MTLNOVEL Chapter 120: Strayed Demon
"The reason I called you... Is that I'm going to organize a hunting competition." Aiden's voice sounded calm.
His gaze swept over the faces of Michel and Kael, who were wiping their lips after finishing their meal.
"A hunting competition?" A slight expression appeared on Kael's face, though his eyes remained just as empty.
Catching everyone's interest, Aiden explained:
"Here in my territory, whenever a special guest comes, we organize a hunting competition. We use our techniques to catch beasts, then we count them, and whoever catches the most animals gets a prize."
Of course, the hunting competition was pure bullshit. Aiden had never done anything like that before, as he didn't have enough contacts to organize it. He had bought his noble title a year ago.
At that time, he lacked contacts and wanted to use Michel for that purpose. He had even considered making him his son-in-law; he had noticed the glances his daughter Elizabeth was casting at the young heir to the Abraham family.
"..." Kael was silent for a moment, as if seriously considering what Aiden had said.
After a brief pause, he spoke:
"Really? Can we participate?"
"Of course." Aiden's smile widened. "You are guests of my Blander family, so we must treat you as such, right?"
Kael lowered his head, and a trace of sadness appeared on his face. "But I am no longer a noble... As is well known, my family was destroyed."
"Even though your family has been destroyed, their history still lives on, and the least I can do is show you respect," Aiden spoke with a serious expression.
"I see..." A happy smile appeared on Kael's face, but his eyes shone with a dark light. "Then I will gladly accept to participate in the hunting competition."
"And you?" Aiden looked at Michel, who hadn't said a word.
Michel nodded, confirming his participation. He was very interested in what Kael was planning, because he knew that it was all an act.
If he hadn't traveled with him, he would have completely bought into Kael's act. This only increased his distrust of him. He couldn't help but think that Kael was someone extremely dangerous.
Seeing both of them confirm, Aiden stood up with a broad smile. "Perfect, the competition starts tomorrow, so if you'd like, you can explore the city."
"I can show you around the city, I know it quite well." Elizabeth offered enthusiastically, glancing furtively at Michel.
"You go ahead, I'll come later. I'm still tired from the trip." Kael smiled apologetically.
However, this didn't bother Elizabeth in the least; on the contrary, it made her happier, as it meant she would have more time alone with Michel.
Michel narrowed his eyes for a moment, but he was curious to explore, so he agreed.
"Then you'll have to show it to me." His voice sounded cold and distant, though with a hint of curiosity.
Elizabeth's eyes sparkled with excitement, and a smile spread across her face.
"I'm going to get changed. We'll leave in five minutes."
...
Five minutes later, with Michel and Elizabeth gone to the city in the Blander family's territory, Kael was in the room he had been assigned. He fed the koi fish, which moved slowly, opening and closing their mouths as they caught the food falling onto the water.
When he finished, Kael sat down and brought his consciousness to the core of his being. There, he contemplated his sea of mana, which was a greenish-copper color. Several Zu floated among its waters, moving slowly, as if playing with the liquid that surrounded them.
Among them were: Four Seasons Dragonfly, Jade Sealer, Moonfire, and the Bloody Sage of the Seventh Heaven. At that moment, he had refined four Zu... five, if he counted the Taisui Black Zu, which occasionally dragged him toward the reverse river of blood.
Kael observed everything with a neutral expression and withdrew his consciousness from the core, returning to reality. He looked around; he knew they were watching him.
He didn't care. With a thought, he tried to activate the Bloody Sage of the Seventh Heaven Zu. His mana pool dropped dramatically to 0% just from attempting to summon it.
What is the rank of this Zu... that I can't even activate?
On Kiran Mountain, he had learned that Zus were classified, just like ranks: from 9, the weakest, to 1, the most powerful. He also knew that they were creatures that were both mystical and twisted. In the lower ranks, they might seem insignificant... but as they ascended, they mutated into something that bordered on the unnatural.
He remembered a book that mentioned cases: a nobleman who, after using a rank 4 Zu, woke up without a liver and with his abdomen full of larvae wriggling under his skin; a priest who lost his eyes; a woman who was left without a tongue or vocal cords... but whose voice continued to scream in the corridors, even though there was no one there.
All the Zu had something in common: they always demanded payment. And it didn't matter what. A heart torn out while still warm, teeth pulled out one by one, skin torn off in strips... or a worse price, one that left no visible wounds but consumed the mind until it was hollow, empty.
In short, the higher the rank, the more likely it was that using a Zu would not only end the user's life... but also drag them into a death that continued even after their last heartbeat.
Kael understood why this path had been forgotten: it was too cruel and lonely. In addition, resources were quite limited.
Unlike the Path of Aura and the Path of Magic, it was much bloodier. That's why Kael couldn't help but marvel at this path, because he knew that nothing in this world was free.
And the Zu Path embodied it perfectly.
What kind of price would I have to pay to activate this Zu?
He knew he couldn't activate it due to his low rank. For him, price was not an issue.
Just then, a status window appeared.
Ding.
[Do you wish to activate the Bloody Sage of the Seventh Heaven Zu?]
[Yes/No]
Kael stared at the window for a while, waiting for his mana essence to recover halfway.
After about ten minutes, he felt that he had fully recovered and, without thinking, selected "Yes."
Ding.
[Activating Bloody Sage of the Seventh Heaven Zu.]
Kael felt his mana essence being manipulated by the system, transforming into a white and gold color as the Zu activated.
At that moment, a tree appeared in front of him.
Its trunk, rough and silvery, twisted into almost human shapes. But the most disturbing and fascinating thing was the two eyes that rested on its bark: large, bright, and liquid green, like wells of ancient sap. They blinked slowly.
Beneath them, a toothless mouth curved into a serene smile, with wooden lips. The leaves, light and almost translucent, tinkled like crystals, casting dancing shadows on the ground.
Kael noticed that his mana pool had dropped back down to 0%, then fixed his gaze on the Zu.
The tree, as if coming to life, began to flicker, and its mouth opened, revealing silver teeth, until it focused its attention on Kael. A mysterious smile appeared on its face.
"Strayed Demon, what do you want to talk to me about?" His voice sounded ancient, as if it belonged to a time long before the present.
Kael's eyes narrowed dangerously when he heard the stranger Zu call him by that title, something he had never revealed to anyone.
The hidden figures watching him opened their eyes in surprise and quickly disappeared from the scene.
Kael sensed a disturbance, and a cold smile appeared on his lips. But his gaze was fixed once again on the Zu.
"How do you know that?" he asked, his eyes taking on a dark gleam.
...
In one of the rooms of the mansion, the silence was broken only by the faint rustling of leaves and feathers on the documents Aiden was reviewing, all related to the administration of his territory.
Suddenly, the door burst open. Several figures entered and stood in front of him, their faces tense and their expressions grave.
Aiden looked up, raising an eyebrow with cold curiosity.
"What did they find?"
He knew that the presence of his men at that moment could only mean one thing: they had found something of great importance... something related to Kael.
One of them stepped forward and, after a moment's hesitation, began to recount what had happened from the beginning: Kael was standing in the courtyard, calmly feeding the koi fish. Then, without warning, an impossible tree appeared in front of him: its trunk supported a silver throne, and its leaves were so clear that they were almost translucent in the light.
Aiden listened to every word with growing interest and a hungry gleam in his eyes. He hadn't expected Kael to reveal something so valuable so soon. From the description, there was no doubt: it was a Zu, and not just any Zu, but one of exceptional nature.
The corners of his lips curved into a smile that slowly widened. He couldn't wait to get his hands on it. He just had to be patient... and sooner or later, the fruits would fall into his hands.
Hehe~, young Kael, you're still too naive to use something so valuable when you've just arrived in a foreign land.
The laughter slipped through his mind like a poisonous whisper, relishing the anticipation.