Chapter 8: Avatar of Death
Realizing that they are all saved, the orphans immediately goes to where the fortified emergency shelter was located while looking at the monsters' corpses around
In this mystic age, monster corpses are valuable resources! They can be sold for a lot of money. Even a single corpse from a Level 3, Advance Grade creature if sold is already a big fortune for normal people!
The orphans want to take those corpses and sell them. Too bad for them that Bran prevented them from doing that. They are still technically not completely safe
There are still weak points in the barrier. Monsters are still inside the Hombre Realm and it would be bad if they met at least one
All the orphans already used up their limited mystic energy while Bran can barely run with all the injuries his body has. If not for his boosted physique, with how severe his injuries are, it would not be surprising if he loses the ability to walk
Soon, the orphans reached the shelter. The entrance was in a wide-open space so that people can easily access them. Bran tapped on a certain part of the ground and it automatically opened
This group of people didn't waste any time and they entered the underground shelter through the stairs
The shelter was big and its space was bigger than the orphanage itself while the walls were made from hard and durable metals to prevent monsters from destroying it
It was also an open-space to make sure that as many people as possible can fit inside. It doesn't contain anything much aside from the shelf on the side that contained bottles of pills
Those pills are made by using human technology. They can be substituted for food and water in case the humans need to stay in the shelter for days
After arriving, all the orphans except for Kreon fell to the ground with dread and horror on their faces. Just like what Keon experienced before, this group of orphans is surely traumatized now
Well, there are also a lot of them that became orphans for the same reason that Keon becomes one but now that they faced monsters again, the fear they have for them would either increase or their desire to become stronger will grow so that similar thing that happened today won't happen to them again
A lot of humans want to have jobs related to monsters as mostly those kinds of jobs are the ones that they can have to increase their social standing. However, now that their eyes were opened to the reality, chances are they won't exert much effort into cultivation anymore. They would choose to do manual labor for years in exchange for food and shelter
It can't be helped, not everyone has a strong will. Most of them would be hopeful and ambitious at the start but after their eyes were opened to reality, they would succumb to fear
"I know all of you are in fear right now and most likely choose to stay in the safety of the Hombre Realm that isn't even that consistent. But remember this, if no one will fight those monsters, even with the barrier, humanity will still perish soon!" Bran said after seeing the state of the orphans.
Even after a thousand years, there are still not enough humans to fight the monsters. That's why the government encourages people to become powerful mystics especially these orphans that don't really have any family that will miss them if they die.
However, even with Bran's words, it still has almost no effect. It was already too late, these young orphans are too terrified. They don't have the guts to fight the monsters again.
The only one different from them was Keon or should we say, Kreon. He is the only one standing among these orphans. But...
Bran can feel something different from Keon. The glow in his eyes changed so much as if he is a completely different person from before
As Bran is a soldier, he has quite a lot of experience and he was familiar with the glow in Kreon's eyes
After a person killed either humans or monsters, there are three main outcomes. The first is that fear and guilt will consume them resulting to inability kill anyone again. Second, they would be uncomfortable but later on, become numb at it the more people or monsters they killed
The third is the most dangerous among them all but also the one humanity needed the most at certain times. They are those that enjoyed killing and would want to kill again and again
Humanity needed them for their fearlessness as most of them would focus all their attention on making killer attacks on the enemies. The more monsters they killed, the better
However, if that person also enjoyed killing humans... then that will be a huge problem. Bran can only hope that Keon will only want to kill monsters not humans
Seeing Bran looking at him, Kreon gave him a subtle smile. It wasn't that hard to realize what Bran's gaze means
Soldiers have better senses than most people, he can surely feel the difference that Keon suddenly had. What he feared is also true, Kreon felt elated at killing those monsters but .... he also wants to kill humans especially those who are stronger than him. Kreon wants to kill them all!
Too bad that Kreon currently does not have much power but he can feel something inside him. Something that would help him gain the power that he needs
Kreon was about to investigate that thing when the glow in his eyes changes again. It returned back to how it usually is. They are eyes that hold fake kindness but are actually hiding huge ambitions
Keon regained control over their body! Now that there are no more wasps, Keon already calmed down. Kreon causes problems before and Keon can't let him make more problems!
"Damn it" Keon cursed while looking at his roommate that saw Kreon causing the death of one of the orphans. Keon needs to do something about that man. Fortunately, just like the other orphans, his roommate was in a terrified state, he doesn't have the mental capacity to deal with Keon
"Those monsters ... I swear I'll destroy them. I look so unsightly before!" If not for Kreon taking over, he would have really died earlier!
"Power... I need power ..." Keon said to himself and after shutting off Kreon for the nth time, he sat on the ground and entered his cube world
Inside the cube world, a card can be seen floating close to his soul. It was the seed of his mystic form, strengthening it means that his mystic power will also grow
Keon ignored that first as his mind focused on a certain small cube. It looks exactly like a cube core but normal cores don't have anything in them. They are just normal golden cube
As for this cube core ... an image of a black skull can be seen on it. The skull looks exactly like the one that Shinta of the Hombre Family has on the back of his palm
"What is this? How can I even take it from him?" Keon muttered. How can he have the ability to take other people's Cube Core?
With this, even if Shinta survives, isn't his future already cut off? Without the cube core, he can't have access to the River of Possibilities again to make more mystic forms
Keon doesn't know how he got this core but he can instinctively feel how he can use it. But now is not the time, Keon doesn't know what would happen after he uses it
It would be bad if it actually creates a huge scene that will attract too much attention. Thus, Keon doesn't have a choice but to take his time. He should just cultivate first
Since Keon already has his eyes close, he just started sensing his surroundings. After the God Cube exploded, mystic energy filled the world and only those who connected to their cube world can sense them
Keon starts attracting those colorless energies around him to his heart and stores them inside his Cube World. There is no time to waste after something like that happened to him. He was once again reminded that strength is everything!
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It took a few more hours before the city announced that all the monsters are already killed and the weak points were fixed. Only when that announcement arrives did the orphans and the other people that entered the shelter exited it
"Go back in your dorms and rest. Today must have been horrible to all of you!" Bran said to the orphans and they start walking back to their rooms will low spirit
Everything is not the same as before anymore. A lot of their friends that they grew up with died today. The orphanage suddenly felt empty
All the orphans went back to their rooms except for Keon. He was inching to use the cube core that he gained and with the excuse of cultivating, he went in a different direction.
With that in mind, Keon runs towards the area he cultivated the most and he sat on the ground while resting his back on a tree.
Keon entered his cube world again and with his will, the foreign cube core inches closer to one of his sub-cores.
Keon was operating using his instincts but he is succeeding. The foreign cube core starts to dissolve into specks of light that his sub-core absorbs.
The black-colored sub-core starts to gain some of 'life' in it. In the past, the sub-core feels so dull and dead but now, it gained a bit of vitality
Keon was surprised at that before a stream of information suddenly entered his mind
To Keon's shock, he actually gained another Mystic Form called the 'Avatar of Death'
It is an avatar-type mystic form that he can use either to form an armor through his whole body or form a giant avatar with him as the center
What shock him more was its grade, the avatar is at the Intermediate Grade! It was definitely stronger than his card-type mystic form
However, Keon can't still use it. Even with two weeks of cultivation, he only grew his Cube World into ten cubic meters even though the initial cultivation time was the easiest period. His mystic energy is certainly not enough
Level 2 mystics have at least 20 cubic meters of cube world and they are the ones that can use Intermediate Grade mystic forms properly. Keon can't use this Avatar of Death that has a powerful sounding name yet
Still, it was good that Keon gained one. If he has one intermediate grade mystic form, then he only needs to become a level 2 mystic to use it
Those who barely reach level 2 still need to cultivate for a longer time to have enough mystic energy to gain a mystic form appropriate for their level. While advancing the grade of the mystic form they already have will also take time and effort
"With this, I have an edge towards other people" Keon said to himself before opening his eyes as he heard the sounds of footsteps
When Keon saw the owner of that footsteps, he silently clenches his fist a bit as it was exactly his roommate that is walking towards him
"Kenneth, what are you doing here? Do you plan on cultivating too after what happened today?" Keon asked with his usual smile but the way Kenneth looks at him was completely different from before
"I saw what you did" Kenneth didn't even speak around the bush and he directly spread out his card
"What do you mean?" Keon naturally feigned ignorance but Kenneth was not buying it
"Today, I realize something. I can't fight monsters, I don't want to die. That is why I came here to make a deal with you. You are the most talented among all of us, I want you to help me after you become a professional mystic. In return, I won't tell anyone that you mercilessly use a fellow orphan as a meatshield"
Keon gritted his teeth at that but he made sure that he won't have any abnormal reaction. Instead, Keon puts on a confused expression on his face while tilting his head on the side to look more convincing
"I can't follow you, what are you saying? Are you too shocked by the events of today?"