Chapter 870: Nothing has changed in this place
Ares stumbled out of the rift, his clothes rumpled and stained with dark blood.
"Damn it! Why am I always so unlucky? Ugh... Whenever I create a rift near the clan territory, it connects to the cracks outside where those corrupted beasts lurk!"
He flicked his wrist, and his dirty attire immediately returned to its pristine, proper form, almost as if he hadn’t just escaped from the midst of corrupted beasts.
"It’s all because I am not very good with the natural law of space. I should increase my mastery of that law..."
He pondered aloud, looking back. Finding the space behind him empty, he frowned.
"Wait... I am sure I wasn’t alone?"
His amethyst eyes widened with dread.
"Shit! I forgot about that red-eyed man! I was so focused on getting away from the beasts that I left him behind!"
He vanished. The next time he came back, he wore a guilty look as Cassian’s bloodied figure dropped out of the rift after him.
"Ahem..."
Ares cleared his throat.
His face flushed with embarrassment.
His image, his precious image of a weak individual secretly being overpowered, has been shattered! Not just that, he even forgot the man he had recruited for his clan when he ran off to avoid the corrupted beasts since his clean freak tendencies kicked in when so many beasts pounced at him.
"Are you okay?"
Cassian glared at him. His blood-red eyes zeroed in on his guilty figure coldly.
"I almost lost my life!"
Ares stammered as he moved back.
"That... that wasn’t my fault! I saved you! Okay! Not once but twice!"
Cassian scoffed, brushing the dark blood from his clothes with a wave of his hand.
"What about that hooded man? He safely reached the clan, right? Or did he also end up amidst the beasts like us?"
Ares paused, then let out a chuckle.
"The rift took him to the right place. I know where the other end of the rift opened. He is surely in the clan. Let’s go. I’ll take you there. Now that you’re one of us as well."
They both floated above the grassy plain, the wind whipping through their hair. In a blink, they were outside a familiar gate.
Silver’s annoyed figure shot out of the massive gate like a lightning bolt. She was furious, her eyes blazing. Yet, the moment she saw Ares, her demeanor shifted. Her anger was replaced by a look of joy.
"Clan Master! You are back!"
She shouted. The lower half of her face was hidden by the veil, so no one noticed the beautiful smile playing on her lips.
Cassian froze, hearing the familiar voice.
He glanced at Silver, his eyes flashing with old memories. Yet, he could only watch her, not approach her as he could in the past.
She didn’t remember him. Why would she, when he was the one who left to pursue his grand dreams, dreams that ended in ruins? Or maybe she did, but he was no longer the individual she once met. He was someone else now, someone she didn’t know.
’She was a good friend. But she is not useful. So, let’s just not get involved with those old friends I left a long time ago.’
He watched as Silver berated Ares for sending another new member to the clan.
Ares chuckled at the woman who was voicing her grievances and grumbling.
He found it amusing.
He knew Silver didn’t like him and even spoke ill of him behind his back. The only reason she clung to him was that he was the strongest person there. Plus, she had a thing for bright eyes and hair like his.
"Okay, I know, I know that I disappear and send annoying new people into the clan. But tell me where is that new member?"
He looked back, pointing at Cassian.
"This person here is also a new member. I recruited him. He and the one who arrived earlier than us both have a bright future."
Silver examined the second newcomer of the day from head to toe, then ignored him.
"The person who arrived earlier, Kyle, I showed him his residence and briefed him about the clan. The last I recall, he went to the library. I guess he’s a bookworm. Also, handle the second newcomer on your own. I was busy meditating when your presence disturbed my concentration."
She clicked her tongue and vanished, leaving Ares staring at air, surprised.
"He went to the library? That’s rare."
Cassian shared his surprise. Why would a new Celestial, who had just arrived, head to a library? The answer was clear: he wanted to learn everything about this new realm.
’That hooded person is getting more interesting with time. He has a good future, considering what happened in the Golden Hall. I need to have him join my team, at all costs. Then, we would leave this clan.’
Ares turned to him.
"Okay, follow me. I will show you your residence in the clan and introduce you to someone who can fill you in on the clan’s rules and regulations. Then, I will go check on that Kyle guy to know what he’s up to."
Cassian responded immediately.
"No, let’s go to the library first. I want to check that place as well. I am new here, that’s a good place to start."
His words surprised Ares even more.
"Oh... I guess all the Celestials who have arrived here this time like to read."
He chuckled, and they entered the clan. The familiar mountains greeted them. Cassian’s eyes flickered with coldness when he saw the old individuals on the mountains.
’Nothing has changed in this place too. The old generation still hoards the best places.’
With a shake of his head, he trailed behind Ares, who entered the city on the other side and led the way toward the library. Multiple old individuals noticed the two, but seeing nothing special, closed their eyes.
On the way, the two overheard a strange conversation between many Celestials who were saying how a new face had defeated Gvette, the famed master of natural law of fortune, badly in his own area of expertise. There were even many Celestials who said that he had played more games and won.
Ares was dumfounded. He called over a few Celestials who greeted him and told him what they were talking about.
"Surely the new face everyone is talking about isn’t Kyle? We were a bit late, but it’s only been an hour or two since he arrived here. How did he get so famous already?"
Cassian, ears perked, listened to the murmuring Celestials around him. A thoughtful frown creased his brows.
’Does Kyle know the natural law of fortune? How did he win so many games, especially against Celestials stronger than him? But I remember his Celestial lake didn’t possess the color of natural law of fortune when he used the crystal in the Golden Hall.’
All of a sudden, his eyes widened in realization, a chill crawling down his spine.
’Don’t tell me he learned a new law by observing others manipulate it?’
Cassian shook his head in disbelief.
’Impossible!’
That wasn’t possible. Not even for him. That Kyle guy must have had incredibly good luck to win the games. No way he could learn a natural law simply by observing it.