With the hot-blooded young man having disappeared, peace returned to the restaurant once more.
The man who claimed to be the owner turned to Ryuk and voiced out an apology, which Ryuk waved off, roughing Iris’ hair with a reassuring smile.
It seemed to instill her newfound confidence, as she dived straight back into the food, the speed of which made him silently chuckle.
Turning away, he resumed his look out the window, but in reality,
[Congratulations on successfully bonding with a Zaffree Kraken!]
[Would Host like to see the Pet’s attribute Panel]
The system panel notification flashed, and he replied.
’Yes.’
[Pets]
║Name: Zaffre║
║Race: Zafree Kraken║
║Cultivation Stage: Ancestral Level Beast.║
"So, it’s an Ancestral Level Beast, just like Isha," Ryuk thought silently, looking at Zaffre’s panel.
║Energy Type: Oragon Apex Energy.║
"Oragon Apex energy? That’s new."
It was the first time he had heard that,
║Pets Fundamental Skills and Abilities║
║1. True King Kraken Transformation.║
║2. Oragon Soul Domain.║
║3. True Tentacular Manipulation║
║4. Oragon Soul Sucking Pores.║
║5. Zafree Kraken Overdrive.║
{Important Note: This list of skills is what should be possible for a Zaffree Kraken at the Ancestral Level Beasts according to the information from the soul fusion and recorded Database.]
[There’s a very high chance Host’s pet might be capable of much more, and those above are just the least it should possess.]
The system panel blinked before Ryuk, who hmmed beneath his breath.
He wasn’t too familiar with the skills, but he believed that when he had tried to awaken Zaffre, only to end up pulled to a dark Void realm, that must have been the Oragon Soul Domain.
’Apart from that, there are at least four more skills of hers that I have no clue at all how they work. Wish there was a side explanation, but even having this is already out of this world for most.’
’I just need to take some time observing her,’ He thought and continued with the Panel.
[Due to fusion, as usual, Host has gained a random skill from the skill list of the Pet.]
║Skill: Zaffre Kraken Overdive.║
║Skill Level: 1║
║Description: Grants Host the Ability to enter into a berserk transformation stage that normally only occurs when a Zaffre Kraken is pushed to the brink of death. This is one of the most powerful and dangerous Combat States a Zaffree Kraken can achieve.]
[Important Note: Intelligence stats will suffer a massive loss, up to a 70% loss, when in this state.]
’Zafree Kraken Overdrive, huh?’ Ryuk mused silently.
The skill showed potential even only at LV.1, but there was a tiny problem.
When he had contracted Isha and had activated the Frost Veil skill, he had only been able to hold that ability for a few seconds before Isha collapsed.
The reason was that he was sharing her energy due to a lack of his, so in the end, he had to take up cultivating Frost energy.
But now that he couldn’t cultivate, how was he to possess the Orgaon Energy for him to personally activate without using the skill?
[Just Copy Zaffree’s Energy with your Hurricane Runes.]
The system replied,
’To be able to use a technique truly. I have to believe I already know the technique, or am used to the technique.’
’It doesn’t work by just saying ’Activate Zafree Overdrive.’
"So, I have to ask Zaffre exactly how it works and reimagine that, or I watch Zaffre enter into such a state."
[Might sound like a disadvantage, not being able to use the skill instantly, but I think it gets rid of you having to spend months on end, cultivating.]
[You only need to see the skill being used once, and once you copy Oragon energy, you’ll be able to use the skill as good as Zafree herself uses it, with ten times more effectiveness.]
’True,’
He thought.
That was the advantage of switching to Hurricane.
"BURP!"
The sound of a loud satisfied Belging woke him up, as he deactivated the system panel, turning to look at Iris sitting before him.
Right now, she was reclining against her chair, with a bubbling stomach that kept jiggling here and there.
"You really ate to your fill, didn’t you?" Ryuk said, looking at the plates on the table.
A total of 12 dishes had been wiped clean by her in one go.
"I want tot...sleep.’ The tired and weary voice echoed in Ryuk’s head, and he grinned, rising to his feet and picking her up, before walking out of the restaurant.
He had not walked far when her snore reached his ears, and he threw her behind him, before rising into the air, and soaring into the distance.
________
"It’s not every day one sees an Archguard coming to eat here. Could he be new around here?"
"He also seemed very young."
"Could the girl be his daughter? She really is a cute thing."
"What’s with her monstrous appetite, though?"
The second he and Iris were out, murmurs naturally followed.
By the counter, the man, who claimed to be the owner of the restaurant, could hear all of this while wiping a glass cup with a clean white handkerchief.
His eyes went away from the cup, and for a second, he turned to glance at the table where Ryuk and Iris had sat to eat.
A flicker of light flashed through his eyes, and eventually he finished cleaning the cup.
Then he blinked twice, a notification panel appearing, which he quickly tapped on.
10 seconds of tapping, and the panel dispersed, before he picked up another cup and continued his wiping.
__________________
"Hey Zaffree!" Ryuk called out when he reached back to the bunker area.
The waves around were calm, and just as he expected, the Zafree Kraken was nowhere to be found.
But he didn’t have to re-summon her to his side when he watched a powerful wave crashing towards him with speed once more.
Immediately, Ryu blinked, moving out of the way and narrowly dodging the seawater that ravaged through where he had been.
"What’s with you and trying to get me wet anyway?" He asked, turning behind him to find a head poking out of the water.
But this time, Zaffre’s expression wasn’t neutral or disdainful like always.
She actually held a grin instead.
A Wicked Grin!