To survive, I shall bloody my hands.
To survive, I will take, take and take.
Everything.
Born Into a world where I am bound by strings, I will one day finally receive a chance to sever those strings by ending those that are holding them. I will sin to live.

A girl who knows many different languages. She works as a translator. During a routine event, she is killed.

Then she transmigrates into a man's body. Not only is she a woman in a man's body, the body is also deaf.

During the story she will find a family and friendship. Living a peaceful life instead of the war torn world she was in.

---

Hello! 

I wrote a story, previous to this one. If you read the other story, I beg you not to kill me. I was learning and I wrote everything raw. Just unfiltered ramblings.

In a way this story is connected to the other one, but you do not need to read that other one to understand this. I also suggest you don't, unless you want to bleed out of your eyes.

This is just a standalone story for me to write in the meantime like the other one. I learned a lot and I plan to put it into practice. I'm not sure how long this story will be, but I'll put more thought into and it will be short.

---

"I hope you enjoy and I hope I can give you a somewhat original story."

*breaths a huge sigh and walks off stage*

"Gee, my little heart can't take this. Showing my work to the public is scary."

*smacks cheeks*

"Its fine. You will do better this time self!"

"Thank you self!"

*gives self a thumbs up*

Hello, NewUser064. The system scanned Rio's device on her wrist and allowed her into the restaurant. It wasn't the same one she had come a few days ago. Rather it was on a tiny complex deep in street five. The receptionist noticed her. 

"Hello. How can I help you?" said the receptionist. 
"Umm, there's a task here that I've to do," said Rio showing her wrist to him to read. 
"Newly appointed?" 
"Yes," said Rio hesitatingly. She didn't have any proof that she has been doing these things for a couple of years, would anyone believe without that? 
"The power source is in the backyard. Here's the way." the receptionist showed her the way from where he stood. Remembering the directions, she headed towards the backyard. 

The first work after getting the device was at a restaurant. The device showed her the direction with maximum time she can spend doing that. There were many more steps to complete her first work. She would have to check the speed of the machine that was working before fixing, then do whatever was needed and then record the new speed after fixing. 

She had only half an hour doing that. Looking at that, she couldn't understand why one would need such a long time. Even if one doesn't have that spray, one shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to clean that. 'It's only dust. Not your typical glue' wondered aloud. 

She used only her trusty screwdriver to get rid of stubborn dust. It normally takes a brush to remove those, but it looked like someone sprayed water on it. It was stuck so hard with the surface. 

Her mind was on her task only. But how much would they pay me for this? A question struck her mind. She brought her wrist nearer to have a look at it. 85 COH. They wanna pay that much just because they can't clean it themselves. Will they get their hands bloodied the way she saw in her dreams? 

After finishing with the locking mechanism of the power backup, she opened the door to have a look at that. She looked around to make sure it was disconnected. She went ahead and moved her hands as fast as she could. 

After a while, the receptionist appeared from behind. He intently saw her working. 

"All done?" asked the receptionist. 
"Just a minute. Could you please turn it back on? I need to check the speed." said Rio hurriedly closing the compartment and dusting away her hands. Glittery dust flew in the air as she dusted her tools. 

"You don't look like a newbie." said the receptionist. 
"Yes. Cause I've been doing the same thing for the last three years," said Rio, noting the readings and confirming in her task sheet. 
"Then your device showed…." 
"It showed because I lost my card this morning," said Rio looking at the apologetic face of the receptionist. "To be honest, I accidentally burnt it." 
"Have you been working with the card all these years?" 
"Yes. Do we get anything else during our internship?" said Rio. She doubted there was anything else other than the work card. 
"No, I mean didn't you get the device on your…." his inquiries went off as Rio interrupted, "No. I don't know why I didn't get it after I turned eighteen. But that doesn't matter now." she prepared to leave the location. "I've got a lot to do." 

She reached the reception desk to scan her device that confirmed her work and it blinked as it received her first 85 coins of health. Was her first day of work looked like this? It was cheerful but she still has to do a lot. At least to have enough to give to her mother, if she didn't want her to know anything about this mishap. 

The first day had places that were quite high profile. Hospitals, cafes, shopping centers, and even banks. Isn't the chairman worried about this? So many places are lacking work speed and this person doesn't seem to worry about anything. Of course, Mr. Maning is worried about his family drama instead of this. 

Not every place had such an understanding of receptionist or even an employee. Many were lost on the TV screen with the repetitive headlines of Mrs. Maning. They were too busy to care about 'who the new silver dust cleaning girl' or even 'isn't it the girl who is on the screen'. They looked at Kner sympathetically which burned Rio's heart. 

Some even had time to question her new identity. Funny thing was that no one asked her name. Was she lucky today? Or they didn't mind? Who cares when you have to have money to handover to your mother else she would swoon and upon waking her would run off to the scary swirl? 

Another thing that struck her mind was what if her dreams have become a reality? What if Kner had left her in the figurative swirl in the city and runoff, laughing? What if her mother would push her off the ground? What if she gets her hand bloodied just when she touches the glittered dust? Her screwdriver fell right on her foot, making her alert. She was on the top of the tower that controlled traffic. It worked on its own. The view of the city looked a step away from being perfect. What was the mess, she couldn't tell it right away. But it looked as if a storm had just passed by, destroying everything in its way. 

Her palm-reader on her wrist vibrated, showing her a notification. Clicking on it her jaw dropped. 

'The future chairman' s ex-girlfriend speaks the evil language of Zolzeim. ' 
Rio didn't feel like its anything about her. She was sure it must be someone else. Reading more about that, her mind whirled seeing it to be the claim made by Mrs. Maning. Does she know anything else other than this? Her eyes didn't believe as she read further that it was indeed written about her. 
'Rionora Tarnilier, the intern who looks innocent but is not.' She sighed reading the sentence. That doesn't explain anything. 
'The one who should focus on her work wandered around with my son. Despite my objections, she never listened to us. Everyone is aware of the cheap tricks of the workers but sadly my son didn't know any of it. 
Forgetting her limits, she coaxed him to give her higher posts before she completed her projects. Instead, my son had to give her something else. He even had to pay her from our treasury just because she didn't get what she wanted. The workers, don't even know that's how it doesn't work. But sadly they stay where they are, don't even know the basic knowledge of the work thingy works. 
When he decided to give her a nice post in our company, he asked something from her in return. But she dared not to obey him and along with it, she even threatened him the evil language of Zolzeim. I fear she has secret trades with them and conspires against our country. 
I want immediate the police to arrest her for her crimes. It's not my word, it's my son's demand. If the city wants its next chairman to be healthy, do him justice. Get rid of the girl. 
Our next chairman would be the next Gliustav Maning if everyone supports him now. He needs your help in this darkest time. 'she finished reading the article in one breath. 

Her head felt heavy going through the article. She slid on the floor of the traffic control room, trying to catch her breath. When was she warned before? The only warning she ever got was on Kysop' s birthday. And what was the evil language she is talking about? Rio doesn't know anything other than her Katokein tongue. It was him who wanted the password and he threatened most of the time, even bullied her and her mother. She couldn't remember a thing said to him, let alone words of threat. He indeed took her outside or even treated her with nice things. Wait, it was mostly nice restaurants for dinner. 'I want to get away from home for a while', that were his words when he took her along with him. So the dinner at those places cost him a million? She couldn't think of what she should do now. The news that was between a few people is out now. Everyone would get rid of her. She even ordered an arrest. Did the matter reach that extreme and she didn't even realize any of it? Had he told her to stay away one single time, she would have stopped working there. She just wanted her certificate after a few days of working. Oh, occasionally she did ask him for any stable job in a nice place. 'I can even give you the companies in my hand', indeed were his words. The scenes ran in a loop in her head, making her close her eyes. Gladly there was no one in the control room, else it would have been embarrassing to cry in public. How can he just lie like that to his mom? Doesn't he know what was going on between them? Rio even stopped asking him for work since the last week, let alone the stable job after the internship. 

This news must have gone to her mom. She would finish her for sure. Her heart twisted thinking about what she would do at home. She decided not to go home early. But where should she go if not home? The whole city must be looking for her. Will her mom hand her over to the police? Was her nightmare becoming a reality?

"There are wounds that never show on the body that are more deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds."

-Laurell K. Hamilton

"So you're the brat that Sensei said would join us?"

He carefully drew up the little muscles that composed the entirety of his lips. Just enough to qualify as a smile, but too little to be 'actual' happiness. He directed his eyebrow to twitch and fall just a slight bit lower. In the end, it formed the expression of irritation and calm. He preferred oxymorons, in contrast with the rest of the figurative language spectrum. The beauty of controlled chaos... The irony of a deliberate mistake...

It was a kind of rotten purity all by itself.

It seemed like he took a little too long to answer, as the white haired man started to itch his neck of all things.

"Yes, I would be the brat you are speaking of," He looked at Kurogiri's relative position and came to a understanding. "I assume that you are the leader around here, then? Sensei's protege that he spoke of? It's a pleasure to meet you." He finished off his performance with a fake smile that looked true and genuine.

Despite the very small gaps that existed in his ensemble of hands, it was actually quite clear to see when his eye widened in anger.

"...Why are you calling him, Sensei? Why does your scrawny little weak ass think that you can call him Sensei?!"

He seemed to feed off the anger in his own words, as he slowly inched closer, with his many hands primed and ready. Like a little cub intimidating a big lion- most likely Sensei- he strode forward with a deliberate clang in his step. He projected his killing intent into the world, but the thing about killing intent was this; it leaned heavily on comparison. If you were able to withstand the murderous intentions of a beast, then it was natural that you would be able to withstand the intent of a cub. Only in the case of a change in quality or quantity would the other beast be able to frighten him.  But no matter how much the cub tried to be the lion, it hadn't grown up enough yet. Mentally or physically.

"As to why I can call him Sensei, there is a reason to that."

"Spit it out."

"Like I was saying, Sensei implicitly spoke to me on that very subject. More specifically, he said I could call him Sensei."

The words seemed to have diffused most of the man-child's anger, but a sliver of anger still existed. A fraction of madness that lay stabbed deep within the heart itself. It was evidenced by the slightest crease of a brow, and the faint indecipherable glean in his wine-like eyes.

'It seems that I've managed to piss off the boss of this whole operation so easily. How quaint. Why does All for One put him in charge? Perhaps it could be his quirk... How any one person can affect the number 1 hero is doubtful though. I need to reevaluate All for One if white-hair was put in place for strategic purposes... I'm still missing something. Something big.'

"If I may ask, what are the organization's current goals?"

The answer came back immediately.

"Kill the useless piece of trash that is All Might!"

'He definitely doesn't seem like the strategic type... It sounds like a personal grudge, which could provide some interesting twists.'

"How are we going to achieve that? Do you have any plans?"

Kurogiri who was staying silent up until now, opened his mouth and answered instead of the white haired man.

"We are currently in the process of recruiting. With more manpower-"

'Could they be planning what I think they're planning.. No, it couldn't be. All for One would get competent subordinates. I can only probe.'

Deku simply looked Kurogiri dead in the eye and asked a simple question.

"You want to kill the world's greatest hero relying simply on human wave tactics? I simply cannot see the possibility of that working out."

"You're saying that getting more people on board is wrong?"

'He's not wrong but... There's more to it than that.'

Deku let his gaze wonder, until he found a rather nice (ripped up) poster of All Might.

"Of course not, the deciding factor of wars is never the tactics," He took a step forward. "It's not the strategies, either," He was right in front of the poster now. "It's always the numbers that get the win in the end. One man will drown if ten thousand others spit. But, you are forgetting one thing."

Kurogiri's 'eyes' were barely visible slits of light, and the white haired man looked like he wanted t0 kill him immediately, but Deku simply continued to talk. His face was as placid as a stone, his eyes were as still as a frozen lake, his entire being radiated calmness. Perhaps that was what made them stay their hand. A lion grazing out in the prairie was not to be despaired: they were predictable, out in the open, and could be avoided. A viper on the other hand... They hide in the grass, in the shadows. They struck out when their target was least aware, and it was always lethal.

"You are forgetting that All Might isn't the only hero that exists. Even if you gathered a big army the likes of which the world has ever seen, All Might isn't without his either. A single call from the World's beloved Symbol of Peace will gather heroes from all over the world like moths to a flame. And what do you need when armies are of similar size? You need tactics. Strategies."

"You need long-term plans," He strode to the side to grab a dart off the table.

"You need me."

The dart hit the middle of All Might's forehead.

(Villain Deku; My Hero Academia Fanfic)

Think to yourself, just this one little question-
"What if the Sludge Villain never got away?"

Warnings: Gore, Brainwashing, Murder, Suicide, Bullying, Depression, Self-harm.
I don't own the cover, and if the artist wants it taken down I will do so immediately.

A bolt of crimson flashed through the forest in a heartbeat.

Kokuo extended its chakra, trying to find a route without people around. Even though they had gotten quite far from Iwagakure, there was still a possibility that a hunting squad was still trailing them. They couldn't stop just yet.

Instead of going in a straight line, they took a winding pattern, zig-zagging around the trees. Whenever they encountered a trace of civilization, they would move around and find another path.

"Trees. Trees everywhere… This land is so fertile."

No matter where they go, the forest kept spreading as far as his eyes could see.

"Is it not normal for the Land of Fire to be fertile?"

Kokuo replied half-heartedly.

"Land of Fire?"

Was that another nickname? The spirit beast did call the U-Tsang's northern mountain as 'Land of Earth'. Perhaps this Land of Fire thing was just a fancy way in the future era to call the place that he knew.

Dusk descended into night, night gave way to dawn. A new day had arrived with the sun taking its rightful throne up above the clouds.

They had managed to cover a large distance thanks to Kokuo's inexhaustible chakra. There hadn't been any sign of Iwagakure pursuers as well. It should be relatively safe after coming this far.

But… this density of trees… not even the Nanman region could compare. They hadn't gone that far south as well.

'Hmm, whatever, I'll just figure it out later.'

They finally stopped near a small creek. The red chakra cloak covering his body dissipated into thin air alongside the white steam produced by Boil Release. The overwhelming heat that ravaged his body was replaced by the gentle morning breeze, which made him feel a bit ticklish.

"...Huh?"

The comfortable sensation didn't last long as his knees involuntarily gave out. His muscles, which were completely fine mere seconds ago, suddenly ached all over. Moreover, he felt his body devoid of energy as if he hadn't eaten anything for months on end.

"Your stamina is drained from extensive use of This One's chakra. Take some rest."

Kokuo calmly explained, looking like everything was perfectly normal.

"..."

No wonder it had abruptly stopped in this random spot... 

Oh well.

Yao Huang laid on his back, controlling his breath to enter a meditative state that would hasten his recovery. The onslaught of pain and fatigue was actually a bit nostalgic.

Just like other immortals, Yao Huang had a spiritual body made entirely out of qi. He no longer had any need to rest or eat, only requiring qi to rejuvenate himself.

But now, he once again had a mortal body, along with all the shortcomings that came with it. He didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

"So this is what it feels to be 'alive'..."

While he was busy stabilizing his strength, Kokuo was growing restless within his psyche, looking left and right with sparkles in its eyes.

"Well? I did keep my promise, didn't I?"

Kokuo harrumphed, refusing to reply. However, it was clear that the white beast had eased up around his presence.

It wasn't as if their problem had been solved just yet. The spirit beast was still embedded in his soul, and the threat of him dying upon extraction didn't seem to be a lie. It should be possible if he could use mystic arts, but that would require a higher cultivation base, something that would take quite a while to achieve.

Yao Huang could only hope that Kokuo would be satisfied with this arrangement for the time being.

Stepping closer toward the kid, Kokuo lowered its head.

"Your name."

"Hmm?"

"Tell This One your name," Kokuo repeated. "Do you prefer This One to call you 'kid' all the time?"

"Ah. Right."

Yao Huang pointed at himself with a thumb.

"My name is Yao Huang."

...

His words before the name were normal, but when he reached the most important part, his pronunciation returned to his old memory's language.

Kokuo couldn't understand.

"...Pray repeat it again."

"Yao. Huang."

"..."

Kokuo was in a dilemma.

It was proud of its intelligence, capable of besting humans in all fields, let alone simple linguistic comprehension. However, it felt like its figurative tongue would get tangled up if it tried to imitate those words.

"How... to write that?"

In the end, it went for the easier route. As long as it knew the kanji, it should be possible to find the correct pronunciation.

Yao Huang proceeded to write his name on the dirt with his finger.

"..."

Ah, heck, was that even kanji?

"Kid, how do you read these characters? What do they mean?"

Yao Huang pointed at the first character.

"This is my surname, 'Yao'. "

He then moved to the second character.

"This is my given name, Huang. It means 'brilliant'. The one who had given me this name wished for me to become a strong person, strong enough to protect those dear to me."

He avoided the spirit beast's gaze at that last second.

Kokuo had been paying attention to the kid's explanation. Aside from the two words, everything was said in normal language, so it could finally see the reasoning behind the name.

"This One understands."

It proceeded to write another character with its hoof.

"Light (Guang)?"

"From now on, This One shall use this name and call you, 'Hikari'."

Yao Huang felt something weird with the way Kokuo said it, but he shook it off. Perhaps it was because of cultural shock. After all, this era's language had changed so much from his time.

"Then, please take care of This One."

"Likewise."

The tailed beast lifted its hoof, which Yao Huang grabbed in response to imitate a handshake.

Suddenly, Yao Huang jumped back to his feet.

"..."

"What is it? Iwagakure pursuers?"

Kokuo went alert at once, but Yao Huang just looked at him strangely.

"...No. I just need to answer nature's call."

"..."

Oh.

Oh…

Yao Huang felt irked by Kokuo's thousand-yard stare. He was also surprised, alright? It had been thousands of years since the last time he had to do business in a loo. He had almost forgotten how it actually feels like.

They were in the middle of a forest, so there was no need to be polite. Yao Huang dived into a nearby tall bush and started to pull his pants down.

"..."

Wait, the feeling was a bit… different...

Meanwhile, his hand instinctively grabbed at a certain place, only to find that he had failed to grasp anything.

As a last resort to keep his sanity, Yao Huang commanded his body to exhume the liquid waste right then and there, just to see where it would come out from. The experiment concluded with his behind getting wet all over due to letting it out while standing.

Owh…

"Venerable One. Are you there?"

"...This One is right here."

"Give it to me straight. Am I a eunuch?"

"...What is a eunuch?"

Yao Huang was quickly losing his composure. His hands were maniacally grabbing, scratching, even slapping that place, but what was lost wouldn't magically appear just because he did so.

"It's gone!"

"What is?"

"My little sword is gone, damn it!"

"Little..."

The white beast's eyes turned into swirls. 

"Venerable One, please tell me! Does sealing a spirit beast into one's body turn you into a eunuch? Is that the price to pay?! What kind of backward demonic technique is this!?! If I see the person responsible for this, I'll smack his head so hard his skull will come out of his ass-"

"Calm! Down!"

Kokuo manifested a tail out of Yao Huang's body, and then used it to smack his head.

Alright, now that the kid had sufficiently calmed down, they could finally have a proper conversation.

"Answer This One first. What is a eunuch?"

"Obviously, it's men whose 'thing' had been cut..."

Yao Huang replied flatly.

"..."

Kokuo regretted ever asking.

"So... you're saying that your... 'thing'... has gone? As in, you lost it?"

Yao Huang nodded furiously.

Kokuo felt his head pounding.

"But... kid, logically, it's easier to think that you didn't have one to begin with."

Yao Huang felt his heart pierced by a sharp needle.

Of course.

It is a distinct possibility.

It was also the possibility that Yao Huang had tried to reject the most. He was born male. When he created his spiritual body, he had also been a male. He had been a male for so long that he just couldn't entertain the thought that his reincarnation could be... could be...

While the kid was still standing like an idiot, Kokuo smacked him once again with his tail, throwing the kid into the creek.

As he lifted his head off the water, a reflection slowly formed on the surface.

Staring back at him was a pair of large, round eyes. The shoulder-length brown hair clung to his neck, still dripping water down his shoulders.

Ah, wrong. It wasn't 'him' anymore, but 'her', right?

After all, what looked back at Yao Huang was clearly a young girl's face...

She blinked a few times, then turned back to Kokuo. The beast just gave her a slow nod.

A bright smile blossomed on her face.

And then, she promptly fainted.

The creek produced a huge splash as she sank into the shallow water like a rock.

"..."

Kokuo manifested all of its five tails from the girl's back to push her out of the creek. And then, the beast dragged her motionless body into a thick bush. It could just wake her up by force, but she still needed to recover from her fatigue nonetheless. It couldn't understand why the girl suddenly fainted like that, but the timing was just right. Taking a few hours to sleep should be fine before resuming their journey.

"..."

"..."

"...?"

The beast's slumber was cut short when it sensed a presence rapidly coming closer.

Without a warning, the bushes parted ways. However, what popped out was different from Kokuo's expectations.

*Bark!*

It was a puppy.

Covered in white fur and decorated with a pair of drooping ears, the little creature strut closer toward the fainted kid, sniffing and nudging with its nose, tail wagging all the way.

Kokuo froze momentarily, not knowing what to do. If it was an enemy ninja or a pursuing nin-dog, it could just blow it away with Tailed Beast ball, but it would be absurd to do so against a little puppy.

"...Lesser beast, go away."

Kokuo spread out its presence, creating an illusion of its real form in order to scare the puppy away.

The little puppy noticed it immediately. Its fur stood up on its end as it stared at the shadow of a horse-like monster. It wanted to feign bravery with barks, but what came out were mere whines. It retreated one step, two steps... Finally, it couldn't take it anymore and leaped toward the fainted kid, hiding under her body.

"..."

Why did it have the opposite effect… maybe it should just manifest the tails once again and throw the puppy away. That might be faster.

While Kokuo was pondering over what to do, a loud voice suddenly boomed through the forest.

A human's voice.

"Akamaru! Where did you go!"

There was a sound of hurried footsteps, and then the bushes parted once again.

Kokuo quickly erased its presence, taking refugee once again inside the kid's soul.

As for the puppy, it let out a happy bark as if it had found its salvation.

"There you are! Why did you suddenly run away... huh?"

That day, a boy who had initially wanted to walk his dog... had ended up finding a human instead.

Deity-level cultivator Yao Huang had finally decided to re-enter the circle of reincarnation. When he was enjoying the taste of Five-Fragrance Tea, another cultivator wreaked havoc in the underworld, destroying the wheel of karma and mixing up the pool of reincarnation. Yao Huang was accidentally knocked down into the now-chaotic pool, where his soul was threatened with disintegration lest he managed to escape. Without seeing his destination, he jumped into the first path that he could find.

When he opened his eyes once again, his soul had reincarnated into the body of a little girl. At that moment, a mysterious voice echoed in her head.

"This One's name is Kokuo. This weak and small vessel... This One shall devour you whole!"

Oh, also, it seemed that she had grown five tails out of nowhere...

Forced to live in a world reigned by warriors called Ninjas, the former cultivator was joined by her reincarnated allies to find a way to return to their original world.

Meanwhile, the karma of the past slowly caught up to them, bringing up tragedies desired to be forgotten...

---

Is a Naruto Fanfic. Written just for fun. Update schedule is whenever I'm free. My lore isn't the best so don't think too much and just have fun~

---

Addendum: Since people kept on getting trapped, here's the caution list (also check tags in case author added more... twists)

-Gender Bender: For MC and some other characters
-Species Bender: For 1 character (and technically another one actually)
-Confused MC: Think of it as characters from cultivation novel transferring to Naruto world. They had no prior info beforehand so expect a lot of blind grasping over the world concept. No system or anything else to help.

Everyone reacted at the same time. There were growls and bared teeth. Dad moved to one side, Cherokee to the other. Arctic and Lobo also moved to take points to surround the odd couple. 

The shy one had been too caught up in the joy of the group howl to realize what had happened. Old Grey merely sighed and moved to block the shy one so he couldn't leave the pointe in a panic without pushing the old wolf out of the way.

Businessman was actually the only one who shifted to human. 

"What the hell are you doing that for?" he asked the young wolf in confusion. He looked around at the reaction from the others, at a loss for what to do. 

I couldn't react at first. I knew Lone Wolf wasn't in any real danger. I finally stalked over to center myself in front of Lone Wolf and his companion. I rolled my shoulders, trying to decide whether to stand as man or stay wolf. 

My intense gaze caused Lone Wolf to make a decision of his own. He moved. It took me a moment to figure out what was he was doing, considering his wide throat was still being held. 

I shifted to man so I could tell the others what I saw.

"Lone Wolf wants to speak. We might as well settle in; the last time I saw him change forms, it took about an hour. I'll hear what he has to say before doing anything else," I told the group of wolves. "I do, however," I said, directing my last comment to the young wolf who seemed stuck holding onto Lone Wolf, "strongly suggest you let go of him." 

When he didn't, my gaze narrowed and I shifted from the chest, dropping suddenly to all fours.

"Now!" I roared in a voice barely human, growling and advancing.

The young wolf let go, but didn't move off. He stayed crouched over Lone Wolf, baring his teeth. I couldn't understand why the idiot was acting like he was willing to take us all on. 

Wolves changing from thinking about attacking to wolves stalking their prey didn't reduce tensions, merely changed them. There was a lot of pacing going on. 

Old Grey shifted, looking first at the shy one before looking back at me. 

"We will wait," the old man said, as if he spoke for the two of them. He shifted back to wolf and lay down to face the spectacle before him. It took a moment but the shy one finally laid down on the far side of Old Grey

I shifted back to furred man. I kept my eyes on Lone Wolf. Even as his huge wolf changed to bulky man, he stayed down on all fours. While it was still a lengthy process for him, it didn't seem as painful as the last time I watched him change. He made grunts and groans but no bitten back screams this time. 

When he was closer, but not totally, human, he looked directly at me... and winked. Then, looking down, he bowed his head slightly. He raised his head. Looking intently at me again, he gave me a second wink. 

Storyteller that I am, I understood what he was wanting. He wanted me to play up the Royal aspect to influence his companion. I tried to figure how to work that pitch without alienating the true wolves.

While Cherokee and I didn't share the same language, there was a few of his words I knew because of my love of stories. One phrase in particular was easy to remember and fit the situation at hand.

"Trickster fox," I said to Cherokee in his language, giving a nod toward Lone Wolf. He just gave me a look, then a slow nod. 

"Black Wolf?" I figured dad understood. Dad let out a humph. He said something in Russian to Arctic and Spanish to Lobo. 

I couldn't think of any way to give a heads up to the others without giving things away. 

"What are you saying? What's happening here? I don't understand," said the businessman, still confused.

"Let me begin with how and why we are here in the first place. We were summoned by the Spirit of the Wolf himself," I said dramaticly. "Each of us, or in a few cases the person represented, heard his call. 

"We have gathered from around the world, representing all wolves. From the far northern tundra, from both the northern and southern American continents, and from the ancient Black Forest itself," I said, gesturing toward each wolf in turn as I spoke. 

"Those who have chosen life as wolf are represented," I said nodding toward Old Grey, "as well as those who have chosen life as man, like yourself and the one you represent, which is why you are here." 

Everything I had said so far was true, as far as I understood things. We had been gathered to meet and renew the connection between wolves. 

I was part of that connection. Brother to all wolves. It was not yet time for me to take the name waiting for me.

Connecting wasn't the only reason we were here.

If Spirit Wolf were to have one law, it would be that no one was forced to become wolf. To be able to become wolf was an honor and a privilege. It should be a choice for those not born wolf.

These wolves had been gathered to act as witnesses. These events were rooted in the breaking of that unspoken law. The witnesses were to insure this story would not be lost or forgotten. Whatever happened today was only part of that story. I knew there would be more. That twisted Alpha needed dealt with. The history of what made him how he was needed to be told.

What I did next, well, my mom always told me I had a flair for the dramatic. I played my part to the hilt.

I turned my gaze toward the wolf who had shifted to a young man. He still stood possessively behind Lone Wolf. I pulled myself even straighter. I shifted, slower than I usually did, concentrating on my face like I had for the girl in the fire. Focus was the key. It was harder doing it now on purpose with an audience like this, but I managed. 

 I brought one furless hand up, dropping my gaze to examine my clawed fingers. I closed my fingers in one at a time.

My wolf head moved forward just slightly as I brought my eyes back up to look at him over my clawed fist. I stood, obviously a man from the shoulders down. My next words were spoken incorporating wolf sounds.

"We are the Royal Council of Wolves, brought together to judge those summoned by Spirit Wolf himself to face his council." 

Also true, as far as I knew, except the royal part, and my theatrics.

Lone Wolf was about done shifting. I could see his nostrils flare as he hid his amusement at my theatrical wording. He knew his wink was the only reason I used the hated word royal. Suddenly his fear spiked again. He had finished shifting and looked up at me. 

I was practically in the form of some ancient Egyptian deity. I couldn't remember which one had the dog head.

Lone Wolf was on his knees, head bowed tight against his chest. He had one hand behind him, gesturing to his companion, silently begging the young man to be subservient and respectful before such a gathering. 

The young man hesitated. It was wolf that kept staring at him through my eyes. He looked away. I closed my eyes, drew on Spirit Wolf. 

A slight growl came from me, a demand for attention. When the young man looked back to me, I could see the fear in his eyes. He lowered his eyes and slowly went to his knees. 

I was suddenly a wolf on all fours. It wasn't a normal shift and it wasn't under my control. Spirit Wolf closed on him, circling tight again and again. When the young man started to shift, I growled. 

"Stay as man," Spirit Wolf and I growled as one. We used wolf sounds. "You deny the wolf."

It was strange, feeling Spirit Wolf this time. I could feel the depth of the anger within him. It wasn't anger the way I had been angry. It was judgement. There was anger but it was entwined with everything else. There was disappointment, regret... love.

It was bold of me, perhaps, but I reminded Spirit Wolf that Lone Wolf had wished to speak. 

Spirit Wolf stopped circling the young man. He stood before him, huffing breathes through a grimacing and growling snout. The young man's head bowed until his chin was against his chest. This seemed to satisfy Spirit Wolf. 

Spirit Wolf turned toward Lone Wolf. He put our nose against the tatted collar. 

Lone Wolf trembled and I couldn't blame him. I could feel the love Spirit Wolf had for the big man. Spirit Wolf withdrew, taking a figurative back seat, letting me deal with the situation. 

No pressure, I thought wryly. I felt drained.

My paw on that massive shoulder turned to hand as I shifted to man. I leaned on Lone Wolf for a second, taking a breath, feeling my body. One hand tilted his head up so he could see my smile and my exhaustion. My other hand brushed his hair back from his face.

"Hey my friend," I said as I pulled myself to my feet. "What I tell you about this shit?" I pulled him to his feet after me. He didn't want to stand but I insisted. 

Lone Wolf's companion started to glance up and stand. I let out a small growl, a rumble really. The young man decided to stay down, keep his head down, and not interrupt.

I put my hand to the side of Lone Wolf's face again, applying pressure every time he tried to look down. I kept his eyes on me, just me looking out my eyes now. 

"You ready to be wolf yet?" I asked compassionately.

Ulric Wolcott, know as Little Wolf by his friends and family, was ready leave his childhood home and go make his mark on the world as a man. 

For him, there was no boundary between man and wolf.

His Native American heritage from his mother gave him access to his spirit guide, the Spirit of the Wolf itself. The Spirit of the Wolf blended easily with the wolf nature he received from his werewolf father.

He had no idea the adventures his spirit guide would lead him into as, for the first time, he encountered werewolves outside his family. 

His adventures set his feet on the path to his promised new name. An encounter with a young girl who would become pivotal in his life would seal it. 

Spirit Wolf taught him the meaning of who he was, and gave him a glance into the future being offered him. He learned to balance the life of the wolf physically, mentally, and spiritually with his human self... 

... until finally he was ready to become not only the ruling Alpha of Spirit Wolf's worldly pack, 
but King to all werewolves!

*

"How the hell did we agree to this so easily?" the pink-haired girl asked.
      "Because everyone else was leaving and you were too embarrassed to be left behind," I said. "And when I started leaving, you followed me around like a dog."
      "DON'T YOU DARE REFER TO ME AS A DOG!!"
      "Ok, then how about Pink-haired Girl?"
      "MY NAME IS MIO YOU SHITHEAD!!!"
      "Ok, nice to me you Ms. Shithead!"
      "DON'T TEST ME!!!!!"
      After a few exchanges of sarcasm and raging outbursts, Mio finally decided to calm down and take our situation seriously.
      "What are we going to do about boundaries," Mio asked. "Should we just do fifty fifty?"
      "How about I have the room to myself and you can go sleep in the hallway." I suggested.
      "WHY THE HELL SHOULD I HAVE TO DO THAT?!?!"
      "Because I want to be able to fap to some hentai, but I can't do it with you in here!"
      "YOU'RE A PERVERT!!!! A DISGUSTING ONE TOO!!!"
      "Well, I want you gone because you're just a flat-out bitch."
      "WELL EXCUSE ME FOR HAVING COMMON SENSE!!!!"
      This was starting to get old. Why can't she just accept her role as a bitch and leave already? 
      "Remember: If any girl tries to bully you, then treat them like they're nothing but a bitch," my mother had told me. 
      "Anyways," Mio continued. "There's no way in hell that I'm just going to go sleep in the hallway. I don't want my back to get all bruised up from the hard floor.
      When she started rubbing her back, I started to get a better look at her features. Her eyes were a bright blue, her lips looked soft and moist, her face look like a princess's, and her hair was down all the way to her waist. If it wasn't for her bitchy attitude, then she would've definitely been on the S-tier level. What a waste.
      "You're a low C-tier at best." I said out loud.
      "OK THAT'S IT!!!! YOU AND I ARE GOING TO SETTLE THIS WITH A MAGIC BATTLE!!!" Mio erupted.
      "...ehh?"
      Mio, somehow successfully, dragged me outside and out in a small open field right in the biddle of school grounds. Then she stopped me somewhere in the middle of the field and she back-peddled about thirty feet away from me.
      "Whoever wins gets whatever they want," she said on the other side. "If I win, then you have to treat me like the noble that I am."
      "You're a noble?" I asked.
      I just thought that she was a narcissistic bitch.
      "OF COURSE I'M A NOBLE!!! Can't you see my pendant!"
      I looked at her chest then up her neck, but there was no pendant to be found.
      "I don't see it." I told her.
      "What?! No it should be... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!"
      She yanked the pendant, which was stuck underneath her uniform, back into visibility.
      "There, believe me now!" she said with a prideful smile.
      "Yeah, cool dragon," I said, admiring the well-engraved black dragon on the grey medal.
      So she must be a part of the Fire Dragons.
      "As I was saying," Mio continued. "If I win, then you'll treat me like a noble."
      "You're not going to make me lick your feet are you." I said with a look of disgust.
      "I might... yet I might not."
      "...pervert."
      "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT COMING FROM YOU!!!"
      "Ok sure, if you win then you get special privileges. But if I win... THEN YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF MY SIGHT AND STAY LIKE THAT UNTIL I DIE!!!!" 
      "...huh?"
      Hopefully I'll finally be able to teach her some common sense.
      "Tch... Fine, I accept your suggestion."
      "Ok then, let's get this thing started."
      Before we began our magic battle, we both pulled out our ID's and attached them to our heads, which turned into metal headbands.
      ID's were given to everyone, except criminals, but only people who were born from a long chain of Rainbow Knights were given the ID's that we had Our ID's gave us the ability to use our magic. 
      Scientific research states that our magic was created and passed on to a select few since they were only able to create a few samples of it, but the only way to bring it out was with enhanced technology, which were our ID's. However, the ability to control magic is determined by our mental strength. If you have hydrophobia, then chances our you won't control water magic that well. 
      It all depends on how comfortable you are with the elements you use.
      "FIRE MAGIC: FIRE FIST!" Mio shouted.
      "...?"
      Her fists were suddenly engulfed in flames. This technique is famous among the members of the Fire Dragons and only they ever used this. It was like an attack of the Fire Dragons or something.
      But there was something off about this situation.
      "...umm...why did you just shout your attack," I asked with a confused tone. "You know you can just use your mind to bring put your attack right."
      "Sh-Shut up! It's just my...uhh...my style if fighting! Yeah, that's it!"
      She's obviously lying. 
      This is ridiculous. She's a member of the Fire Dragons and a noble, and yet she's still fighting with training wheels.
      "She's done for." 
      "WATER MAGIC: NEKO STANCE!" I said, mentally.
      This attack caused water to surround my body and give me cat-like features. It enhance my speed, focus, and eyesight, as well was two ears on top of my head and a tail, which were all made of water.
      Mio couldn't see me though.
      When your fighting with your training wheels, when you shout your attack, your stance and magic all become visible to your opponent. When you use your mind, however, your magic is visible only to you because only you can hear your thoughts. 
      Think of it like your reading a book. When you read words that are giving a description of something, you use your head to read those words as well as use the words to create a mental image of what the author wants you to see. It's a figurative language called "Imagery." This kind of logic applies to the way you use your magic. You think of your own words then create a mental picture of what you want to cast. That, combined with a comfortable and stable mentality, can allow you to cast whatever kick-ass spell you want.
      Mio, however, didn't seem to know this trick. 
      "Quit being a coward and show me your attack!" Mio shouted at me.
      "Try guessing by using your head!" I shouted back.
      The only way to see the attack is by visualizing it correctly by yourself. 
      When you're fighting, the best strategy is to dodge your opponents attacks and read the way they move. Doing so can help you try and visualize what their attack is. Just like me, everyone who was born from former Rainbow Knights spend years being trained by their parents to enhance their ability to visualize an attack by paying attention to their opponent's stance, eye movements, breathing, facial expressions, speed, hands, pretty much every part of their body. This was the key to succeeding in battle.
      So how come Mio wasn't using this technique?
      "Enough fooling around," Mio shouted. "I'm taking my chance! HERE I COME!!!"
      She rushed at me, her fists of fire bursting with energy.
      I simply took a prowling stance, like a cat does when they spot a mouse, and waited for her to reach me.
      "Sorry Mio," I said quietly. "But you stood no chance the minute you shouted that spell."
      When she was a few feet away from me, Mio took her swing. I simply sprang up ten feet off the ground and fell straight at her. And with a simple slash with my cat-like water claws, she was hit and fell to the ground, a beautiful trail of aqua blue being left behind from my attack.
      "GAAUCK!!"
      Spitting up blood, Mio fell to the ground and was immobilized. She never stood a chance.
      "Sorry Mio," I said, sarcastically. "But this is checkmate for you."
      I didn't know why, but I started to feel a warm presence around her. Was I feeling sympathy towards her? Or was it pity? Whatever it is, I shouldn't let it get to me. She lost because she was too cocky about her abilities.
      "You lost this fight, and I beat you fair and square," I said. "Don't ever come near me again."
      I didn't realize this, but a large crowd of students were watching us. They must've seen our battle and wanted to see how it turned out. 
      "The fight is over," I said to them. "You don't have to keep watching us."
      "That...was a little harsh." one of then said.
      "...?"
      "Some of us were challenged by her," another student said. "When we realized that she was in training wheels, we decided to throw the match to at least give her something to feel good about."
      "That's stupid," I argued. "You can't just throw a match because you feel sorry for her! If she doesn't learn from her losses, then how the hell will she be able to move on!"
      In all honesty, I wanted her to succeed. The reason that I was so hard on her was because I wanted her to learn from her mistakes. I knew that she was misguided ever since she first attacked me.
      "If someone ever tries to bully you, then treat them like a bitch," my mother had told me. "And make sure that they learn from their mistakes."
      That's right. I have to make sure that they learn from their mistakes. It's the only way that they'll be able to succeed.
      "...w-why...?"
      I turned to see Mio struggling to move, as well as talk.
      "...why...is it that...everytime...I get back...up, I always...e-end up...back on th-the...ground..."
      "...!"
     No way! Exactly how long has she been misguided for?

When magic was finally usable with the help of advanced science projects and some test subjects, a group called the Rainbow Knights emerged from the tests. With magic in their genes, they were able to pass their magic down to many generations. And fifteen year old Ayden Lee is lucky enough to be one of them. Ever since he was a little boy, Ayden has always wanted to be a Rainbow Knight, just like his mother. After practicing his magic with his mother for several years, he eventually decides to attend the Rainbow Knight Training Academy. Will all of his magic training be able to pay off?

"Little Sister, the man of your dreams is about to take the stage!" A Celestial Maiden in a red robe let loose a delicate laugh as she tugged on the plain daoist robe of the woman beside her.
"What the hell are you saying, Big Sister?!"
Lin Junjun glared at the woman beside her with a hint of aggravation.
A Celestial Maiden in a blue robe chimed in with a slight smile. "Little Sister, I've watched you grow up from a toddler, and I've never seen you be so interested in any other man. Can you deny that?"
"Pursue him if you like him! Getting into a relationship isn't against any heavenly laws!" A woman in a green robe echoed the same opinion.
A Celestial Maiden in a yellow dress said with a dainty smile, "It would be great if you could take him down! We would be able to feast on delicious cooking every day! Just the thought of it brings happiness welling up in my heart." 
Lin Junjun's fair cheeks were blushing like a tomato as several beautiful Celestial Maidens created a rabble-rousing party around her. In the process, they displayed quite a beautiful sight to behold.
It was finally time for An Lin to take the stage.
He wore a set of signature white robes, and a hint of confidence and tranquility could be gleaned from his handsome features. Despite the audience of over a thousand immortals, there was not even a single hint of stage fright discernible from his body language.
This was an audience comprising of around two dozen Return to Void Stage Celestial Immortal and close to a thousand Soul Formation Stage Earth Immortals and Spirit Nurturing Stage Young Immortals. This would be an absolutely terrifying lineup in the eyes of an ordinary cultivator, so much so that they might even be too nervous to walk.
However, in An Lin's eyes, this could only be considered a decent lineup.
After all, he was displaying his cooking skills in person, so only an audience like this was worthy of the spectacular show they were about to witness!
Emperor Qing Hua stroked his beard with approval at the sight of An Lin's composure. "It appears that An Lin is quite confident."
An Lin extended a respectful salute toward the emperor. "Junior An Lin pays his respects to Emperor Qing Hua!"
"Good good good… You can go wait over there." Emperor Qing Hua pointed with a warm, gentle smile to the competition stage, upon which all utensils had already been prepared for him.
Chef God Hu Jiahao had also arrived at the competition. This was a man wearing a set of red robes. He had a slightly rough set of features and a pair of eyes that glowed with a hint of domineering confidence.
Hu Jiahao extended a respectful salute to Emperor Qing Hua before taking the stage.
An Lin turned to look at Hu Jiahao to find that Hu Jiaohao was also looking at him. This was the first time their eyes met and sparks already seemed to be flying.
Hu Jiahao said in an indifferent voice, "Perhaps your cooking skills are indeed quite exemplary, but I'll show all of the immortals here that your dishes are not worth the price you charged!"
The Chef God did not denounce An Lin's cooking skills, which instilled a bit of confidence in his heart.
An Lin was obviously not going to back down, and he replied with a slight smile, "Then I'll show you that my dishes are worth any price they get elevated to past this day!"
His words were immediately met with a burst of startled gasps.
Arrogance! Arrogance to the point of impudence!
Such arrogant words struck shock into the hearts of each and every one of the audience members present.
Some of the immortals were disdainful toward An Lin's open display of arrogance and provocation. However, others wore admiring expressions upon seeing this.
"As a new chef on the market, An Lin shouldn't say things like this no matter how good his cooking skills are. He's already showing everyone the extent of his arrogance now, imagine what he would be like in the future!"
"I don't think he has done anything wrong. A young person should be full of spirit and drive like this."
"That's right! People who talk the talk but can't walk the walk are stupid c*nts! But people who can do both are charismatic! Besides, perhaps his cooking skills really are as exemplary as he proclaims?"
All the immortals were engaged in heated discussions with one another, and all of them subscribed to different opinions.
At this moment, the two adorable infants beside Emperor Qinghua flew over to An Lin and Hu Jiahao, and they each waved a hand to reveal the ingredients and condiments for this competition.
The condiments were quite simple—oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
As for the ingredients, these were even simpler—one cabbage, one eggplant, one Heavenly Court free-range chicken, one piece of pork, a few eggs, and some spring onions as well as garlic.
The two infants announced in unison, "Competitors must make a dish of their choices from the available ingredients laid out before them. Whoever cooks the most delicious and high-quality dish will be adjudged the winner, and this will be decided by Emperor Qing Hua! The final explanation for the judgment will also be provided by Emperor Qing Hua!"
An Lin nodded upon hearing this. The judging criteria were not only limited to the taste of the dish but also the quality of the dish. This would be a test of the chef's ability to transform ordinary ingredients into a miraculous dish. After all, all these ingredients were quite mundane, so the key would lie in how they were cooked.
At that moment, An Lin and Hu Jiahao both fell into deep thought.
They had only one opportunity, so they wanted to do the best they could by taking the time and formulating a plan first.
Ever since An Lin had obtained the frying pan, he had been practicing his cooking skills every day. After all, he couldn't just waste the flavor enhancement effects, and as a result, he was now kind of a jack of all trades in all types of cuisines.
He had also tried to cook dishes using such simple ingredients before, like the cola chicken he had once made for Xiaolan. But that was not going to be enough! He needed something more spectacular!
An Lin and Hu Jiahao were still rooted to the spot in deep thought.
All the spectators were getting quite restless again as more discussions erupted.
"I've had An Lin's cooking before, and it's absolutely the most delicious cooking in this world! An Lin will be sure to win this competition!"
"Hehe, don't be too confident in case you have to swallow your words! Hu Jiahao has been the incumbent Chef God for several thousand years! How could he lose to a new kid?"
"Maybe An Lin has some special ingredients or cooking techniques he uses to enhance the flavor of his dishes. However, with all these mundane ingredients, Hu Jiahao's vast experience and extremely refined cooking skills would probably carry him to victory in the end!"
All the immortals were discussing among themselves, as were the Young Immortals.
The golden infant boy beside Emperor Qing Hua sidled up to the jade infant girl. "Xiao Yu, who do you think is going to win?"
"Big Brother An Lin for sure! His cooking is really delicious!" the jade girl replied.
The golden boy was taken aback by her quick and firm response. "Why?"
"Big Brother An Lin is so handsome, just looking at him would make his cooking more delicious to eat!" the jade girl replied in a crisp, adorable voice.
The golden boy: "…"
What a pure and innocent response!
Just as they were talking, another collective cry of surprise rang out from the audience stands.
Everyone turned toward the competition platform to find that Hu Jiahao had made the first move!
"It's here! That is the signature pan of the Chef God, the Flying God Green and Yellow Pan! Its exterior is as beautiful as jade and is constructed from divine rank green-and-yellow jade! Not only does it offer a completely non-stick surface, but it is also extremely heat resistant and can enhance the flavor of any dish cooked by using it!"
All the other immortals also let loose cries of surprise. Just looking at Chef God's artistic masterpiece of a pan was quite a visual spectacle on its own!
Perhaps it was because he was inspired by something, a figurative lightbulb suddenly lit up over An Lin's head, and he too decided on what dish he was going to cook. That dish had something to do with the newest member of his big family.
"Look! An Lin is springing into action too!"
"Let me see what type of pan he's going to use."
One second later, countless immortals' eyes bulged in disbelief.
Some even rubbed their eyes before looking again, only to draw another sharp intake of incredulous breath.
"This, am I seeing this right? Is that a frying pan?"
"And it's a completely mundane pitch-black frying pan?!"
A certain retarded superfan retorted, "Mundane? No! I think it's extremely unique!" 
"Unique? Unique in how ugly it is?!"
That's right, everyone was either disappointed, disdainful, or shocked at the sight of An Lin's frying pan.
An Lin didn't take notice of their reactions as a confident smile appeared on his face.
You mere mortals, let me show you the might of the frying pan!


On modern-day Earth, An Lin seems to have been abandoned by God. 
When his father suddenly disappears, An Lin is left with his father's immense debt, putting his life at risk. 
After being forced to a rooftop by his pursuing creditors, An Lin is unexpectedly swept off his feet and brought to the ground safely.
    
After learning that he was saved by an Immortal, An Lin is gifted, seemingly out of pure generosity, the 'God Of War System,' and a pass to a new realm.
Follow An Lin as he experiences a whole new world of legends, meets many new friends, acquires legendary weapons and tools, and starts on his path of becoming a powerful cultivator. There is never a dull time in An Lin's new life with his ‘great’ new system!

For a second, Klein's act of casually sweeping his gaze paused on that familiar person's figure.
He immediately sensed the abnormality in his reaction since a demigod's spiritual perception wouldn't fail to notice it.
His back muscles tensed up as his mind raced, producing figurative sparks.
He didn't immediately move his gaze away as he continued looking at the demigod suspected to be from the Black Emperor pathway. He smiled at Macht and said, "This place really isn't just for veteran officers."
This sounded like a result of careful observation, but it was nothing but meaningless chatter.
Macht chuckled.
"Any club will exceed its original restrictions when it further develops itself."
His answer didn't seem to offer anything, but on careful consideration, it did seem to imply something or perhaps something that was the complete opposite.
At this moment, the broad-shouldered and long-armed gentleman in a black suit had also naturally turned his head. He looked at the two men, and he noticed that the tycoon who had donated 15,000 pounds was looking at him and his companions while engaging Member of Parliament Macht with a whisper.
This made him feel that his look of surprise was more of a natural reaction towards learning of his occupation.
Then, he retracted his gaze and continued his topic of conversation.
And at this moment, Klein's back was covered in a layer of cold sweat, and his legs were going limp.
Although he had, in a way, faced the demigod before and had even fought with him, to have such a close encounter in such a small place, with danger happening in a split second, this was a first. And more importantly, he was far from prepared to face a demigod. Not only did he lack a marionette, all he had on him was Death Knell, Azik's copper whistle, and the adventurer's harmonica.
The Sea God Scepter was impossible to bring on his person. Furthermore, the usage of it had strict environmental limitations; otherwise, it would result in massive damage. If he kept Groselle's Travels on him for too long, he might be pulled into the book world. When that happens, it would become troublesome trying to exit it. Creeping Hunger was still lacking a seal, so it needed to feed every day. Unless necessary, it was impossible to take it out ahead of time. The Fate Siphon charm was made from a Worm of Time, so it was an unknown if it would attract Amon. Unless he could use it very quickly, Klein obviously lacked the courage to bring it on him.
If the demigod who was suspected to be from the Black Emperor pathway had discovered something wrong with him, there was only one optimal solution he could think of.
It was to blow the harmonica and summon Miss Messenger to get her to help him escape Backlund via the spirit world!
He had never thought of letting Reinette Tinekerr engage in a direct battle while he held Death Knell from the side to find an opportunity to fire. This was Backlund, the home ground of the official Beyonders. With Miss Messenger's unique appearance, that man could easily pin a crime on her, and what awaited Klein would be a joint attack on him. There was bound to be increasing numbers of demigods and powerful Sealed Artifacts.
How harrowing… Klein moved his gaze away in a manner that adhered to logic. Using the Clown's ability to control his legs, he walked to the door in a completely normal manner.
He didn't ask Macht who those people were, to appear uninterested as a way to prove that it was all just a casual glance.
However, that person turning to look at him had exposed his appearance to Klein.
He had thick but unmessy black brows with a short and hard crew-cut of the same color. He had dark blue eyes and a high nose-bridge with a bushy mustache spreading out from his mouth. He had a long face with accentuated outlines as well as callous curves.
He had strong masculine vibes and was probably in his thirties or forties. It was difficult to determine.
Just on his appearance alone, Klein felt that he looked more like an Arbiter pathway's demigod rather than one of the Black Emperor pathway.
Of course, this demigod's bearing was closer to that of a Warrior's, but he was too short.
Having had a clear look at him, Klein didn't need to inquire further. He could directly get Arrodes to answer him. Even if he was still wary of the magic mirror, he could always commission Miss Xio, Miss Sharron, and company to do a simple background check.
He believed that no matter how well-hidden this demigod was, it was unlikely for him to have a low-ranking position. It would be easy to figure out who he was.
One step. Two steps. Three steps. Klein left the East Balam Military Veterans Mess in a normal manner.
When he boarded the carriage, he leaned on the wall, closed his eyes, and kept silent for a few seconds. Inwardly, he let out a long sigh.
The disconnected trail of clues leading to the truth of the Great Smog of Backlund has finally been connected again…
He didn't open his eyes or say a word, as though he was recounting the business problems he had previously discussed. But in fact, it was to quell his emotions that had been left in an upheaval.
During this process, Klein realized that Richardson had tried to speak a few times, only to shut his mouth again, doing so as though he was stumped.
Ultimately, he didn't say a word, focused on preparing marquis black tea for his employer.
Due to his previous encounter, Klein momentarily didn't have the capacity to be bothered about him and had pretended to not notice it.
Amidst the silent atmosphere and grinding wheels, they returned to 160 Böklund Street.
When he reached the third floor, Klein was just about to head for the bathtub that had been prepared by the lady's maid when Richardson, who was holding his hat and cane, took two steps forward and respectfully said, "Sir, are you heading to the Southern Continent soon?"
"Yes," Klein replied frankly. He had even prepared 500 pounds in cash to hand to Housekeeper Taneja for daily expenses needed for the Dwayne Dantès residence during his time in the Southern Continent.
Meanwhile, he had a deeper understanding of the importance of having a butler and valet in high society.
There were many things that a master couldn't keep from them; therefore, any conflict in faith and political inclinations necessitated a change.
Richardson hesitated and said, "Sir, I was born in the Southern Continent and am fluent in Dutanese. I'm also very familiar with the various local traditions. I should be of help to you."
Dutanese was a common language of the ancient Balam Empire. In present-day East and West Balam, the citizens still used this language. Only people of the middle- and upper-class knew foreign languages like ancient Feysac, Loenese, and Intis.
Klein felt lucky with regards to this because ancient Balam was once a unified empire with a true god existing in it. Therefore, although the different states had different accents, they all used Dutanese. The written language was likewise the same. This saved him plenty of trouble.
If I were to encounter dozens or more than a hundred dialects and languages, that would be a headache… However, Dutanese and ancient Feysac doesn't belong to the same system. I'm unable to easily grasp the various branches by learning the latter. Finding an interpreter is necessary. Oh, Anderson seems to be fluent in Dutanese. He never seemed to mention having any problems with communication in West Balam… Klein finished listening to Richardson when he suddenly realized what was stumping him.
As a valet, he needed to follow whenever his employer headed out. There was no need for a butler to do so.
This also meant that a valet was like a secretary for the master's daily life. In certain cases, they would also play a role as a business secretary.
Clearly, Richardson enjoyed his life in Backlund and everything it had to offer. He didn't wish to return to the Southern Continent to see scenery or matters that would make him recall his past; therefore, when he got into the carriage, he had tried to mention his traits but was unable to voice it out. He wished that Dwayne Dantès could find a better candidate.
Klein thought for a moment before saying, "I can tell that you don't like the Southern Continent. Why are you telling me this?"
Richardson slowly bowed his head and looked at his toes.
"You gave me a chance to gain experience to mature. I-I believe I can help you."
Very simple feelings of gratitude… If you hadn't said so, no one would know that you knew Dutanese. After all, you were born and raised in an East Balam colony manor… Klein carefully sized up Richardson, chuckled inwardly, and made some silent poignant comments.
However, he didn't plan on letting this valet of his follow him to the Southern Continent. Firstly, it would make it inconvenient for him to carry out certain operations. Secondly, if he was recognized by some Nation Reestablishment Society member of the Numinous Episcopate, it might end up affecting the rest of his life.
Klein laughed and replied, "I have plenty of friends there. They're all fluent in Dutanese and are aware of the traditions there.
"Hmm, you have more important things to do. Stay in Backlund. Help me deliver some gifts to my friends at fixed periods of time. I'll be giving you a name list when the time comes. Also, read more papers and take note of investment opportunities and also perform on-the-ground checks. Finally, give me a corresponding report. I will get Ma'am Taneja to specially prepare some funds for this."
Richardson was somewhat surprised before saying in pleasant surprise, "Yes, sir. I-I will work hard!"
At that instant, he felt that he was being put in an important position as his eyes blurred up.
From the moment he was born, this was the first time he felt hope for his future. It was something to look forward to.
After dismissing Richardson, Klein took a comfortable bath to soothe his tense nerves. Then, he wore his pajamas and returned to the bedroom. Taking a pen and paper, he drew a symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying.
The full-body mirror's surface ripples with aqueous light as silver light formed Loenese text:
"Exalted Great Master, your puny, loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning!
"Are you about to leave Backlund again?"
Klein nodded and said, "Yes."
Without waiting for Arrodes to mention that he could question it, he asked, "Can I still contact you in the Southern Continent?"
"Of course! As long as you take out that magical radio transceiver." On the surface of the mirror, silver words quickly formed. "However, you cannot leave it out in the real world for too long or use it too frequently. There are plenty of beneficiaries of the Mother Tree of Desire. 'She' can use it to detect you."
Klein nodded gently and asked, "What do you know about the Mother Tree of Desire?"
Arrodes suddenly fell into silence. It was only after a very long time that its silver luster formed a complete sentence:
"I don't dare to mention it, nor do I dare to show it."


With the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?

Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons, dreadnoughts, airships, difference machines, as well as Potions, Divination, Hexes, Tarot Cards, Sealed Artifacts… 

The Light continues to shine but mystery has never gone far. Follow Klein as he finds himself entangled with the Churches of the world—both orthodox and unorthodox—while he slowly develops newfound powers thanks to the Beyonder potions.

Like the corresponding tarot card, The Fool, which is numbered 0—a number of unlimited potential—this is the legend of "The Fool."

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