Initially, no one expected cracks to appear in the space.
But what surprised everyone even more was that something was coming out of it right now!
Ozul squinted to get a good look at the dull white fabric that fluttered out of the void. It was difficult to concentrate on anything else when the pure void was so enticing.
If the spatial crack were a fire lamp, Ozul would resemble a moth blindly drawn to its flame.
Everyone held their breaths.
It only took a split second for everything to sink in. It wasnât some mysterious object or a monster beyond their comprehension that emerged from the spatial crack; it was simply a human being!
The dull white robes fluttered in the air as the man stepped out of the spatial crack, and the wind began to blow again. The spatial crack immediately closed, as if reality had been played in reverse.
.....
The man glanced around him for a split second before his eyes coldly glanced at the people below him.
A sneer stretched across his face as his gaze fell on the old man, whom he instantly recognized âSenior Gu... We havenât seen each other in a long time.â
Due to the obvious contempt in his tone, it was clear that Old Gu didnât get along with this new person who addressed him with honorifics.
âIndeed, yet it doesnât feel that way. After all, your hand is still crippled.â
With a grin on his face, Old Gu responded immediately. He didnât appear to be fazed by the man. His remark drew Ozulâs attention to the manâs unnatural arm position.
He wore his blonde hair behind his back, tied with a ribbon. The robes were a little baggy, but they seemed to fit him perfectly. Despite their fluttering, Ozul could tell the man had the posture of a thick tree.
Ozul pondered in his mind, âI canât sense his power either.â Because the manâs attention was currently occupied by Old Gu, it was a good opportunity to gauge his strength.
â!!!â
The man gave him a side glance and squinted his eyes a little when Old Gu coughed a little.
âGet it over with quickly... KunKun~â
âWhat did you call me?!â
âHe saved me,â Ozul had a feeling that Old Gu intentionally diverted the manâs attention.
âIt doesnât matter what I call you. Are you so free or did your master forget to teach you the basics of time flow?â Old Gu shook his head with a face filled with almost genuine disappointment. If one didnât know any better, they would think that he was really concerned for the man.
âYou sure can talk after being here for over ten thousand years, Senior. It makes a junior like me really wonder if you are still sane and havenât lost your mind with age.â
âDonât worry, I can still wipe your ass with my eyes closed.â
âYou are forgetting everything works differently here, Senior,â the man who Old Gu called âKunKunâ sneered in disdain and decided not to indulge with the old man more than he already had.
He swept his gaze once more across the fourteen people on the ground, and a frown formed on his already clenched brows.
âWhy are there only 14 people here? They had ordered you for at least 30!â
His questions were directed at Old Gu, who was cleaning his ears!
âI told them to stop fighting when there were only 30 left, but look at them! This bunch is truly an unruly one; they didnât even listen to me and have only now stopped.â With a mix of rage and dissatisfaction, Old Gu pointed his greasy finger at the people down on the hill.
Even âKunKunâ had the impression that this was how Old Gu felt for a brief moment, but looking at the faces of those 14 survivors being pointed at, it was clear that the old man was shifting blame.
His clenched fists shook with rage, but he forced himself to calm down. âJust wait until I report this back, they might overturn their decision not to end your punishment here after all,â he reasoned in his mind.
He took deep breaths, and a wisp of cold wind blew again, chilling even Rank-8 Mages.
It wasnât natural, everyone thought, but no one dared to ask any questions. If they knew anything, it was that even if they all combined their strength, they wouldnât be able to compete with these two people floating in the air.
âI believe you already know whatâs going to happen now, so letâs g-â
âCough!â Old Gu coughed loudly.
â...â
The muscles on âKunKunâsâ face twitched visibly. To the point where even the most clueless could tell how enraged he was.
âYou didnât tell them anything... did you?â
âHm... I may have forgotten a little. Anyway, I was informed that I was called back?â Old Gu quickly switched the topic.
âRegrettably so,â âKunKunâ muttered quietly to himself.
âYour opinion makes absolutely dirt difference. KunKun~, it would be so kind of you to open the gate now.â
If looks could kill, Old Gu would have already been a dead man a thousand times over!
âKunKunâ had no choice but to comply with Old Guâs request. He appeared to do nothing when the space behind him cracked again, revealing an abyss filled with unending depths.
Before entering the gate, Old Gu cleaned his hand with his half-torn rough clothing. He halted for a short second before entering and looked at Ozul with a cunning gleam in his eyes. Fortunately or unfortunately, âKunKunâ was not paying attention to this brief event.
âPray you donât meet me again in the future.â
With that, Old Guâs back disappeared inside the gate.
With the cause for their gloomy expressions no longer present, everyone turned to face the stranger, clearly anticipating answers.
Ahem!
âMy surname is Kun, and you should now address me as âSeniorâ. Quietly follow me. If at all possible, avoid opening your mouth. Iâm not paid enough to answer your questions,â Kun snorted coldly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Ozul deduced from Kunâs authoritative tone that he was most likely someone in a high position wherever they were going.
âYou...â Kun finally paid attention to the massive beast, which had been thrown to the ground but stood up after Old Gu left.
âAre you also chosen?â Kun inquired, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he did so. Heâd almost forgotten that it wasnât going to be so easy this time. âHe chose this beast on purpose! I know it! Just you wait, old bastard!â He yelled in his head, but his face remained expressionless.
âI am! So what Human? Do you also intend to stop m-â
Thud!
The pressure that had disappeared after Old Gu left suddenly descended upon her again as her massive body slammed straight into the ground! She couldnât move a muscle even when she tried to open her mouth again.
If these âinvisible constraintsâ were just a leash when done by Old Gu, now it felt as if this man was about to crush her to death!
âI will ask you one simple question and I donât want anything other than a yes or a no. Understand?â Kun asked with a chilling voice.
It would have made others take a few steps back, but the Sovereign continued to glare at him with her reddened slits.
âQuite a feisty one, huh.â Kun raised his brow and a smirk spread across his face, âLetâs see how long you can last then.â
GrH!!
Strange rumbling sounds filled with pain escaped the Sovereignâs mouth despite her inability to open it.
While others were perplexed by what was going on, Ozul was completely aware of the situation. As Kun continued to torture her, he could sense the Sovereignâs anguished emotions.
âHm. Have you changed your mind?â Kun retracted a bit of his pressure so the Sovereign could barely move her head.
Her vengeful glare did not dim in the least, but she was now well aware that she was no match for this human. Despite her reluctance, she agreed by moving her head up and down.
âSee it wasnât so hard, was it? Alright, so a simple question; can you change your form to something around a humanâs size?â
Despite being a gigantic fox with no human expressions, his question caused the Sovereign to frown.
âPuppy, you donât want to irritate me. I donât have much time to waste on all of you. Might I remind you that the most efficient method is to kill you and be done with it?â
From above, Kun looked down on the Sovereign. Ozul could tell he was serious when he said that. They were currently of no value to him, and he could easily dispose of them without having to lift a finger!
âWas Old Gu as powerful as this?â Ozul pondered his thoughts.
Surprisingly, he showed no sentiments when confronted with this new situation. It didnât bother him in the least that his life was at the mercy of another person.
It seemed that the Sovereign had also realized the seriousness of the situation as she finally allowed herself to listen to a human being.
âI... can.â
She had this ability for a very long time now but she chose never to do this because she liked her current form the best.
âPerfect!â Kun happily relieved the Sovereignâs pressure, allowing her to rise to her feet once more. She didnât, however, immediately try to kill Kun out of rage, as any beast would in her place.
âWhat are you waiting for?â
Everyone was looking forward to seeing what the Sovereign would transform into. Theyâd never heard of a Beast so large changing forms and shrinking in size. Not to mention the Mainlandâs Sovereign of All Beasts!