Chapter 876: The missions I
Kyle recoiled, a faint hiss escaping his lips as his hand brushed against the corrupted beast. The slimy, repulsive touch sent a jolt of revulsion through him, making him jump back far away from them as if burned.
"Damn it! Don’t touch me!"
He snarled, his voice laced with irritation.
"Fight from a distance, would you? What about my personal space?"
His words left many speechless. Even Cassian felt his eyebrow twitching. All around him, the celestials looked at their clothes. They were stained with the dark, viscous blood of the corrupted beasts.
Well, they were on a battlefield.
Cleanliness was a luxury they couldn’t afford with the beasts surrounding them.
Then they looked at his clothes. Unlike theirs, his clothes, though wrinkled, were still clean and pristine, even though he had been fighting the beasts for more than an hour now and had even killed many.
Yet, he was still dissatisfied?
How ridiculous! He was even reprimanding the monsters just because he himself had accidentally brushed his hand against one!
Of course, Kyle didn’t share the Celestials’ sentiment. He was already irritated that he hadn’t taken a good bath for so long. What just happened only ticked him off more. He counted the number of monsters he had killed so far in his mind. It was well over a hundred. Surely, that would be enough to contribute to the clan for a month, right?
"The old woman said that as long as I help the clan clear out some, that’s enough."
He muttered under his breath, engulfing himself in the flames. As he disappeared from sight, his eyes closed, recalling the time he saw Cassian wielding a law.
Slowly, he replayed the scene in his mind, remembering every single detail. The way Cassian’s natural energy flowed out of his body, the specific type of energy it was – it all came back to him. It was a challenge to grasp with only a superficial understanding, but he concentrated deeply, drawing on the natural laws he had already mastered.
His eyes snapped open after a long time.
A familiar green color blazed within them, then faded into the dark depths. A smirk touched his lips, curling upward.
"The natural law of assimilation..."
Outside the dome of blue flames, a shiver ran down Cassian’s spine as he overheard Kyle’s faint murmur that didn’t escape his senses. His red eyes darkened ominously.
"Hahaha... No! No! You aren’t allowed to learn what is mine! How dare you!"
He charged toward the icy flames, a whirlwind of fury and desperation.
He would eliminate Kyle, or if that proved impossible, he would destroy his memory of the natural law. That law was his!
He had found it first!
Yet, as the icy flames dissipated, his eyes saw nothing but a chilling emptiness, with no trace of him. Kyle had vanished. A vein throbbed on Cassian’s forehead, a crimson pulse of rage, as he roared in frustration.
"K-Y-L-E!"
Far away, Kyle sighed at the loud shout.
He shook his head and glanced at the old woman floating before him with a smile.
"I have no idea why he is shouting."
Zami stared at him. She had witnessed everything that transpired. As the overseer of this area outside the clan territory, she was naturally a very powerful Celestial.
This young man was truly peculiar.
She had multiple questions, like how he could learn a natural law just by watching another. But she wasn’t the curious type, so she didn’t ask him anything. The old woman simply checked the bracelet she gave him to see how many monsters he had killed.
"167... it’s a high number. You killed so many in such a short time? Those things don’t die easily due to their sturdy forms."
Zami muttered and then nodded.
"This much is indeed enough for you to be done with your clan duties for this month. I will give you 1670 natural crystals for your achievement and work hard."
She handed him the crystals, and Kyle tossed them into his mind space without even counting. Then, he turned around to leave. Before he left, Zami spoke again.
"Come back whenever you are free. Your presence was really a help. I will increase your reward if you come often."
Kyle’s eyes crinkled with amusement. He had actually profited today. He hadn’t just learned a new natural law, but the energy emanating from the beasts he had slain had greatly benefited him, even when he hadn’t actively absorbed it like Cassian.
"For sure."
He vanished just as Cassian arrived at the scene, sensing him. The man’s eyes were calm, a deadly calm that barely concealed the remnants of his earlier outburst.
Zami stared at the second peculiar man she had encountered that day. She sighed and pointed toward the clan territory after checking Cassian’s bracelet, seeing he had killed 240 corrupted beasts and giving him the natural crystals he had earned.
"He went to the clan."
Cassian didn’t need to be told twice. He disappeared after him, his eyes shadowed with a simmering frustration. He had never thought a person could be so infuriating that he wanted to punch them so badly.
"I thought he would be a good chess piece. He wouldn’t be. He would take everything I have and make me the chess piece in the end! That infuriating tall bastard! Ugh!"
Fully aware of the man trailing him, Kyle strolled leisurely into the clan territory, his gaze scanning the landscape for a suitable spot to meditate. He craved the sanctuary of quiet, a respite from the constant buzz of the clan, before pushing himself to the limit in the caves and training grounds. He should make his physique stronger.
But just as Kyle walked into the clan, he was surrounded by multiple Celestials. He assumed a defensive stance, ready to fight or flee. But sensing no hostility from them, he halted. His gaze was on the crowd.
A familiar face walked out.
Gvette, the Celestial who had lost all his wealth to him in the fortune dice game. A grin played on his face as he greeted him.
"We have been waiting for you. Newbie."
It was only then Kyle noticed that all the Celestials around him were those who had lost money to him in different games. His brows furrowed slightly. Were they trying to intimidate him to get back their money?
He let out a tentative.
"Why?"
Gvette chuckled, sensing his unease.
"Relax, we’re not here to collect our debts. We are law-abiding Celestials. We accept our losses. We are only here to help the new guy find his way to the mission hall."
His grin widened with a predatory gleam.
"You probably don’t know this, but the clan leader has already put your name down for a whole bunch of missions. As a member of the clan, you are expected to complete them all, whether you want to or not."
Kyle blinked, confused.
"What?"
Despite his question, no one answered. He could only follow them to the mission hall, hoping to find out what was going on.