double if she could meet the person buying the groceries but received no answer.

"We can prepare anything you desire. If you wish to go to town, we can arrange for a familiar to escort you," was what he said.

For three days, they tried to take their mind off Zero. Amaraline decided to read up more about the history of Hell and learn the demon tongue. Wiser poured through books about forbidden spells, potions and creations. The strategist even took notes about the unique methods castles were fortified in Hell. He'd have to redesign the village's fortification when they returned. Coux did some research about the best sight-seeing spots in Hell and learn a little more about the culture. She picked up some simple demon tongue from Amaraline and practised it with Qin Yun who was a surprisingly fast learner of the language. Sekkin was surprised to find that he became stronger after soaking in the Spring of Vitality and was trying out his newly acquired demon powers. Nobody stopped him. In fact, Qin Yun sometimes offered to teach him some pointers and offered to spar with him. It was fascinating to see the spider demon and fox demoness fight. Coux winced when one of Qin Yun's tails struck Sekkin in the face again. The fox demoness was a skilled fighter with many years of experience. Her wits and tricks made it seem like she was toying with Sekkin who struggled to hold his own against her. He once thought that Mitchnew's training was hard. The dark-elf was one of the most skilful assassins back on Earth. Who knew that Qin Yun could put all assassins out of work with her level of skill?

"Is it possible to visit Zero?" Amaraline asked the body double.

The clone shook his head. "Lord Baal will take care of it. He will send word at once when Zero awakens. Please do not concern yourselves too much."

Coux sighed. "Is it possible to travel to these famous sight-seeing spots in Hell?"

The body double nodded. "I can arrange for a familiar to act as your guide. Although the abyss is a dangerous place, there are beautiful places you can visit. If you wish to, we could establish a long term trade contract with you to market unique abyss products on Earth and have some of the unattainable consumables on Earth to be sold under Lord Baal's name."

Coux's eyes widened and she grinned. The rest of that afternoon was spent learning more about the abyss' local produce and the kind of things demons liked. Amaraline became interested when the clone spoke about magical artefacts.

"Aren't those rare?"

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"Perhaps on Earth," the clone admitted. "In the abyss, anyone could craft them. Even low levelled demons are able to create trash grade magical artefacts. There will be many of these in the market. A lot of magical artefacts humans find on Earth are trash products thrown away by the demons and washed to the material plane by the river Styx."

Wiser blinked and Coux sparkled. She smelled a huge business opportunity and Qin Yun smirked. "Sounds like a good investment. What are the things that demons like? Perhaps we could form some sort of agreement for both parties to benefit?"

The clone smiled. "Lord Baal understands that Zero is to become the next head of Half Moon village. Seeing that they are friends, I'm sure Lord Baal wouldn't pass up on such an opportunity. However, the villagers with no alliance and loyalties to the village do not have the right to negotiate any terms."

The succubus froze. Qin Yun's smile dropped and Amaraline lowered her eyes.

"It's true that we have no affiliations to Half Moon village," Wiser started. He put down the book and removed his glasses. "However, we made the trip to Hell because we care deeply for him. It doesn't matter what Zero is. If he considers me a friend and accepts me despite my flaws I will do the same for him."

The clone didn't speak. Instead, he studied the five guests in the room. "We are demons. Words are contracts to us. Do you dare to swear that you will not betray Zero?"

Wiser did so without hesitation. "I swear. If I were to lie, I will have my soul shredded in the abyss and cast into the void for eternity with no salvation."

Amaraline jumped at the opportunity next. "I swear on the eyes that Zero has given me that I will not betray him."

Qin Yun, Sekkin and Coux made similar vows to forsake their humanity should they break the promise. As soon as the vows were made, there was a flash of light. Five scrolls materialised and they had to sign the contract with their blood. Qin Yun cautioned everyone to read through the contract before signing it as demons were known to be very crafty. Baal's clone didn't mind. In fact, he encouraged it.

After the magical scroll was signed, the body double grinned. With a wave of his hand, the scroll vanished and a symbol appeared on the back of everyone's left hand briefly before fading away.

"That is my covenant mark. In times of need, you can call upon me for assistance for a price. This mark is to protect you from other demons while you are in the abyss. Not even the other Demon Lords may harm you. It's also a pass that allows you to travel freely between Earth and Hell. Lastly, this is proof that you are under a faction in Zero's inner circle."

"Zero's inner circle?" Coux raised a brow. She knew that Zero had a complicated background. However, she didn't think that the sweet and naive brunet was capable of forming an underground group.

Baal had to give it to her. The trader was sharp, as expected of Lilith's descendant. "It's an inner circle created by Zero's trusted aide. We gave it the nickname of the Onion Union due to the complexity of the structure. Our sole mission is to assist Zero from the shadows and protect him for as long as we can. Zero's identity is top secret and only those loyal will know it. Needless to say, you will take this information to your grave and even then, you will tell no one."

They gulped as Baal's clone explained in detail about Zero's existence, abilities and identity. When they heard about how Zero was given a blessing by each of the Great Gods and how the Great Gods worshipped him, they paled.

"Zero is both the creator and the destroyer of our multiverse. Yes, you might not know it before but there is more than one universe. Like how different planes exit, different dimensions exist on the same timeline. Don't ask me how this is possible, it is something only Isis understands. The person who contacted me to be part of the Great Zero Alliance is no other than Truen Zheng, Zero's assigned bodyguard and assistant."

Qin Yun frowned. In the thousands of years that she's lived, this was the most absurd story that she's heard anyone tell. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to refute it. After all, many things made sense about the brunet.

"What can we do as part of the Great Zero Alliance? Also, will we be meeting Truen?"

Baal shook his head. "As of now, I am only in contact with Truen and Mii, both sparingly so. Truen mentioned that as a faction head, I'm given the green light to do anything within my means to aid Zero in whatever way I can. He is currently training under the Great Wizard God Merlin so it is rather difficult to get hold of him."

Coux hummed. "Well, the only way I can contribute to this alliance is to secure trade and funding for Zero's travels. If the trade route between Hell and Earth can be established, Zero wouldn't ever have to worry about finances."

Qin Yun smiled. "I'm sure there are many things we can do for him. I remember him saying that he wanted to invent new things and start a personal herb farm that he could easily access during his travels. If we talk to Grandma Moppo, she could come up with some sort of arrangement."

Wiser scoffed. "Fools. What Zero needs on his travels would be devices that can help protect him."

Sekkin shrugged. "He has a bodyguard. Besides, I think Zero has everything he needs and wants. I don't think there is really anything I can contribute to in this alliance."

Amaraline shared the same sentiments. She only made the vow thinking that Baal had something for her to do in order to repay Zero for his kindness. Feeling useless, the cockatrice descendant looked down at her toes. Baal saw that and sighed.

"Truth be told, there isn't anything much for the members of the alliance to do either. Our main sponsors have done too much. They almost spoiled Zero with their coddling when they first introduced Zero to the world. It's because of them that Hua Tuo and Merlin took it upon themselves to teach Zero about how cruel the world could be."

"By sponsors you mean..."

Baal's eyebrow twitched. "Zeus, Hades, Gaia, Sedna, Freya and Isis mainly... King Yama and Buddha contributed but not nearly as bad as the Great Gods. Oh, Merlin might have done something too. Hua Tuo too on small occasions. The best thing we could do for Zero at this point is to whip him into shape to ready him for his travels. I heard that in another half a year, he will be training with Merlin. That boy abuses magic as you've seen. Hua Tuo couldn't put it through his tiny skull that chores should be done manually and that life isn't smooth like honey. I'm the King of laziness but at this rate, Zero might just snatch that title from me..."

"Don't you hire servants to do the chores around the castle?" Coux questioned.

Baal deadpanned. "No, I don't trust them. I do them myself using magic. In fact, there is an auto casting magic that cleans the castle every hour. I don't even need to lift a finger for anything."

Qin Yun smiled uncomfortably. "The groceries in the kitchen...?"

"That's different. Someone constantly visits my castle to fill it up because they're worried that I might get too lazy to eat and eventually succumb to starvation."

Amaraline was curious as to who that person was but left the topic untouched. Baal looked like he'd eaten something sour as he said it and nobody wanted to offend the Demon Lord, allies or not.

"I suppose we could spend tonight celebrating the newly formed faction of the Great Zero Alliance," Coux reasoned. Nobody objected.

"I only drink blood wine," Baal quipped.

Wiser grinned. "I suppose we could head to town to pick out some groceries for the special occasion. Any other requests?"

"Lemon-orange squash!" Amaraline raised her hand and Qin Yun wrote them down quickly.

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As soon as they had a list, Baal whistled and the rat demon familiar materialised before them. The ladies were then ushered into a carriage no less impressive than the one before albeit a little smaller. They didn't have time to say goodbye as the dark horse galloped madly at the urging of the rat demon.

Back at the Spring of Vitality, Baal groaned. He'd forgotten something very basic before he shipped the ladies to town.

Demon King Baal was known for many things. Of the many things he was known for, one of them stuck out prominently in the abyss. The lazy good for nothing Demon Lord was perpetually broke because he was too lazy to manage his territory. Whatever wealth had before were swindled by servants he previously employed before his hundred-year nap. By the time he woke up, he had nothing left except his reputation. He didn't have the heart to tell them that the food he got was stolen by his rat familiar.

"Whatever," he sighed. They would figure it out eventually.

"Besides," he grinned mischievously. "What kind of subordinates will they be if they can't even manage such a simple task?"

It was surprisingly easy to understand the territories in the abyss. Firstly, Hell didn't have many civilisations. Even if they did, it was still a lawless zone. Those with power create the rules. Qin Yun had to give Amaraline and Coux a rundown about the basic do's and don'ts when visiting a demon town.

"They call it a town but think of it as a huge gathering of demons meeting up to do business. Laws do not exist. Demons don't work for livelihood, they don't play fair and they certainly won't go easy on you. If you show them any weakness, you can trust them to stab you where it hurts and drain every drop of your blood they can get. I don't mean it in just the literal sense… they will do it figuratively as well."

Amaraline shuddered and Coux's expression closed off. "In other words, it's a huge black market with many syndicates running the show?"

The fox demoness nodded. "My influence only reaches so far. We are currently in the Sloth Domain that happens to be Baal's territory. Of course, many other territories exist but there are six major territories in the abyss everyone has to be careful about – Sloth, Lust, Envy, Wrath, Pride and Greed."

"I read about it," Amaraline agreed. "Sloth is Lord Baal's territory. I think Lust belongs to Lilith, Envy belongs to Shittomi, Pride belongs to Lucifer, Wrath belongs to Amon and Greed belongs to Mammon."

Coux hummed thoughtfully. "Well, it doesn't really matter. We're here to buy a few things and understand the situation a little more. There are only so many things we can read about from that library. As a trader, it is important to understand the ground situation. Books cannot tell me what I need to know."

"In that case, I suggest we walk around the black market. Oh, we should also head to the bank to withdraw some money. I'm sure we can use Baal's name to withdraw some. Just show them the seal for verification purposes."

Amaraline was impressed. "They have such an efficient system?"

The fox demoness grinned. "Considering how there is only one bank controlling the finances in the entire abyss, they should be. I visited it a few hundred years ago so I'm not too sure if things have changed."

"What else is there in town?" Amaraline couldn't help but ask. Even back on Earth, she'd never been to town. It certainly was quite an experience.

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Qin Yun grinned and told the girl about how demon towns worked.

"The town is called Listless Town for lack of better naming sense. I haven't been to this part of the abyss before but I'm sure they would have the standard things in it. For starters, there should be an inn for travellers. If I remember correctly, Indolent Inn is one of the bigger businesses ran by Lord Baal. Souls Sins United Bank is founded by the six Demon Kings of Hell. To be more precise, Mammon actively manages it as the director and the others are merely investors. Then we have the Grimoire Gallery which should be the equivalent of a library back on Earth. In major towns, there will be an Academy. Most the time, you'll be able to find Morning Star Academy founded by Lucifer. However, the place we really want to go to is Mammon's Auction House. It's a VIP only thing so I've never been there. However, I know that they deal with many interesting items from across the dimension."

"Dimension?" Coux raised a brow.

"Yes. They co-own the Inter-dimensional Travel Agency as well as part of their trade route. One thing is for sure, Mammon is a very powerful financial figure in Hell. Everybody has heard of his name at least once and has used their products or services somewhere in their lifetime."

That got the succubus' attention. "Do you think we can negotiate business terms with Mammon on Lord Baal's behalf? I know that we have the covenant symbol but would that be enough to arrange a meeting with another Demon King?"

Qin Yun frowned. "I have no idea. However, I think that it might be better to find Lilith's contact and arrange a meeting with her fist. After all, you have her blood in you."

At the mention of the Demon Queen, Coux froze. Amaraline noticed it and gave the succubus a questioning look.

"I prefer to keep it professional. As a Van Doux, I will approach the party that will give me a more lucrative deal."

"I've been meaning to ask this for a long time now," Amaraline started. "Nobody else in the village has a last name. May I know what the Van Doux name came from?"

Qin Yun was also curious. Her fox ears twitched in anticipation as Coux contemplated if she should tell them her story. Other than Roovan, nobody else in the village knew about her origin. The succubus didn't know if she should give details or a simple summary.

"If you're uncomfortable, we won't pry," Amaraline apologised after Coux's long silence.

Qin Yun didn't say anything but Coux noted their disappointment. Maybe, just maybe... she could tell them a little more about herself. After all, it wasn't really a secret outside of the village. The Van Doux family was fairly well-known after all.

"I was born to the Van Doux family about eighty years ago. They are a fairly wealthy merchant family who had ties with almost every royal family and country. However, the Van Doux family had a strange tradition. They always married inside of the family to keep the blood pure. I was an exception when my mother had an affair with her bodyguard, a descendant of a Lynx beastman. My father found out and the affair was brought to light. My mother was locked up in the dungeon as punishment and I was brought up differently compared to my cousins under the watchful eye of my grandfather and the patriarch of the Van Doux family. I was given a better education than my cousins and was taken on business trips that my grandfather made. I was expected to do well but not allowed to inherit the family business."

Qin Yun was fascinated. The Van Douxs she knew in the abyss were brilliant succubi and incubi with very pure blood. They were direct descendants of Demon Queen Lilith after all. Some hatchlings decided to leave the nest and pay Earth a visit. That was around the time tales about blood-sucking monsters with good looks and dream demons started to circulate.

"Do you need to return to your family?" Amaraline asked.

Coux smiled. "If they were still alive, I would be required to go back and assist the next head of the family. There was a plague that infected everyone in the family. I don't know who decided to sleep with a descendant of the dying stars. The curse from that one-night stand took every Van Doux's life except mine. The impure blood in my veins saved me but it wasn't over. As the last Van Doux, I wasn't short of suitors trying to marry me for my money."

Qin Yun sighed. She knew how humans were. Truth be told, they weren't very different from humans.

"I decided to run away from the pressure of becoming the last heiress to the Van Doux family. I gave away all my family's wealth to the poor and needy before leading a wanderer's life. The skills I learnt from my grandfather proved handy on my travels and I became a merchant of my own making. I met Roovan during my travels and we eventually settled down in Half Moon village."

Amaraline pouted. "Not fair! You can't just skip on the heart-pounding love story!"

Coux stuck out her tongue. "You asked about my last name and not my love story. Too bad! Besides, we're here already."

Qin Yun chuckled while they bickered. The carriage had indeed stopped and they could now here the bustling outside. Listless Town wasn't as listless as its name suggested and Qin Yun found the irony amusing.

The rat familiar disappeared after they alighted and the girls decided to pay the bank a visit. It wasn't too difficult to locate the bank. It was the only building in the area that looked remotely secure. Coux had to drag Amaraline away from the street stores just so they could reach the bank. Qin Yun wasn't too hurried. While Coux withdrew the money, she had some things to settle of her own. It had been far too long since she last visited the abyss. The fox demoness wondered if it was possible to send a message back to her village.

Before she could do anything, she heard Coux's furious yell at the counter.

"What do you mean you can't? Like I said, I have Lord Baal's covenant mark here. You can authenticate that I'm making an errand on his behalf."

The poor counter assistant couldn't help but cringe at Coux's outburst. "I'm sorry. According to the bank's policy, Lord Baal would have to make the trip personally. His account has been closed due to lack of funds for more than two decades. It's a new procedure meant to reduce identity fraud. We have his registered magic traces to verify his identity. As Lord Baal hasn't appointed you as his authorised proxy, we cannot allow you to access his account."

Coux was positively fuming and Amaraline had to pull the succubus away before she started making a bigger scene. Qin Yun walked over calmly.

"Is it possible for us to take a loan under Lord Baal's name?"

The assistant shook her head. "Lord Baal's account has to be open before we can process any transactions under his name."

Coux fumed. Qin Yun was calm. "Could you check if the account under Qian Qiu?"

Amaraline watched as the counter girl used magic to activate a thick book.

"There is a matching name but the account is outdated. I would need to verify your identity before proceeding. Please place your hand on this stone and pour your magic through it."

Coux watched as Qin Yun activated her magic. The stone glowed bright blue and the bank assistant smiled.

"Thank you, would you like to update the information of your account?"

Qin Yun took a look at it and made a few changes. Coux watched as the fox demoness withdrew some money and tensed when she noticed how some demons were lurking outside the bank with their eyes on them. Qin Yun didn't lie when she said that the town was still a lawless zone.

"Is there a way for me to send a long distance message out of the six major domains?"

The assistant pulled out a very long parchment and unfurled it. "These are the regions we currently have contact with. The charges are listed beside the region. If the region you wish to send a message to isn't listed here, we can arrange for a special courier service but it would be costly."

Qin Yun smiled. Her fox village was way up in a snowy mountain and many demons do not go near it due to the climate. Very few demons were immune to cold. Most were gifted in dark magic or fire magic. It was rare for a pure-blooded demon to be anything other than these two affinities. She wasn't too surprised to see that it wasn't on the long list.

Amaraline stiffened when more people began to eye them. Coux flexed her fingers and flashed the covenant symbol nonchalantly as if to give them a warning. Some of the less confident demons backed off when they recognised the mark. However, the few tougher ones ignored the silent threat. Qin Yun continued to chat leisurely with the counter girl. There was no doubt that getting out of the bank would prove challenging.

"Also, can I buy a travel insurance policy for while we are in the Sloth domain?"

The counter girl nodded happily and brought out a chart explaining the different packages. "I'll take the basic package under my name for six people."

"That will be five intermediate-grade magic stones or twenty low-grade magic stones."

"Amaraline," the fox demoness called out. "I need your help."

Surprised, the fortune-teller walked over. "Yes?"

Qin Yun didn't explain much and shoved a small stone in her hand. "Infuse that stone with your magic."

The fortune-teller was puzzled but didn't question much. Once the stone was infused with magic, she handed it back to Qin Yun who inspected it before holding it up for the counter girl to see. Coux wasn't expecting for the assistant to stutter at the sight of that stone.

"I would like to meet with the manager of this bank's branch if possible. We are here on official business on behalf of Lord Baal."

The counter girl looked at Qin Yun back to Amaraline and finally at Coux before dread reflected in her eyes. "I'm terribly sorry for my mistake earlier. Please forgive me!"

Qin Yun waved her off. "Just get the manager here. We're not here to idle."

Apologising profusely once more, the counter girl left. Coux crept up to Qin Yun and asked her in a whispered voice demanded to know what was going on in a whispered voice.

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Qin Yun grinned. "Amaraline's magic is really rare in the abyss. She created a magic stone that can earn us many free passes. As a trader, I'm leaving negotiation terms to you. We need to get into that auction house to check out what's going on. Also, I'm going to get us some a favourable loan."

"I thought they mentioned that Lord Baal's account was closed?"

Qin Yun nodded. "It is. I'm going to use my account as a guarantor that you are an official representative by using Amaraline's stones as a down payment for the favour. We don't want too many of these going around yet, scarcity creates value."

Coux grinned. "I got your back. We will earn back the money you loaned with interest and have some balance even after buying all the grocery we need for the feast."

The fox demoness smirked in approval. If there was anything she learnt about the succubus, it was what the glint in her eyes meant. So far, Coux was unmatched when it came to negotiations. Nobody could win against her when it came to business. Behind them, Amaraline looked worried. It was just an ordinary stone infused with mana. Was it really alright to scam others even if it was in Hell?

Amaraline didn't know how to bring up the topic bothering her. In fact, the guilt eating at her conscience bothered her so much that she didn't notice the bank manager's arrival.

"Greetings esteemed guests of Lord Baal," the manager greeted. He was a short demon who wore a neat business attire completed with a bow tie. Qin Yun smiled slyly at the goat demon and the manager shuddered. In the presence of the powerful fox demoness, the manager felt very nervous. However, he did not expect the succubus to speak on behalf of the group instead of the fox demoness.

"Please, let us leave the pleasantries and formalities for another day," Coux countered. Amaraline kept her expression straight when the talks began. She felt slightly bad for the goat demon manager when Coux went all out, hammering details of the agreement.

"M-Miss..." the manager stuttered in panic when Coux had a contract drafted. "We would require the approval of the directors for such a formal proposal. Of course, Souls Sins United Bank wouldn't turn down such a rare deal. However, there is a limit to what I can do for you. Opening a new trade channel between Earth and the Abyss isn't something within my power to decide."

Coux stopped pushing and sighed regretfully. "I suppose you are right. There are proper channels with for these kinds of matters."

The goat demon relaxed a little but Coux spoke once more that made him tense up almost immediately.

"I suppose as the manager of this branch you manage the accounts registered with the bank?"

The manager wasn't a fool. Someone informed him earlier that these ladies who claim to be Baal's representatives demanded to have his dormant account reopened for some sort of business transaction and loan.

"Of course," he bowed.

Coux smiled. "I'm sure you've heard about the little commotion going on downstairs earlier. I'll come straight to the point. We are Lord Baal's representatives and would like you to help us reopen his account."

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"We would be able to reopen the account if Lord Baal could come down to register and authorise you as his official proxy. I apologise but without the ability to verify his identification or the truth of your words, I am unable to take any action."

Coux clicked her tongue. "I understand your concerns. Normally I would praise the bank for being very thorough in their checks to prevent fraud. However, we are in a rush. There is an auction that is selling an item that Lord Baal wants and would need to take out a huge loan. This matter is of utmost importance. What can the bank do for us since we are unable to reopen Lord Baal's account?"

The manager looked at Qin Yun who lounged lazily without care and back to the mysterious lady who created the rare magic stone. As a banker, he smelled money. There was nothing more important to him than business. Although it was regrettable that he wasn't able to reopen Lord Baal's account for them, giving them a loan wasn't a problem.

"I apologise on behalf of the bank for not being able to reopen Lord Baal's requirements. However, I might be able to do something for your loan. The bank has the policy to loan to anyone who has some form of an equivalent collateral item should they be unable to repay the loan and its interest. I understand that this talented young lady is a mage with a very rare magic type. If we can get our hands on a few more of that magic stone, the bank would be able to process your loan immediately."

Qin Yun raised a brow. Coux didn't fall for it. Asking for more than one high-grade magic stone of a unique magic type for a loan? If that was how the goat demon wanted to play, Coux would indulge him.

"I understand. How many magic stones of that sort does the bank want for collateral?"

The manager faltered. Whatever it was, he wasn't expecting to be given a blank cheque. From his years of experience in the business, he knew that there was always a catch. Something that was too good to be true was usually too good to be true. If he bit off more than he could chew, he would only be making a loss. On the other hand, selling rich man bread that poor man ate would be a waste.

Logically speaking, that one stone would be enough to cover the administrative charges for managing Qin Yun's account and give them a decent loan with spare change. However, he was the manager who was trained by the best businessman in the abyss. There was no way a follower of Lord Mammon would be satisfied with that. No. He would try to squeeze them dry. Who cared if they were truly Lord Baal's representatives? Only fools would play by the book in the abyss.

"I believe five stones of that sort would cover the cost completely. I'll be able to give you a lucrative interest rate with the longest term for repayment."

Coux smiled charmingly. "Only five, Mr Goat? You could ask for more, you know?"

The manager faltered a little and his confidence faded a little. More? Could he really ask for more? None of the ladies gave away anything and the manager frowned. Was this a gimmick?

On the other hand, Amaraline was panicking internally. Qin Yun continued sipping tea leisurely and Coux looked as if she was enjoying toying with a mouse. The cockatrice descendant didn't really know what was going on but when she heard five stones, she thought it was a good deal. It didn't take much out of her to create a magic stone. In fact, if she wanted to, she could create about a hundred of them without a hitch. The Spring of Vitality's effect was still strong in her blood.

Coux was having fun. That goat was a wolf in sheep's skin. Whoever he learnt his business tricks and persuasion skills from was good. However, Coux wouldn't lose to some cheap talk. She was a hard-core businesswoman who'd dealt with worse. The name of the Van Doux family lied on her shoulders. One puny demon wouldn't even leave a scratch on that great name. Five stones? Did he really think they would give the bank a chance to research on these stones for them to replicate?

Clearing his throat, the manager smiled once more with the business mask firmly in place. "May I know how much are you intend to loan? Perhaps we can work towards something more concrete with actual numbers."

Coux giggled. "Why, I thought you'd never ask. Your interest in the magic stone we have must really be something."

The manager didn't answer. Coux had him where she wanted and for the first time in his life, the businessman felt threatened. The lady before him wasn't a simple watered down demon descendant. She was on par with the arch demons in terms of business sense. He cursed his foolishness in underestimating them.

"It's not really difficult. I intend to take out a loan enough to buy a small store deed. As for repayments, I'll have it in two hours."

Amaraline froze. Qin Yun grinned and the bank manager swallowed hard. Two hours? He thought that as representatives of Lord Baal, they would take out more loans. Asking for even one high-grade stone wasn't even ethical at this point. Nobody would agree to it, much less five.

"However," Coux added. "I would like the bank to do a little favour for us after we have the loan."

"If it is within my capabilities, I will try my best."

Coux smiled. "I'm sure you have contacts with many high profiled customers. Lord Baal has a message for them. We will be hosting a competition at our newly acquired shop in two days. The winner of the competition will receive twenty of those stones. No fees are required and any number of participants is allowed. They may send their servants or participate it themselves, there are no restrictions."

The goat demon looked slightly surprised. He couldn't read what was on the trader's mind. Nobody looked surprised when Coux mentioned twenty high-grade magic stones as the prize. It wasn't something that arch demons could manage. Who was this mysterious girl who could make twenty with the snap of her fingers?

Amaraline heaved a silent sigh of relief. Making twenty stones was something manageable. Whatever Coux was planning, Amaraline was just glad they didn't have to work for it. However, she had questions. How will they earn anything to pay back the loan within two hours? The competition was in two days, why were they not seizing the opportunity to make money from it? Still, she held her tongue and waited for Coux to finalise the terms of the loan with the goat manager. In the end, they didn't have to pay anything for the loan of Qin Yun's administrative charges. It went to the inactive Lord Baal's tab.

"Here is twenty thousand for the loan. As requested, these are the recommended areas to get a decent shop and the owner's contact details. Is there a way for the bank to contact you to inform you about the number of patrons interested in the competition?"

Qin Yun smiled. "You can send a message to Lord Baal's castle looking for Lady Van Doux. Also, while we are at it, I would like to open new accounts for two people. One of them is Coux Van Doux and the other is Truen Zheng who isn't here with us today."

The manager smiled. "We can do that if you have something of Truen Zheng to verify his identity."

"None whatsoever," Qin Yun said. "However, I have a set of security questions that only he can answer."

"Very well. May I have a look at those questions?"

The fox demoness handed it over and waited. The manager was stumped for a moment. Whatever was written on the paper had to be either an unknown language or a prank.

"Ms Qian Qiu..."

"It's Qin Yun now."

"Ms Qin Yun," the manager began. "This isn't something the bank can accept. For starters, it isn't in a registered language."

The fox demoness shrugged. "It's an ancient language only he and I would know apart from the Sage Gods. If you want to, I can record both the questions and answers for the bank's reference."

Numbly, the manager agreed and Amaraline was impressed. She'd never heard Qin Yun speak in a different language other than common back on Earth. Hearing demon tongue from the fox demoness was weird but hearing this ancient language made Amaraline think that Qin Yun should be speaking in this language more often. The words sounded beautiful and the lady sounded as if she was singing.

"Thank you," the manager bowed. "I will prepare the new bank accounts for Truen Zheng and Lady Van Doux here with Ms Qin Yun as the guarantor. The loans will be ready shortly after the contract has been signed. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Coux and Qin Yun exchanged a look before the trader raised a finger. "There is one last thing," she said.

"We would like to have the latest map of this town and a general map of the abyss drawn within the last ten years."

It was a rather strange request but the manager agreed to have someone give them the maps requested with the contract. Lord Baal's nap must have gone on for longer than anyone expected and honestly, nobody was surprised. Lord Baal was known to take naps for hundreds of years at a time. His castle was now nothing more than a wasteland and Lord Baal's wealth has been squandered away by his servants over the years. If not for the covenant mark on the back of their hands, he wouldn't be wasting his precious time by entertaining these nameless guests.

"If that is all, I shall take my leave for today" he bowed and the ladies waved at his on the way out.

The moment the door closed, Amaraline fell over, her closed off expression crumbling rapidly. Coux patted the girl on her head.

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"You did well," she praised and Amaraline pouted.

"It was so complicated. I didn't understand anything! Also, how will we earn that money? There's no way to pay the loan back in two hours! Besides, why are we getting a shop? What's the competition all about? Why is the stone worth so much?"

Qin Yun crushed the girl in a hug and cooed at her innocence.

"Don't worry," the fox demoness grinned. "You should put more trust in her. She's not the heiress to the Van Doux name for nothing. Also, if there was something you wanted to blame, you should blame the wolf in goat's skin."

Amaraline didn't understand but couldn't ask further when there was a knock on the door. The maps and contract were brought up together with the application form for both Coux and Truen that Qin Yun looked over. Left with nothing to do, Amaraline sipped the now cold tea.

The location of their newly acquired shop pleased Coux. It was in a secluded part of town with good traffic of the worst kind. Qin Yun was no stranger to how things worked in the abyss. She wouldn't be the fox mistress if she was naive. Even in organised towns like this, territories and power struggles existed. Without announcing their alliance, this new shop would definitely be targeted.

Coux wasn't too surprised to have unwelcomed guests waiting for them. The estate agent appointed by the bank ran away as fast as he could the moment he handed the keys over. Amaraline cowered behind the two experienced ladies in fear when several rough looking demons approached. It wasn't very different from back on Earth. Apparently, gangs were still a thing even in Hell and the cockatrice girl wished Clowis was here. Her brother would have no problems teaching these punks a lesson or two, demon or not.

Qin Yun placed a hand on Amaraline's shoulder, sliding her serene expression into place. Coux seemed undeterred by the nuisance and smiled as if she was welcoming customers.

"Good day gentlemen. How may I help you?"

Amaraline counted eight demons with two particularly tough-looking ones. If the respect the others had for them wasn't an indication of their superiority, Amaraline could easily see the difference in their physical constitution by the bulging muscles. What were three helpless ladies going to do against a group of muscle-headed fools? Even if they managed to thwart the threat now, who was to say more wouldn't come for them?

Coux was calm. It wasn't her first time dealing with whippersnapper underlings of some shady two-bit syndicate. The big fish wouldn't bother with such trivialities in their area unless it affected their pockets. Pummelling a few empty-headed goons wouldn't leave any significant impact on their business credibility. If anything, it might buy the trust of their very first customers. Nothing sounded better than free advertising and that was exactly what Coux sorely needed at the moment.

The leader of the group of twats sneered and brandished his weapon of choice - a spiked club full of rusty nails coated in dried blood. His followers rounded them and Qin Yun pulled Amaraline closer to her. Although she had no doubts that the fortune-teller could hold her own, the fox matriarch preferred to leave the young girl out of any direct confrontation. There was nothing like a good old one-two combo to take the eight punks out, there was no need to put the child at risk. Amaraline was far too important to them.

"Lady, you're operating business in the Cool Bull territory. I suggest you offer some taxes to our boss if you don't wish for anything unpleasant to happen to your pretty little shop."

Cool Bull? Coux wanted to snort and roll her eyes at the lame sounding name. Couldn't they come up with something more original and spectacular? Then again, Cool Bull sounded just about right for this no-name gang with not a single ounce of class. The succubus wondered if their names were equally lame sounding like Diesel and Angus but brushed that thought aside. It wouldn't matter even if she knew, she wouldn't bother remembering them.

Activating her succubus bloodline magic, the trader flashed them a charming smile. "Well," she purred and Amaraline shuddered. "I believe it's only fair, isn't it? How about coming inside for some tea to discuss the terms?"

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Like a cliché plot in some oversold erotica, the boys followed her into the building with hearts in their eyes. Qin Yun smirked as they entered the building. Amaraline was about to follow when Qin Yun stopped her. The cockatrice descendant was confused but didn't question it. They took a stroll in the neighbourhood scouting for groceries and information. Qin Yun introduced herself to everyone they saw and marketed their new shop artfully, impressing the fortune-teller.

"Oh my," a grocer demon smiled kindly. "That's really helpful. Here, please have some of these on the house," she grinned and pushed two bags full of fresh vegetables into Amaraline's arms.

Amaraline didn't know how Qin Yun did it. She merely trialled behind Qin Yun and let the older woman do all the talking. Through small talks, the fox demoness elicited all kinds of information. They got to know about the gangs in the area, the top powers in the city and who they wanted as their potential customers. Not only that, Qin Yun managed to build a good rapport with the business owners suspicious about a potential rival of theirs in the area. Amaraline couldn't understand half of what Qin Yun talked about but she knew the older woman merely offered them some advice while pushing for an opportunity of a partnership with them before worming her way into their good books.

"Oh it's too much… I can't possibly impose on you!" Qin Yun mocked gasp but the grocer lady insisted.

"No, I can't thank you enough. Hearing that Lord Baal is awake is one of the best news we've heard in a while. These gangs have been fighting over control in his territory and we suffered terribly."

The fox demoness accepted the freebies graciously. "Don't worry, Lord Baal has entrusted us with a mission to stabilise the situation in town. However, we are lacking information so it would be great if we had a little more help from everyone."

The grocer sighed and looked around cautiously before whispering, "I can't say much but there is one thing I could tell you about. Lately, there is some interference from an unknown power. Not even Lord Mammon knows who this is but the abyss has been in disarray because of this mysterious power who entered the scene fifty odd years ago. Gangs and low-life demons have gotten a lot more powerful and citizens under the protection of Demon Lords are suffering from the underground war going on. If you could pass the word on to Lord Baal to have someone investigate this, we would be eternally grateful."

Qin Yun frowned. "Could you tell me what you know? What exactly happened?"

The grocer lady sighed. "I had a son. He was a stupid and useless son but he was still my flesh and blood. Ten years ago he met someone who offered him a chance to become more powerful. He didn't know who the dealer was but I know he would always carry a magic stone. The more he charged that magic stone with mana, the more 'curse power' he would get. It would amplify his latent abilities both physically and magically. However, it was like a ticking bomb. The more he used its power, the shorter his lifespan became. For us demons, our mana is our lifespan. My stupid son died because he wouldn't stop depending on this borrowed power. I know for a fact many runners of the gangs use it. It's not uncommon to find shrivelled corpses all over the city. Nobody knows where the stones are coming from but there are rumours that you can get a few from the auction house if you know who to talk to."

Qin Yun shared a look with Amaraline. "Thank you for sharing this with us. We will do our best to get to the bottom of it. If you are faced with any difficulties in future, please look for us at our shop or send a message to Lord Baal's castle looking for Lady Van Doux."

The grocer lady had unshed tears in her eyes. "Please, help me avenge my useless son's death."

Amaraline didn't say anything as they parted. She had trouble understanding everything. However, Qin Yun had a look of determination in her eyes. It was as if she finally had the last piece of the missing puzzle. The fortune-teller didn't ask for details as they made their way back to the shop. They had wandered around for about half an hour, Coux should be done with whatever negotiations by now.

They reached the tiny shop in less than ten minutes and Amaraline was fairly surprised by the complete makeover. The tiny shop was no longer dusty. The interiors were decorated with a homey feel and a touch of class. The exterior was extremely eye-catching. Anyone who passed by would be able to identify their shop and Amaraline raised a brow at the shop signage.

"Belles and Begonia?"

Qin Yun blinked. It looked more like a parlour than shop. What exactly was Coux thinking about when she redecorated the shop? Inside the dingy building, there were luxurious couches and small coffee tables. The open-concept pantry area had a selection of high-classed tea leaves and pretty tea sets. Qin Yun didn't remember demons having such fanciful tastes apart from the aristocratic families.

They entered the french door and a bell chimed, alerting Coux of guests.

"Welcome to Belles and Begonia," she greeted cheerfully and blinked when she saw the two dumbfounded ladies with arms full of groceries and freebies.

"I see that the both of you have been busy," she commented as she ushered them to the staff break room.

Qin Yun sighed and massaged her shoulders while Amaraline took her time to admire the tasteful interior decorations. True to the establishment's name, there were potted Begonias everywhere. If there was one thing Qin Yun liked about the new layout, it was the plush couches. After walking around town carrying so many bags, Qin Yun needed a rest badly.

"When did you get everything delivered? I'm sure potted flowers aren't readily available in the abyss. Also, where did these couches come from? Hell doesn't have many good craftsmen or leatherworkers."

Coux grinned. "Lord Baal gave us his mark so that we could travel freely. I had these things lying around in my severely underutilised properties so I had the gentlemen do some muscle work for me. I used the money from the loans to renovate this shop a little. We have a little over an hour to make money for repayment. How did the information gathering go?"

Qin Yun became serious. "That wolf in goat's skin definitely knows a thing or two about what's going on in town. Magic stones as I recalled, were never this valuable. Amaraline's magic trait might be rare but it wouldn't be this highly valued. The low-levelled demons are causing quite the nuisance and not even the Demon Lords are able to find the supplier of those cursed magic stones. The only lead we have is the auction house, as expected."

Coux pulled out some dull stones and Amaraline blinked. There was a weird vibe coming from those stones and she was reaching to them when Coux smacked her hand away.

"Don't touch those, they are cursed. Whoever it is, they're very good at writing spells. I've sent a few of these to Lovina, we should hear from her soon. Those gentlemen were kind enough to tell me a few interesting things."

"Let's hear it," Qin Yun grinned and got up to make tea.

"I'm sure you know how these work by now. They absorb mana from weak-willed demons and enslave them to become mana fodder. Addicted to power, these demons continue borrowing the curse's power until they eventually run dry and die. It didn't work on me because I had the blood of Demon Queen Lilith running through my veins. However, something really strange happened. The curse tried to steal my mana and replicate it by using something similar to mana. I don't know what that was but it certainly wasn't magic at work."

The fox matriarch returned with tea set the tray down, pouring everyone a cup. She smiled at the familiar aroma of oolong tea. That helped to calm her nerves and Qin Yun mulled over the new information. Amaraline continued to look lost.

"I was told something similar too," she admitted. "Whoever the dealer is, they are covering their trails very well. Until we have connections with the auction house, speculating further is unproductive. You mentioned that the curse stole mana but replicated the effects of magic and amplified the abilities with something that wasn't magic. Have you sent this to Raj or Wiser?"

Coux sighed. "I sent it to Wiser seeing how it wouldn't affect him. Raj would've been affected by the curse. However, Wiser couldn't make heads or tail about it. To him, it was merely an ordinary stone and without proper lab equipment, he couldn't make any progress. It's not as if we could bring the lab over now, could we?"

Qin Yun shrugged. "That's not as important at this point, is it? I'm sure he can figure something out. Knowing him, giving up isn't an option. More importantly, we have groceries for tonight's party. How are we going to pay the loans back in an hour?"

Coux grinned. "You've spread the word, right? All we have to do now is wait. Did I tell you that I had Lovina make a batch of pancakes and Zoe bake some treats? Lemon meringue tart is on the menu today."

Qin Yun's eyes widened and Amaraline's mouth watered. Coux went to the pantry and pulled out the treats from something that looked like a box.

"What's that?" Qin Yun asked, noticing it for the first time.

Coux winked. "It's our secret weapon. Meet the cross-dimensional shared inventory box. We have a cross-dimensional voice message system too."

Amaraline blinked. "Isn't that...?"

"Yes, it is. Wiser found the error in your formula and after some tweaks with Sekkin's help, we got it working. We have something similar for spying on our targets. All we have to do is lure them over and slap it on them while they're distracted."

Qin Yun was impressed and praised Amaraline who blushed. As soon as the desserts arrived, the fox demoness moaned in appreciation at the sweet treat. Amaraline dug her fork into the tart and the three ladies ate in contentment.

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From outside the glass window, the passers-by watched as three very beautiful ladies ate mouth-watering treats and chatted care-freely. It was a sight for sore eyes in a district as barbaric as theirs. Whenever Coux or Qin Yun saw someone staring at them, they would throw them a wink and beckon them inside. Amaraline noted how the majority of their newly attracted customers were male but chose not to comment. Money was money and she played her part by serving the customers tea and sweet delights with a smile.

The level of service provided by the three beautiful ladies started spreading like wildfire. Slowly but surely, more people from other districts began travelling over. Many customers paled upon seeing the ludicrous figure of their bill but sighed in relief when Coux and Qin Yun gave them the option of paying via magic stones. This unusual form of payment reached the ears of a certain bank manager. Usually, magic stones were only accepted at the bank or auction house. Nobody valued magic stones due to how common it was. It didn't take long for him to realise his mistake.

"I should have known better than to trust the seductress!" he hissed. Enraged, the goat demon threw the paperweight to the wall nearby, causing a huge commotion. The loan accepted magic stones as a form of payment. In the terms and condition of their loan contract, the bank accepted the worth of five high-grade stones and not specifically five high-grade stones. Blinded by his greed, the manager accepted the hastily drafted contract without checking. He only understood his folly when news about their shop's overwhelming success reached him.

Bitter at his loss, the manager could only force a smile when Coux returned an hour later to repay her loan at the counter below with an assortment of low-grade and middle-grade stones. The down payment of that one high-grade stone by the rare magician was returned and with that, the manager lost his only chance of a promotion through the cult.

"Coux Van Doux... Demon Lord Baal... you will pay for this, I swear upon the name of my lord," he growled, watching as Coux left the bank from his tiny office window.

Lord Baal's body double blinked. The ladies brought back groceries as promised for the feast and didn't seem troubled at all. Unable to help himself, he demanded details about their trip to town. Wiser received some really strange stones that made Lord Baal wary for a while.

"What happened while you were there?" he asked while Qin Yun and Amaraline busied away in the kitchen.

"Nothing much," she said airily. "We just set up bank accounts and took out a loan to start a small shop."

"My account should have been frozen. What did you give as collateral? Also, what's with those strange stones? I feel something unpleasant from them."

The trader grinned. "Now that is something we're trying to find out over the next few days. The only lead we have is the auction house. I was hoping you could help us with that since the bank's manager isn't a very helpful person. I hope he enjoyed the interest I returned after he tried to rip us off."

That made the Demon King interested. Not many had the gall to cheat a businessman under Mammon's tutelage and many who tried wouldn't get away with it.

"I must say I'm impressed. What did you do? Am I in any trouble financially? What kind of agreements did you make?"

Coux explained about the situation at the bank starting with Baal's frozen account and the manager's interest in Amaraline's stone when Qin Yun tried to use it as a form of payment.

"Things quickly became weird during the negotiations. He became too interested in the magic stone so we did some digging in town. Someone is behind the curse on those magic stones that was said to boost physical capabilities and magic abilities using the mana and lifespan of demons using it. It was rumoured to have some addicting side effects too but we're not sure about it. There was definitely something on those stones but it isn't magic."

"Something that acts like a curse but isn't magic? That sounds a little too far-fetched, doesn't it?" The body double asked.

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Coux sighed. "I would like to believe that it's a tall tale too. After all, it is a frightening thought that such powers could exist. Wiser is currently working on it. Coincidentally, I didn't fail the first mission. We made some profit off the loan from the shop. I intend to return to the shop tomorrow to do more investigations and catch the eye of some high-profile figures to hook us up with the auction house and the cursed stone supplier."

The double grinned. He didn't expect anything less from Lilith's descendant.

"Oh, one last thing. I'm going to borrow your residence and covenant mark to operate my business. You'll be getting twenty percent of the profit once your account is unfrozen. Qin Yun is the guarantor for both Truen and my account so she gets twenty too. Truen gets twenty for his travel with Zero and the rest will go to my account for business expansion purposes."

Lord Baal was impressed. "How much do we have at the moment?"

"I'll say somewhere around five hundred cursed notes or half a devil gold? There were quite a few mid-grade magic stones in the pile of low-grade ones. I'm just not sure if the bank will be willing to exchange it for money seeing how the manager is probably still fuming."

Baal's double laughed. "I'm sure you won't have a problem converting it to cash once you're in the auction house. In fact, I'll write a letter to Mammon tonight. You should hear from him soon."

Coux thanked Lord Baal and decided to head to the library to study the maps she'd gotten earlier today. It was never too early to plan for business expansion. If Belles and Begonia was a successful model, she would have more Demon Lords invest in it. After all, Zoe and Lovina wouldn't be able to keep up with the demand if their popularity exploded through the roof. Coux would require actual bakeries producing human food somewhere and a logistic arrangement to keep their outlets fully stocked. Dimensional boxes didn't come cheap, she couldn't afford to have one at every outlet.

"Fool!" a huge dark figure snarled. Teeth gnashed and it did nothing to help the goat demon manager who was trembling on his knees.

"I'm sorry your honour! I promise to get those stones in two days' time! They will host a competition at the shop, I will send in as many participants as I can. The prize is twenty high-grade stones... They might have more if we could invite them to the auction house..."

Growling in discontent, three pairs of red eyes glared at the trembling bank manager.

"See that you do," the low voice growled. "Or you'll be on my next menu..."

"Yes, your honour!" the bank manager squealed before making his hasty depart.

Once the dark cave was cleared, the sound of rustling chains and howling could be heard. The bloody sky did nothing to improve Kerberos' mood. How he wished there was an easier way to remove the chains on him. Unfortunately, the magic of Great Gods was not to be underestimated. Sadly, the same couldn't be said of their memory.

"If only I didn't chew his cloak that night..." the three-headed hound lamented. Now, it was too late for all that. The only way to undo the stupid chain that bound him to Hell for all eternity was to turn time back.

It didn't matter what the price was, Kerberos would turn back time and return to his master's side once more. If he needed to beg for forgiveness, he would. It was better than lying forgotten all alone with nobody to hear his cries.

"Just a little more," the hound hissed. "A little more and I can set everything right again..."

"Is that the last order?" Lovina panted. Making two thousand pancakes on such a short notice took every ounce of magic she'd recovered. Thank goodness Cleo had a number of mana potions stocked up. Zoe was faded all the way up till her waist, too tired to maintain her solid form. Coux really worked them hard.

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"I don't know about you but I'm going to shower and take a nap before I get to analysing the cursed stones Coux got from the abyss," she told Zoe who nodded. As the master of all known curses, Lovina was eager to get started on the case.

The witch headed back to her apartment with heavy thoughts. It was rather strange for Coux to demand so many things from the village. Could Zero be in some sort of pinch? Didn't Demon King Baal give his word to protect them? Was there a famine in Hell? Then again, considering the kind of climate it was rumoured to have, Lovina wouldn't be too surprised if Hell was suffering from eternal drought and famine. What better ways to punish sinners than make them feel the constant pains of having an empty stomach?

Still, two hundred pancakes and thirty pies should be able to last the party for a good number of days. Lovina understood that time flowed rather differently in the abyss compared to the material plane. However, there was no reason for them to consume so much food in just a few days. What's stranger was for Coux's request to have the hunting party bring back meat enough for three feasts by tomorrow. When Zenobia heard that, she'd sent about half of the village's able forces to go gather anything they can find. Nobody knew what was going on back there, they only received broken bits of information from Coux who seemed too busy for anything.

What they didn't know was the kind of waves Coux was creating in Hell with the introduction of real food. Those two hundred pancakes, thirty odd pies and a few hundred kilograms of meat will forever be recorded into the history of Hell as the first ever Mega Gourmet Competition.

It was also the first time a new sin was recorded and a new Demon Lord crowned. His name is Beelzebub, the Lord of Flies. His record? Seventy-six pancakes, five pies with three slices and fourteen kilograms of roasted meat. However, this is a story for another time.

Four days have passed since Zero's arrival at the Spring of Vitality. Baal sighed. Much had transpired in that short window of time that he was awake. There was no doubt about it, Coux was Lilith's descendant. The succubus' blood still ran strong despite the watered down generations. That trader was milking every single ounce of what he had to offer with the covenant mark, not that he was upset about it. Leaving business to the hands of a Van Doux was the right decision. Being mana drained constantly was a small price to pay. If his domain collapsed because of his inability to support it, Baal wouldn't be a Demon King in the first place.

"What's that? Has the mighty King of Laziness finally decided to get serious about conquering the world?"

Baal clicked his tongue. Yet another annoyance has chosen to present itself in the Demon Lord's path.

"Nice to see that you're still in good health, uncle. Are you here to steal 'holy water' again?"

Raphael swatted the Demon King's head and huffed. "Talking to me like that, aren't you afraid that I'll spank you again?"

Baal baulked at the memory. Indeed, this archangel's pure hands had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with his dirty bottom once or twice in the past when he was still a snot-nosed Demon King running around causing mischief. Lucifer hadn't been too pleased to know that Baal was ditching his classes and building illegal portals from the Abyss to other dimensions for his 'getaway' trips. Being an ace student of the Morning Star Academy, Baal tended to get away with many things. However, etiquette was still something that had to be observed. It was something Baal completely disregarded unless absolutely necessary.

"It was only those few times when I was younger. I'm a proper lord of my domain now."

The archangel chuckled and filled his water skin beside Baal lounged in the Spring nonchalantly.

"Yes, you were quite the rascal as I remembered. Have you been maintaining your domain properly? I heard that you drove Mammon up the wall by missing all his business conferences during your nap. He was about to remove you from the board of directors after you went bankrupt."

Baal sighed. "Don't worry about it. That has been resolved now. I found some capable family members."

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Raphael nearly dropped his water skin in surprise. "When did that happen? Will you be introducing them to the family?"

Baal shrugged. He looked at the angel who hadn't aged since the last time he saw him. How long ago was that? Three or four hundred years? Raphael's porcelain white skin and bright blue eyes shone with the moonlight illuminating his high nose bridge and fine features. Truly, angels were of a different level of beauty. Baal would know because he'd seen his uncles and even his headmaster in their best forms. If Gods were Kings, Angels were their knights. Archangels were the scariest table knights that guarded their Kings. In their battle-fury form, they had two halos and three pairs of wings. All angels had ridiculously white skin and blue eyes. Some had blond hair and others had dark hair like Raphael. The archangel of healing had curly dark brown hair, almost black, that cascaded down his shoulders. He was lean and from far, one might mistake him as a woman. The Demon Lord sighed. Even in his normal form, Raphael had a pair of small white wings protruding from his back. The halo was nowhere in sight but that did nothing to hide his angelic aura. It was too sparkly for a Demon Lord and already, the King of Sloth felt tired from looking at Raphael.

"The family is such a pain..." he groaned. "I just got my new family a few days back. I don't know if I should regret my decision now. They really know how to make full use of the covenant mark..."

Raphael smiled. He'd known Baal since he was a child. Despite the grumpiness, he knew that the Demon King was actually fond of them. To give someone his covenant mark, Baal must really trust these people. For centuries, the Demon King of Idleness never opened his heart to anyone. His servants often came and left on their own accord. Everyone who sought him out always wanted something from him. Over time, Baal learnt to deal with the affairs of his domain lesser and lesser to avoid getting too emotionally invested. They were demons and Hell isn't the best place to practice compassion.

Lilith and Mammon were the closest to what Baal could consider as friends. However, they were not able to fill the void in Baal's heart. A Demon King isn't something any strong demon could become. It was a heavy responsibility. Demon Kings maintained the mana in their domain to support the existence of the abyss in a different plane. Without them, the abyss would disintegrate. It was a pact that Lucifer made with Heaven to end the war. Hades stepped in to support Hell for a little before moving up to the Purgatory. Now that King Enma has taken over that duty, Hades returned to heaven. Raphael heard about a few things going on from the Great Gods occasionally. He wondered if that mysterious force was the reason for Baal's change of heart.

"I heard from the Great Gods about a mysterious existence called Zero. Do you know about him? Apparently, this creature is revered by even the Great Gods. They mentioned that he has business with the fragments of Divine Entities in Hell. Have you met him?"

Baal blinked. "Are you talking about that unconscious boy there?"

Raphael dropped his water skin for real this time. It bubbled a little before sinking to the bottom of the Spring.

The angel leapt to his feet and would have had a cardiac arrest if he had a working heart. "Baal! What have you done?"

When the Demon King saw how his friendly uncle transformed into the scary killing machine with six wings, he backed away. "He was like this because of a divine spell. I brought him here to help him recover."

For a moment Raphael didn't seem to believe him. However, the archangel didn't make any indication that he was out to harm Baal. Instead, he furled his wings and composed himself.

"Speak. I want to know everything from the beginning. You do know that the Great Gods will not hesitate to destroy realms should anything happen to him, right?"

Baal sighed. He felt a headache coming up and glared at Zero. "The things I would do for you, friend... only you. You're going to owe me six stories for putting up with so much," he growled.

Raphael listened without interrupting Baal as he gave a recount about Zero's apprenticeship with Hua Tuo at Half Moon village. He talked about the brief battle that happened and how Zero chose to punish the traitor by using divine-tier magic without knowing the consequences.

"According to Hua Tuo, Zero has a very special constitution. This body was made by Gaia and doesn't have normal magical branches like all living things. It's currently still developing and while Zero can recover mana on his own, he requires a lot of it to replenish his energy reserves after using too much of it on that divine spell."

Raphael's rage simmered and the rage in his eyes faded away. "Do the Great Gods know?"

Baal shrugged. "I'll leave that decision to Hua Tuo seeing how that poor fool is in charge of this reckless munchkin," he pulled on one of Zero's cheeks.

Raphael reverted to his regular form and heaved a sigh of relief. "I understand. I'll pretend that I didn't know about Zero's existence. However, if you require anything at all, you know where to find me."

Baal didn't respond to that but Raphael didn't mind. He was too used to his nephew's antics. The angel removed his clothes to look for the water skin he'd dropped earlier. Baal made a face.

"Really, do you even purify or filter that water before giving it out to the sick? This lake has been used by many to bathe in. It's just disgusting to think of anyone drinking bathing water. Someone might have peed in it too. You wouldn't know what's in it."

Raphael dived up for air with the water skin in one hand. "Well, they always say not to look at the kitchen of the restaurant you're eating in. Good food is good food regardless of how it is prepared. Besides, this is magic water. The mortals can deal with a little filth if I'm going to be saving their lives."

Baal snorted. "Don't let anyone hear you say that, you fraud. Who knew that angels could have such twisted personalities? The whole bunch of you are world class conmen and they call us demons bad..."

Raphael swatted the back of Baal's head once more. "I could say the same for you. Choosing a child's body and acting dumb. Just so you know, the fire has already spread to your territory. If you don't take care of it quickly, no amount of damage control can recover what you're about to lose. Isis' words, not mine."

Baal groaned. "Go home already, old man..."

Raphael clicked his tongue in irritation. "Such an unlovable child… Say hi to your new family for me and visit us sometimes. We miss having you around."

Once the archangel has disappeared, Baal glared at Zero and pinched his cheek, stretching it. "If it wasn't because of how much I like you, I wouldn't have to deal with all these headaches. You better tell me good stories once you wake up, you hear me?"

Zero didn't answer and Baal huffed. The Spring continued to bubble and Baal decided that he should review whatever his double had to report.

Once the connection was open, information kept flooding to his mind and Baal groaned. Lilith had done something absurd again.

"A new Demon King? Seriously? What the heck is Gluttony supposed to be? Also, what's with all that food? My mark shouldn't be used to transport food without having them become a tribute to me! How dare she... Oh, I swear Lilith and all her spawns are a pain in the butt! Why did I even remotely consider adding that bitch to my family? Oh yes, I was broke..."

Baal groaned and sighed once more, glaring at Zero who continued sleeping.

"Only for you..." he groaned. "Only you, Zero. I'm never having another friend. Do you hear that? You're a pain in the butt!"

Zero didn't answer and Baal continued to groan when he felt another surge of mana leave him through the covenant mark. It was a good thing he was in the Spring of Vitality at the moment. Whatever Coux was doing had better be good. Considering the progress she'd made, Baal decided that he would close an eye to the mana abuse. Still, there was some business to be taken care of.

Summoning a magic scroll from his dimensional inventory, Baal wrote a letter and had his familiar deliver it to Mammon. Raphael was right. The fire had spread to his territory and if it wasn't taken care of, it will become an even bigger headache, one that Baal didn't want to deal with. The fact that there was a new Demon Lord running around in his territory meant that Baal was responsible for him.

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The Demon King groaned. "Why does it have to be me?" He pulled out another scroll and scribbled a letter to be sent to Lucifer.

"Whatever. Lucifer is in-charge, Demon King of Gluttony or whatever, he'll still have to go through that same torture called 'school'."

With a smirk, he sent that letter out too. For the third time that day, Baal pulled out yet another scroll. This time, he wrote it to a certain succubus queen. If Coux was going to do something huge, she would need all the support she could get. Besides, Lilith was bugging him to no end about wanting to meet her descendant. Baal thought that now would be a good time to introduce them. He knew that the Queen of Lust would nag at him for not allowing her to meet her child before he gave her his mark. However, Baal refused to think about it for now. He'd worry about it when the time came.

"All in a day's work," Baal smiled, feeling proud of himself. If he could, he would give himself a pat on the back. Now that the serious stuff was out of the way, he yawned.

There was no better way to reward effort other than a well-deserved nap. Baal felt his eyelid droop and hugged Zero closer to him before he fell asleep. Zero better wake up soon. If there was one thing Baal would consider a better form of reward for all the effort he put in, it would be listening to Zero's cheerful voice and funny stories.

A week passed in Half Moon village with still no news from Baal or the party escorting Zero to the abyss. Hua Tuo was getting slightly worried. Only Lovina was still in contact with the party. The witch was his only thread of connection and that made Hua Tuo regret not following them. The physician sighed and looked up at the sky. Nothing much had transpired in the time Zero had left. The fortification works were progressing smoothly but the sombre atmosphere hung in the air like stubborn old mould. Nobody wanted to talk about the elephant in the room, not even Zenobia.

He was slightly startled when he heard someone knocking at his door. Recently, Karris was experiencing contractions more frequently. It wouldn't be long before she was due and Hua Tuo really wanted his student present for the delivery. Unfortunately, this was something beyond his abilities. He only hoped that Baal would be able to do something about it like he claimed he would.

Setting his work materials to a side, Hua Tuo went to welcome his visitor. He wasn't quite expecting the oldest villager to pay him a visit but offered her tea anyway.

"Thank you," Grandma Moppo smiled as Hua Tuo handed a steaming cup of green tea.

"I see that your health is getting better," he noted.

The half fae grinned and laughed heartily. "It's all thanks to young Zero."

The silence in the room was suffocating and Hua Tuo didn't know how what he should be doing. He could definitely bring up his grievance with the old lady and the matter would be very quickly resolved. After all, even Zenobia had a certain level of respect for the pioneer of Half Moon village. Sometimes, Grandma Moppo's words were the law. Hua Tuo knew that very well. However, the physician understood that whatever good relationship he had with the village before this would be completely destroyed if he did so. Rebuilding destroyed trust was a lot harder than earning someone's trust.

"Say," Grandma Moppo smiled. "Wouldn't it be nice if this became young Zero's home too?"

Hua Tuo blinked and considered her question seriously. With a frown, he admitted that the thought had never crossed his mind. Zero was his apprentice, shoved into his arms after Buddha dropped the news on him. Hua Tuo grew to like his apprentice more than he thought was possible and as a teacher, he wanted what was best for the brunet. However, the physician was rather hopeless when it came to caring for Zero's mental well-being. He had been harsh and strict on the brunet, trying to discourage him from walking the painful path of becoming a doctor. Zero prevailed and showed Hua Tuo how brightly he shone in the desolate land. He paved the way for all doctors with the magic he possessed. Sicknesses that were previously impossible to cure and treatments that were unheard off came tumbling out of that small apprentice, how could Hua Tuo not be proud? Still, there was always something lacking. Hua Tuo knew it well. He saw it in his student's eyes sometimes. Zero would sometimes become very withdrawn and quiet, a very vast difference from how he usually was. Behind the curious and optimistic personality was a very wise and troubled soul. Hua Tuo didn't know how to help his student whenever he was in one of those moods.

"That's a very generous offer. However, I don't know if Zero wants to stay here permanently. He is still young and wishes to travel. I'm afraid I can't make this decision on his behalf," Hua Tuo apologised.

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Grandma Moppo waved it off casually. "That's fine. We could work things out. I'm sure you know the reason for my visit today."

The physician became grimmer. It wasn't very hard to guess. The village was split into two camps. Nobody truly hated Zero but the reactions they had were very contrasting. Hua Tuo didn't know which was better. There was a camp that supported Zero and wanted to support him by treating him the same as before. Lovina, Cleo and the small party that escorted him to the abyss were some. It was clear as day that Zenobia was in that camp but as the chieftess, she had to play it neutral. On the other hand, there was a camp that respected and feared Zero. Clowis and Leon, in particular, said very harsh things. They didn't want Zero in the village at all. Most of the lab members felt betrayed, Raj, in particular, felt depressed while Tambolt spent his most his time drinking ale, trying to forget the blow to his pride. Hyelin was torn. She liked Zero as a person but for someone who left magic for science, she simply couldn't accept how powerful Zero was. The pixie felt utterly betrayed even though it wasn't Zero's fault. Wiser stormed out on them after a heated argument when they took a vote to keep or remove Zero as a lab member. The pixie regretted saying such hurtful things but she couldn't bring herself to forgive Zero who had done no wrong.

Hua Tuo sighed. "I understand. I'll talk to Zero when he comes back. If Half Moon needs any medical help at all, send Roovan over. I'll make a trip personally. I'll keep him away from the village in future, sorry for causing so much trouble."

Grandma Moppo blinked and choked on her tea. "It's not like this!" she quickly clarified. "I'm here to apologise on the behalf of Half Moon village. Zero has done such wonderful things for us and yet we can only repay his kindness with ingratitude."

Continuing quickly so as not to leave Hua Tuo in further suspense, the half fae explained how she had a talk with Zenobia. It took a while to understand everyone's feelings and for the fears to blow over. Leon and Clowis were the hardest to convince. Leon felt unworthy of becoming Zero's friend and acted out like how any child would after such a huge shock. Clowis was livid when he heard how Zero let the traitor go so easily. Nobody could tell him that his fears were unfounded. Douglas might be human now but who's to say he wouldn't come back with an army to attack the village? Not everybody was as kind as Zero and this kindness Zero showed Douglas might end up biting them in the back one day.

"The chieftess and I have decided that Zero should become the official owner of this village. It is the only way to put everyone at ease."

Hua Tuo didn't speak for a while as the information sank in. For Zero to become the owner of Half Moon village would mean two things. One, the brunet now had to become its protector. Two, the brunet would have a platoon of the most skilful and talented professionals of every known field at his beck and call.

Half Moon village wasn't just a village for the outcasts. It was a village to hide one of the most wanted people on Earth for various reasons. Grandma Moppo took them in one by one despite knowing the risks and now, Zero would inherit this danger when he became the owner. If he could, the physician didn't want Zero to shoulder such a burden. Fighting a war against humans is one thing. Fighting multiple wars against different races was another thing. As an aspiring doctor, this wasn't a good thing for Zero. However, it wasn't something Hua Tuo could decide on behalf of his disciple.

"I understand," he bowed. "I will talk to Zero about this when he returns. However, I would let you know in advance not to get your hopes up."

Grandma Moppo smiled gratefully. "That is all I ask for. Even if Zero refuses, we shall always consider him as one of our own although our paths might be unlikely to cross again."

Hua Tuo only watched as the healthy half fae left. He didn't have the heart to escort her out, feeling both tired and sad for Zero. Parting was never an easy thing and Zero had gotten rather attached to the villagers. He didn't know what the brunet wanted but he knew that he didn't want Zero to be burdened by the responsibilities of protecting the village.

Seated at one end of the thirty feet long table was Baal in his pyjamas as he yawned. Zero had finally shown signs of recovery. Although the brunet was still unconscious, the Demon King witnessed the completion of Zero's chakra and mana channels. He would be able to recover mana and qi on his own now even without the extra boost from the Spring of Vitality. Baal decided to bring Zero back to his castle to recuperate while he attended to official business.

On the other end of the ridiculously long table were Demon Queen Lilith and Demon King Mammon. The succubus queen wore a revealing leather outfit that exposed her cleavage and outlined her womanly shape. Black leathery wings on her back fluttered occasionally as she moaned obscenely at the taste of the dessert in her mouth. Her thin black tail swayed from side to side hypnotisingly, waving the heart-shaped barb end teasingly.

Mammon showed no outward indication of his thoughts about the new dessert. The Demon Lord was dressed very conservatively. An oversized hooded cloak much like Hades' covered most of his body. If one looked closer, they would find horrifyingly dark circles underneath Mammon's eyes and very sickly pale skin. The Demon Lord looked as if he would keel over at any moment. His long bony fingers gripped onto the silver spoon steadily and his forest green eyes sparkled at the thought of investing in Baal's new business venture.

"I must say," Mammon admitted. "That this is very good. I'll be more than willing to partake in your business venture. Let me know what resources you require, I'll come up with the capital. It looks like you finally found capable followers."

Lilith grinned. "Oh! That reminds me... is this wonderful thing called ice-cream made by my beloved child?"

Baal groaned. Coux was supposed to be here an hour ago. Unfortunately, something happened at her little shop and the trader had to attend to urgent matters personally, leaving him to attend to his two guests alone. Qin Yun was busy in the kitchen and Amaraline was tending to Zero in the room. Wiser was still cracking his head over the mystery of those stones while Sekkin was making trips to the village for the strategist. They were making slow progress and Baal couldn't help but feel a little anxious. A month had gone by already in the abyss and the only thing that significantly improved was his bank account.

"Coux will be here later. She has some important business to handle personally on short notice. Also, I didn't call the both of you here just to talk about this. There is something of far more importance that has come to my attention lately. It's best to stop the fire while it is still small."

Mammon trained his eyes on Baal who looked uncharacteristically serious. Lilith stopped fooling around and sat up straight.

"Is it regarding the magic draining stones in circulation?" Lilith asked.

Mammon sighed. "To think that it has already reached you... I was trying to contain it within our territories too."

Baal shrugged. "What's done is done. Why don't you fill me up on the details since I've been asleep for a long while now?"

Mammon and Lilith started recounting how they discovered the first unusual magic signature in their underground market. Gangs have gotten rowdier than usual and many strange casualties were reported. The first death happened in Mammon's territory and the findings were shocking.

"They had no mana in their mana channels. Their cultivated essences were also drained completely. Normally, it would be impossible to drain mana and qi completely in a demon due to our natural physical constitution. In our exhausted state, we fall back into our original forms. However, these demons that died didn't revert. In fact, their bodies were in their prime. It's very strange."

Lilith agreed. "I personally went to see one of those bodies. It was strange. Although there was no mana left in them, there was a strange trace of something foreign. We tracked that back to the cursed stone. It's very similar to a lich's curse but deadlier. We haven't been able to identify where all the harvested mana and qi were going to. They seem to be sucked into a void within the stone."

Baal frowned. He'd seen some of those stones after Coux attended an auction and met a dealer. The succubus and fox demoness did their best to get information from the dealer but there was a strong memory sealing spell. When they tried to pry further, the informant died. They later discovered that there was a binding contract mark on the dealer. Whoever it was working behind the scenes, they certainly knew what they were doing.

"I have some of my family working on this case. The dealer we met was killed. We found a binding contract mark and a strong memory sealing spell. Whatever that stone is, the curse isn't a product of magic. Or at least, not completely."

Mammon grunted and Lilith pouted. "Is there no way to trace where all the mana is being syphoned to? Also, where did all these stones come from? Can't we do anything about it?"

Baal stared at the stone on the table. "It's not from the abyss for sure... the stone doesn't look like anything I know in my domain."

Mammon stared at it. "You're right about that. It's not from mine either. It's too smooth as if it had been sitting in a river for many years."

Lilith blinked. "Hold on a second... river? There are no rivers in the abyss."

That caught Baal's attention. From Coux's report, the stone stole mana and enslaved low-tier demons to milk them for everything they had. It was no coincidence that Mammon's bank decided to value magic stones either.

"I know this may sound like a silly thing to ask but I've been asleep for a long time now. Mammon, does your bank accept anything other than cursed coins and notes for payment?"

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The Demon King raised a brow. "Unless there is devil gold involved, I don't think anyone can afford to pay using any other currency."

"What about magic stones?"

At that, the Demon King snorted. "That trash commoners sell in the flea markets? Forget it! Why would I accept such a useless thing?"

The last piece of the puzzle fit. Baal grinned sinisterly and Lilith became curious. "You know something?"

The Demon Lord chuckled. "Looks like we need to visit a certain employee of yours, Mammon. We will have the answers we seek in no time at all."

"Manager Schaf," Lord Mammon greeted as the goat demon entered the luxurious office. The curtains were drawn open, allowing the red fiery glow of hellfire surrounding the glamorous building in. Nothing was more terrifying than having a chat with the most notorious Demon Lord in Hell.

"Greetings, Lord Mammon. Schaf at your service," the goat demon greeted confidently and Mammon silently commended the demon's bravery. Not many could stand before him without quaking in their boots. Schaf's legs looked close to giving out on him but the goat demon had admirable will power. Sadly, he used his gifts in the wrong way and it was up to Mammon to let his loyal employee for many years know the verdict. It was a unanimous decision by Baal, Lilith and himself. Nothing could stop the wheel of fate from turning at this point.

Mammon smirked underneath his hood, giving him a very sinister look. Schaf shivered at the bloodthirsty grin. It was too easy to forget that the Bank and Auction House owner was still a very powerful Demon Lord capable of annihilating countries with the wave of his hand. The manager felt an unpleasant feeling settle in the pits of his stomach when Mammon motioned for him to come closer.

Unable to refuse, the manager went closer slowly until he was touching the custom made wooden desk that separated them. Schaf wasn't fooled. That flimsy piece of furniture wouldn't be any protection against an enraged Demon Lord. The goat demon tried to think back on the things he did since the last time he was called to the headquarters. He knew he had a good track record over the past few centuries after being transferred to Lord Baal's territory with the exception of his recent activities. News shouldn't have reached Lord Mammon's ears yet. Lord Baal wasn't awake for long enough to discover anything amiss. Unless...

Mammon wanted to laugh at the various expressions his manager was making. To others, Schaf looked completely composed but before the Demon Lord known best for his poker face, this was nothing. Still, Mammon gave credit when credit was due. Schaf learnt from the best and there was a small part of him that swelled with pride. Unfortunately, Schaf decided to betray him and Mammon didn't have mercy for anyone trying to harm his interests. The Demon Lord of Greed held back a chuckle. Letting the poor goat stew in his worries had been entertaining. It was about time to cement his manager's worst fears.

"I heard that you've been busy lately. Tell me, what exactly have you been busy with? The latest sales reports aren't reflecting anything different from before. Yet there have been talks about your involvement with a huge project that I haven't heard about. Won't you tell me about it?"

Schafer paused. A bead of cold sweat trickled down the side of his neck despite the heat from the fire outside. Schaf knew exactly what Mammon was talking about. He knew the day that his boss would question the submitted ledgers would come and was glad he came prepared.

Mammon knew that look. He almost sighed like a disapproving parent, disappointed in their child's choice of being dishonest with them. Whatever lie Schaf planned had better be good. If there was anything the Demon Lord hated more than someone defiling his gold, it would be predictable annoyances.

"My Lord," Schaf bowed deeply. "It is true that I have been busy lately preparing for a huge project. As expected, news has already reached your ears. I apologise for not reporting this earlier."

Mammon nodded, indicating that he was listening. Schaf seemed to gain confidence from that small gesture and stood straighter, becoming bolder.

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"This new project involves earning money from low levelled demons. Although it has been the bank's policy to reject those without the ability to offer a valuable item as collateral, I believe we can still stand to profit even without having such collateral."

This caught Mammon's interest even though he knew that Schaf was lying. For a very long time, Mammon was unhappy with the figures. Both the bank and auction house were doing well. However, nothing made Mammon more restless than the word stability. It was synonymous with stagnation and for the Demon Lord, that wasn't a good sign. He wanted more Devil Gold in his vaults. He didn't just want to keep counting the ones he already owned. He wanted to count new ones, to see and feel each and every unique texture, savour the smell of every note and engrave the sight of his new possessions into the back of his retinas.

"Speak," he commanded and Schaf smiled. He knew Mammon would be interested.

"I got the inspiration from Earth," Schafer admitted. "There are illegal money launderers who loan small amounts to the healthy but poor. When they become unable to pay up, the only options remaining for them are physical labour where they toil away for life or sell their bodies."

The Lord of Greed nodded. He wasn't very familiar with how those on Earth did it but it seemed lucrative. Unfortunately for demons, their bodies don't sell well. There was also no need for physical labour with magic, it just wasn't practical. Schaf sensed Mammon's thoughts and assured him that it wasn't anything like what happened on Earth.

"As you know, the only other currency that exists in Hell apart from Devil Notes would be magic. Those with rarer magic types will charge exorbitant fees for their services. However, many of these demons have been secured by more powerful demons and are bound by servitude. Here is what the bank could do to profit off the poor but healthy. We could start storing up magic stones and introduce it as a second form of currency. With the vaults and security already in place, it is not difficult to start a magic collection."

If Mammon hadn't been privy to the scheming behind his back, he would be taken in by Schaf's proposal. It sounded very logical and promising that the Demon Lord wished it had been true.

"A shame. Truly a shame," Mammon sighed aloud.

Schaf was stupefied for a moment. It hadn't been the reaction he was expecting from his boss. If anything, Mammon should be considering to promote him.

His confusion was soon written off when Mammon threw some familiar looking documents on the table. The goat demon paled a little and swallowed hard. Despite the damning evidence on the wooden desk, Schaf remained neutral. His expression not betraying his current state of mind.

"May I ask what that is?" Schaf trod lightly on the subject.

Mammon wasn't too surprised by how his manager continued to play innocent until the end. He could have turned a blind eye to this matter and let Schaf go with a stern warning. However, with Lilith and Baal on it, there wouldn't be an easy way out. Mammon knew that the gentler option would be harsher on his employee. As a banker trained by him, Mammon felt that it was a waste to let such talent go. However, it was more favourable when compared to death. Baal was lazy and wanted Schaf dead so that the matter could be settled once and for all. Lilith was all for it too and it was Mammon who pleaded with his case by saying such a valuable lead shouldn't be let go so easily. Schaf's punishment was postponed but it was still too early for Mammon to feel at ease. Lilith and Baal agreed not to go too far for the later part of the plan but who knows what they would do after they found the mastermind?

Sadly, that was thought for another time. Mammon hardened his expression and Schaf tensed.

"You should know better than anyone else what these documents are. It's not the original but it definitely holds your unique signature. I heard that you've been busy working on this project without informing anyone about it and taking out personal loans from the bank bypassing the regular approval methods to fund for your idea. In a normal circumstance, I would applaud your innovative suggestions and enthusiasm. However, I have also heard about how you're inspiring upstarts with this new collateral method."

"My Lord!" Schaf spluttered in indignation. "I would do no such thing to tarnish your name!"

Mammon only sighed, refusing to speak any longer. With a wave of his hand, the door flung open and Coux took that as a cue to enter the room. The half-succubus gave the goat demon a coy smile and Schaf turned as white as his fur at the sight of the unexpected visitor.

Coux waltz in confidently and stood beside Mammon on the opposite side of the desk. The manager could only cling onto the side of the wooden furniture to stop his legs from collapsing on him. Even a fool would know what it meant. The pieces were falling together now and Schaf finally understood the reason for Mammon's reaction. It didn't matter how great or convincing his plan was, if there were higher powers at play, there was little Schaf could do. Kerberos wouldn't be able to save him and the goat manager resigned to his fate. At least it would be a great honour to die by the hands of the great Demon Lord who raised him.

"How good to see you so soon," Coux purred. Mammon was as still as stone. The documents proving Coux and Schaf's involvement a few days back lied innocently on the table.

"My Lord..."

Mammon shook his head. "You've done something I can no longer overlook. However, as you have proven to be one of my most promising employees for the past few centuries, I shall show you some form of mercy."

Schaf looked like he wanted to cry but what Mammon said next made his blood run cold.

"From today onwards, you shall no longer call yourself an employee of the Souls Sins United Bank. You have one day to pack up and vacate your office. Your successor has been decided so please hand over all your access, you should understand the consequences of not following the standard handover procedures, I do wish to have to prosecute your case. Tribunal trials are not things I particularly enjoy attending, I hope that you understand that."

Schaf stood motionless for a good few seconds. Not even Mammon knew what to do while Schaf processed the shocking news. The Demon Lord half expected for Schaf to go kicking and crying but he was proud of his student when the goat demon looked at him in the eye and took a silent bow with unshed tears.

"May Lord Mammon continue to reign over all the riches in the Abyss and beyond. My Lord, please take care of your health and thank you for your kindness. My happiest days will always be working with you. I'm sorry for disappointing your expectations and wish for no other successors to follow in my footsteps."

Coux watched silently as Schaf took his leave. IN a flash, it was over. There was no fuss, no tears, no emotions involved. Yet, there was an undoubted sense of sorrow and regret lingering in the pristine office. She looked at Mammon who hadn't moved from his previous position. It hadn't been easy for Schaf or Mammon. They had a bond that she would never understand and for a moment back there, Coux saw something akin to friends when Schaf bade Mammon farewell.

Still waters ran deep and Coux was sure of it. Unfortunately, she wasn't privy to whatever history the two demons shared. She worked under Lord Baal as a part of Zero's secret army and had a mission to fulfil. With the curtains of the first act falling close without a hitch, it was time to alert her ancestor to proceed with the next scene.

As expected, Schaf ended up drowning his sorrows at one of the hostess bars he frequented. Lilith and Qin Yun didn't have to look around very hard before they found the goat demon. Baal was already on standby and complaining about his role in the plan. Nobody could blame him. Sekkin wasn't too comfortable waiting in the stinking back alley either. However, they didn't have any better options.

"Must we really wear these?" the spider demon asked.

Amaraline nodded. "It is to hide your identities."

"I can whip up a new identity for us with magic. Must we really stick to wearing these disgusting paper masks? Besides, wouldn't we stand out with such weird things on our faces?" Baal complained. Wiser didn't bother with the group, too focused on making the final tweaks to the tracker and giving it the last test run.

"I don't see why we should wear these. Besides, it isn't uncommon for robberies to occur in that area. It isn't as if there are palace guards in Hell..." Sekkin argued.

Amaraline looked disappointed. In all honesty, there was no need for such a getup. However, the fortune-teller just needed an excuse to put those masks she bought on impulse at the craft market to use.

Seeing that Amaraline was losing the battle, Lilith stepped in and took the masks from the boys. "It's a really cute mask. I think Qin Yun and Coux can put them to good use at Belles and Begonia for a masquerade theme. Why don't you drop by the market to get a few more? We can plan for a masquerade event."

Baal and Sekkin sagged in relief when the cockatrice descendant bounced away happily. The Demon Queen smirked at Baal. "You owe me one now," she grinned before unfurling her wings and jumping out of the window.

Baal groaned and Qin Yun smiled slyly before using fox magic to teleport away. Coux excused herself to the kitchen. While the others were occupied with finding the perpetrator, she still had a business to run. Baal's credit status wouldn't miraculously improve and as Zero's self-appointed fund manager, it was her duty to revive that dead bank account.

"Listen up," Wiser snapped. "This is the device you're going to use to inject that tracker. It's only one-tenth the size of your pinky so please do not lose the tracker. As the device is designed to use magic to work, it should be injected into the body with this syringe. Normal wounds heal quickly for demons so make sure to do it quickly. Sekkin, you're in charge of keeping Schaf occupied. Overpower him completely and restrain him with your threads. Baal, you hold onto the syringe and quickly inject the tracker when you see an opening. Once I receive a signal, I will inform you via the communicator crystal prototype. You should retreat at once. Make sure to steal his wallet so that he's convinced that it was a robbery. Is everyone clear about the plan?"

Sekkin shook his head and Baal yawned. Wiser rolled his eyes. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that he was talking to two idiots. Their lack of enthusiasm often drove him up a wall but over the weeks, Wiser learnt to ignore the blatant rudeness.

"Alright, shoo now! I have a lot of scrolls to read up."

"There there," Lilith soothed as the drunken goat demon sobbed into her lap. The ex-manager was a clingy drunk with an extremely loose tongue that worked to her advantage. It wasn't difficult to get close to her target. The owner of the establishment had no resistance against her charms and fell under her spell almost immediately.

"You should've hic- seen the way that smug bastard looked! I thought of him as a hic- brother all these years but when I left, not a single soul saw me out... that traitorous rabbit! I'll hic- skin him the next time I see him, I swear!"

Lilith smiled dryly as the goat continued to rant. Schaf had every right to be mad at Mammon for laying him off the job he loved but he surprised the Demon Queen by cussing his successor. Who would have thought that the goat had such a naive side to him?

"There there, drink up. For tonight, there is no need to think..." the succubus whispered and poured another glass of wine for the drunken goat demon. Schaf drank up without resistance. Lilith smiled when he demanded another glass. She was only too happy to comply.

"Are they out yet?" Sekkin chattered. "It's freezing!"

Baal shrugged. The cold didn't affect him. He had magic after all but he wasn't going to spare his underling any.

"You should have bundled up," he told the spider demon who cursed under his breath.

Nights in Hell were always cold. It didn't matter what territory you were in, it would always be cold. Nights on Earth depending on the sun but the same logic didn't work in Hell as it belonged in a different plane. The Abyss drew magic from the material plane constantly and had dimension gates linked to the higher plane for easy access. Unfortunately, each domain had a different gate that connected to a different territory on Earth. Some were in the desserts and those gates were generally weaker. Some led to the oceans and others in the middle of the mountains. Hellfires were fuelled by blood and death. They were the only things keeping Hell nice and toasty but not many knew that. On the material plane, places that had wars were ideal locations for gateways to be created. If ever there was a lack of sacrifices to fuel the fire, "night" would fall. Peace was the one thing that made Hell freeze over quite literally. It didn't happen often but one should always be prepared for it. Thankfully, those mortals would never cease the bloodshed for long. They didn't have to wait too long before Hell starts burning again.

"They're approaching," Wiser's voice startled the Demon Lord and his underling. At once, the two men got into position.

For the second act of their plan, Baal disguised as a thin humanoid demon with blue tribal patterns tattooed on half his face. He still looked like a noble demon with his regal form and Sekkin was mildly impressed with how mature Baal was behaving the moment he looked like an adult.

"You were just thinking about something rude, weren't you?" Baal scowled. He didn't appreciate the comments some of his followers made when he had altered his appearance for something closer to his original form. Did these knuckleheads forget that he was an ancient demon because of his energy efficient form?

Sekkin jumped and shook his head quickly. Before Baal could pursue the matter, they heard unsteady footsteps and a familiar voice. Getting into position quickly, Sekkin slipped into his work mode. Baal was impressed with how the spider demon could switch gears from a good-natured jock to a professional assassin at the drop of the hat.

Baal slipped closer to the shadows and stayed out of sight. Sekkin got ready to pounce when they heard Schaf get closer. The ex-manager wasn't expecting to be ambushed by thugs and cursed when the sack was thrown over his head. A flurry of pain overwhelmed his senses and painful cries could be heard echoing in the silent night. There was nobody in sight in such a deserted alley on such a cold day. Nobody could have expected for the night to suddenly befall on them and many shops had to close early because of it, including the hostess bar that Schaf was in earlier.

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Sekkin did a great job binding the goat demon and Baal swooped down quickly. With a quick flick of his wrist and a push of the syringe, the tracker device was successfully implanted. Sekkin didn't dare to stop his assault until he heard affirmation from Wiser.

"All clear, I have a reading. Get out of there," Wiser reported and the two demons pulled out, leaving no traces of their activities but not before snatching the fallen wallet on the ground.

Schaf didn't know what was going on in the darkness. The sack stank badly of rotten meat and he didn't know what hurt more. Surely his battered body was in a no better condition than his bruised pride and feelings. Still, the goat demon allowed himself a few moments of reprieve while his body worked on healing the wounds before he struggled to free himself. Today must be the worst day of his life and there was only bitterness left in Schaf's heart. Ever since the appearance of that wretched lady called Coux, nothing worked out as planned.

Yes, it was all because of Coux. If that trader didn't exist, Schaf wouldn't have to suffer such humiliation. Eyes burning with hatred, Schaf steeled his resolve. There was still one more card left up his sleeve. Kerberos might be a powerful beast but like all beasts, they could be controlled with a little bit of training. He was done playing a nice goat. Schaf threw his head back and laughed, not caring how crazy that made him seem at the moment.

Two could play the game. If the guard dog wanted to use him, he would do the same and return the favour. Those ancient seals didn't only enslave the weak-willed and drain them of mana. It had another purpose. At the cost of one's lifespan, it could force a stronger-willed being into submission. Once Kerberos was free, nothing would stop Schaf from killing the woman named Coux.