X-X-X-X
Chapter 9
X-X-X-X
I kept my cool...longer than I thought humanly possible. When I was brought to the main house...I could feel dozens of eyes on me despite the fact there were only a few people around. I also had to deal with sitting at a freakishly long table each set up with dozens of 'seats' each holding a hologram person. When my uncle introducing me as the heir and future boss of...the Ice Emperor Syndicate, I knew I was in some pretty deep shit. While I didn't know the exact details on what was going on, I kept my silence as my uncle handled all of the talking...but I did get angry when someone dare to disrespect him and my deceased parents. I harshly kicked the table in front of me, causing it to shift out of place by a good half inch. It was impressive...considering the size and length of the table itself. The screech was enough to startle everyone, my uncle included.
"Oi...I don't give a fuck if you insult me...but you dare insult my family..." I stared blankly at the idiot who spoke up. "I won't let you go lightly." I stated with a slight growl in my voice.
"Yo-you dare to threaten me?! A boy barely a man?!"
"Heh, what does me being a 'man' have to do with anything?" I leaned back in my seat, a dark smile appearing on my face. I heard a few whispers...my father's name being said here and there. "If someone is a member of my family, I'll protect them. If someone dares to harm someone who is under my wing, I'll be sure to throw the culprit deeper than the depths of hell. Death, please...something like that is too easy. There are more than one way to inflict pain...right?"
"...just like his father..."
"Then he is suitable..."
"Still...he is still much too young..."
"Anyways, don't you think you've all become a bit too lax?" I kicked my feet up, my hands behind my head. "Despite being protected someone got stupidly close to me...I doubt my uncle is stupid enough to not put me under constant protection so...the question is just how skilled the enemy is or...did one of you bastards betray us?"
"T-That...!"
"Are you implying one of us betrayed the family?!"
"Why not? I mean without me or my uncle in the way, one of you bastards get the position as head don't you?" I tilted my chair back a bit, a bit pissed off thinking how my precious babies got fried. "Pride...while something all men have it is still incomparable to greed, right? Money, women, fame, violence...simple desires, no?"
"Young master..."
"It's ridiculous to thi-"
"To think one of you would betray the family? Please, so long as Ice Emperor Syndicate exists then who cares who is the head...well, with the exception of those who have power. Maa, it's not like I can complain much. I haven't been around despite being the heir." I put the chair back onto the ground, moving to stand. "While you might deem it a weakness, to care for others...Isn't it better to have a head with a bit of a weakness than none at all? After all, it'd be a boring game!"
"This reminds me. We do not know of the young master's name."
"You have been keeping him a complete secret...Yu Longwei."
"You and I both know a name is dangerous."
"It's fine, uncle. You want my name? It's Xiao Long." I turned and I began taking my leave. "Please don't forget it."
"Xia-Xiao Long! The meeting isn't over!"
"I'm saying it's over. I spent the last hour listening to you idiots argue about nothing! You want the person who almost got me, get the information about the bomb! Pyros sign their work!"
X-X-X-X
"I'm exhausted..." I muttered falling on the bed.
"Good work, young master." Lee Xiao Xing said preparing me something to drink.
"So? How long am I going to end up stuck in this place?" I questioned sitting up.
"Perhaps two to three weeks, young master."
"Three weeks at most, huh...? What a pain..."
"..."
"Don't worry, Lee Xiao Xing. I'm not angry at you."
"That isn't what I'm thinking." The woman handed me a tea cup. "I was merely worried about your mental state."
"I'm made up of tougher things than that."
"Of course, young master."
"..."
"What is it?"
"No, forget it. I'm going to get ready for bed and play Second Life. What time must I be up in the morning?"
"Eight o'clock."
"Very well."
X-X-X-X
I was absentmindedly fiddling with one of my bombs while waiting for Merlin. Ignis is on my head between my fox ears, half asleep. Normally I would go out and farm drop or forge for plants while waiting for Merlin, but...I was still wrapping my mind around what I experienced before I logged in. I didn't want to worry my uncle or Lee Xiao Xing...so I merely acted as if nothing bothered me...but it seriously did bother me!
"Hah, I hate secrets..." I said throwing the bomb at a wild monster that tried sneaking up on me.
"What's this about secrets?" I glanced at the source of the voice, Miwa. "I spent the last half hour looking for you since you were ignoring my PM!" Miwa shouted at me.
"...? You were PMing me?" I questioned with a raised brow.
"I need your help and I won't take no for an answer!"
"Sure?"
"Great! You're helping my team train for the upcoming finals...and help me blow up that stupid Prince too!"
"Prince?" That's...a rather arrogant name. "Okay, so...what's going on?"
Miwa explained everything to me as I followed him. How he's going to train with another team and partner up with them for the finals. Merlin appeared after a while and he made himself comfortable on my shoulder. The cat player was agitating Miwa by telling me about Team Odd Squad...who is filled with unique people and apparently someone we're familiar with.
"Hm...So you're meeting up with them now then." I said crossing my arms.
"My brother's idea." Miwa muttered clearly pissed off.
"Hm..."
My tails lazily flickered about behind me, I'm actually curious about this 'Odd Squad' I mean...just from the name alone means that they should be an interesting bunch! I could spot the members of Dark Phantom with another group and I spotted a very familiar player from the Angel race. I released a small laugh, thinking the name would fit with Doll.
"Doll!" The girl looked in this direction when I called her name. I raised a hand up, waving at her. "It seems you got yourself a party! That's good!" I said with a smile.
"You know her?!" Miwa questioned angrily.
"It's Yue-gege!" Doll ran towards me full force...going straight for my tails. "Your tails gotten fluffier since I last saw them!" Doll said as I lifted her up easily with my tails.
"It'd be interesting when I finally obtain all nine tails. So, this is the party you're with?" I observed the group. A handsome elf, a demon race...a wolf man...a female human mage...a thief elf...and...Doll. "It seems you've been taking care of Doll since I had last seen her. I am Yue, a warrior. The little dragon on my head is my pet Ignis. This is my partner and priest, Merlin." I said giving them a proper introduction.
"Yo."
"S-So handsome!"
"He's a fox!"
"He's super polite too!"
A quick introduction went on with the members of the Odd Squad and I must say...it suits them. Prince, the warrior elf...Gui-something as a demon bard...Lolidragon the elf thief. Ugly Wolf a wolf man as a priest...Yu Lian, the human mage and Ugly Wolf's wife. Super strange and odd indeed! I nodded my head, an amused smile on my face.
"So then, Prince, huh?" I stared at the white haired elf, super handsome...but...there's something odd about him that I couldn't put my finger on. I offered him my hand and he took it, but he was...swooning? "I heard that the leader of the group is a super handsome guy...I guess it's not an exaggeration." I said politely.
"T-Thank you...!" Prince said with a blush spread across his face.
"By the way, I would like to make sure of some things before I take any of you training with me." I said releasing his hand.
"You...taking us training?" Wolf questioned as if this sounded odd.
"I can train with you guys no problem, but I want to make sure that you guys don't mind the fact you could almost die a few...thousand times?" I smiled evilly. "You see, you guys only got one week so if you want to level up quickly and get some really good materials for any future equipment...We're training in some really high risk places." I stated happily.
"Should you really be so happy about this? It'd be counter protective if we all end up dead and losing levels instead of gaining them." Gui said frowning at me.
"I said almost dying for that reason. Well, it's easier to show you than to explain it."
I took them to my favorite training spot and I told them to hang back, leaving Ignis to Miwa. I silently counted the number of mobs...hm...only 20? This is going to be easy then. I tapped my foot against the ground lightly before producing my sword. I slowly walked towards the mobs only attacking them once before luring them behind me. With my speed and agility, it was easy for me to make use of the terrain and to plant a few bombs here and there. I also tagged a few of them with some miniature bombs.
"Fox Fire!" I dodged behind a huge boulder as the chain of explosions went off. I got out and I finished off the already weakened monsters. "Something like that, I guess." I said to the stunned Odd Squad.
"Th-That's not normal! Right?!" Prince questioned to Lolidragon.
"This...is he that Yue?" Lolidragon questioned to herself.
"That Yue?" Gui asked obviously confused.
"If you're referring to me by my nicknames then yes, I am that Yue." I returned to them and I took Ignis back from Miwa. "By the way, even if you ask me, I'm not sacrificing my levels for you guys since I'm taking you all on my high speed leveling." I stated with a smile.
"Does this mean we're going to end up getting killed by your bombs, Yue-gege?"
"I don't have enough explosives for constant fire so I'll just use them in two waves to weaken them along with poisons. We got plenty of people so I'll be using each of your individual talents properly. Just try not to break before then."
It was clear, even within the Dark Phantom, that I would probably kill them at least once while also using them to test all of my untested poisons. Still, the Odd Squad is better adapted towards my method of training. Although...is it normal to allow your leader to take the short end of the stick and end up almost dying a few times so the others could save their levels? I don't really get it, but...okay? I was actually pitying him and I thought about giving Merlin to him...but the cat player said that if I tried then he'd scratch my eyes out since he disliked annoying people. The main tactic we used would be Lolidragon and I would lure the mobs to the specified location...where Yu Lian would set off the first chain of explosives. Ambusher and Gui would then target them from a raged distance with poisons. Doll would use her summoned skulls for the second wave of explosives while Miwa and Yu Lian would launch their highest magic spell before the close combatants would go into deal with the stragglers with support from the others and the priests healing us constantly.
"This…is a lot harder...than I thought...!" Lolidragon cried out.
"The pace isn't as fast as I hope...I thought we'd at least handle three times this amount easily, I guess not..." I said looking at the others.
"How come you're not even winded?" Prince questioned looking at me in disbelief.
"Yue handles this amount of mobs by herself using explosives. She's only being considerate to you weaklings by holding back on the amount of firepower. Her explosives are a lot weaker than normal for your sake." Merlin said from his spot on my shoulder.
"That's im...possible...!" Feng Wu Qing said attempting to regain his breathe.
"No, believe it. Yue is like a cheat character." Miwa said as I checked my ammunition.
"Crap, we only did six hunts today and I'm already out of explosives...We can take a break for now, I need to make more."
"Do you normally make your own explosives?" Gui questioned suddenly beside me as I started my usual production.
"That's right. There's no one else in this game who produces gunpowder or explosives like me."
"Interesting."
Gui and I threw back a few comments here and there. We were talking about the ingredients in my explosives and he began suggesting a few substitutes to my usual formulas...which I was quite interested in. I nodded my head as he went onto a lecture in scientific terms only the two of us could understand. This man...I wonder if he's some kind of teacher. He's quite knowledgeable.
"Do you guys understand what they're talking about?" Prince questioned to the others.
"I don't, but...it seems the two are having quite a bit of fun. Still, I have a feeling we should be worried as they're discussing explosives as if it's a normal day." Wolf said looking between the two of us.
"Leave it! Once Yue gets started on these kinds of rants, she won't listen to anyone." Miwa said obviously annoyed with how well I'm getting along with Gui.
"Alright, I'll test this one out another day. I don't want to risk any of you guys getting caught up in the blast. Okay! I'm done for now. This should last the rest of the day." I said with a happy smile.
"It's scary how Yue can smile so happily when it comes to explosives..." Prince said looking at me fearfully.
"Yue is always like this." Merlin jumped onto my shoulder as I shoved everything back into my bag. "You're running low on ingredients aren't you?"
"Yeah, we'll have to change training spots tomorrow. There's this interesting area with fire stones and I need some help gathering stuff so I'll depend on you guys then too!"
"He's just using us!"
"This is a give and take relationship. I help you level, you help me gather materials. That being said, I hope you guys don't mind almost getting fried tomorrow!"
"He's the devil!"
X-X-X-X
Chapter 9 Ends
Now you know about Yue's past! I actually decided to make her part of the underworld for fun and it'd be amusing as shit for me! Yue's already pretty dangerous with her poisons and explosives, add in the position as the boss with an army of assasssins at her disposal then she'd end up someone to be feared! Someone mentioned Yue being paired with someone, but at this point...well, I do have some in mind, but for now I'll just go with the flow~! Welp! That's it for today so until the next time! Bye-bye~!