Chapter 8: Coma

One corpse after another fell down as whether it be humans or cosmic beasts, both sides are suffering casualties. However, it was clear that the humans were on the losing side

There are more cosmic beasts than human guards. Not to mention, cosmic beasts are physically stronger than most humans and they also possess more cosmic energy

It was only the humans' intellect that helped them develop various assets that helped them have a chance against these vicious beasts

Unfortunately, the Dragonhead City is far from being one of the strongest cities in the Kingdom. In fact, not only was it not one of the strongest, it was actually one of the weakest!

As such, the guards are mediocre and there were too few of them that are at the Town-level

"These cosmic beasts are endless? Where is the City Lord? If this goes on, we won't even be able to protect the Young Lord!" One of the guards said with an ashen face as he went all out to resist the cosmic beasts

All of them were waiting for the City Lord. Only the City Lord can alleviate the situation with his power as a City-level cultivator

"Huh? Oh no! Watch out!" Another guard cried out in surprise as they saw the figure of two cosmic beasts that were emitting an aura that was far stronger than the others

Their movement was really quick and the guards were barely able to see them when...

Boom!

One of the cosmic beasts was sent flying, its back hitting the city walls. The walls that protected the city for years instantly cracked and the debris went flying everywhere. That section of the walls looks like it was about to collapse any time from now

"City-level cosmic beasts!" The guards cried out and they hurriedly moved away from such entities while one of them was holding Zaven's unconscious body

What a joke! Even just being near the battle of such entities can already kill them. None of them dared to stop or approach these cosmic beasts that were both tiger-type beasts

These beasts were fighting each other for an unknown reason. Maybe it was because of the saying that a mountain cannot hold two tigers

"Roarrr!!" The cosmic beast that was sent flying immediately recovered as it entered a battle stance again

The beast suddenly opened its mouth, condensing a chaotic ball of red-colored energy. This ball of energy then sent out countless beams of light everywhere, including the direction of the other tiger-type cosmic beasts

"No!!" The guards cried out in unison

Even just the stray energy beams are not something they can defend against. Even if the cosmic beasts are not attacking them directly, this level of power is still not something that they could defend against

Fortunately, before all the guards could be massacred, an anxious voice rang around

"Zaven!"

This voice brought a ray of hope as finally! Finally, the City Lord arrives! With his presence, the situation was not as hopeless anymore

In the blink of an eye, the City Lord activated his innate ability. His body grew bigger as inhuman features covered him

He grew gray hair all over his body and his face morphed into a form close to that of a wolf. Two of his teeth even grew into long canines and whether it be the nails on his hands or feet, all of them grew longer and sharper

The City Lord now looks like a hybrid between a human and a wolf! Just like almost everyone from the lineage of the Ethelric Family, Belthric also awakened an innate ability that has affinities with cosmic beasts

While Belthric cannot tame cosmic beasts like Zaven or summon/form cosmic beasts like Raven, he on the other hand can modify his body to make it closer to the physique of cosmic beasts

As soon as he arrives, he immediately ran toward one of the guards that was carrying his son and he uses his sharp nails to rip all the red energy beams around them

In the meantime, with his arrival, the guards and his son were temporarily safe. However, his body immediately shook after exerting enough power to tear these energy beams

"I'm already this much affected?" Belthric muttered to himself while trying to ignore the pain in his organs

While he didn't exert 100% of his power to resist the energy beams, the strength he used was still at City-level. After all, only City-level power can resist another City-level power. As such, the poison flared up and hurt his internal organs

"Take Zaven back into the Manor!" The City Lord ordered as he faced the two majestic and powerful cosmic beasts

——

"Arghhh... pain... it's painful..."

"My head hurts... take this pain away!"

Inside Zaven's room, the young man can be seen unconscious or actually half-unconscious. He cannot move or wake his physical body but at this moment, his mind is already awake. As such, he suffered from severe pain in his head. An injury that was traded for his life using the life of his favorite guard

As Zaven was enduring the pain, he felt a pair of hands holding his own hands tightly

"Huhuhu... Zaven... wake up! You have to wake up! You and uncle can't be in a coma! I need you, we need you, the city needs you!" A familiar voice desperately pleaded and Zaven didn't have to open his eyes to realize that this voice came from his cousin

"Dad is in a coma?" Zaven was incomparably shocked. In his eyes, his father is powerful and near omnipotent. How can such a man possibly be in a coma?

Zaven wants to ask what happened to his father and also check on his condition but no matter how hard he struggles, his physical body simply won't wake up. He was trapped in the endless dark void of his mind. Struggling was futile as even just lifting his finger was an endeavor he failed to accomplish

"Please wake up! Please wake up! Huhuhu!! I won't be a bad kid again! I promise to be good!" Zaven shouted in his mind, he was exerting all of his power to wake his physical body but it was as if he was hitting stones with eggs in hopes of shattering it. That was simply impossible!

"You don't know how bad the situation is. The city... a large part of the city walls was destroyed and many people died. When I saw their bodies, I couldn't help but tremble"

"That's the first time I saw that many people dead and Zaven, I'm afraid! I'm afraid that one day, I will see you and uncle in the same state!"

"Zaven, please wake up. I'm afraid, I'm really afraid. I can't take seeing you in a coma. I feel like you will be gone without a warning. Please wake up!"

"You hate me right? As long as you wake up, I will never show my face to you again! I will do my best to avoid you. At most, I will watch you from afar when I miss you too much"

"I promise that I really don't want to become the next City Lord. This position is yours and yours only and I will do my best to make your dreams come true"

"As long as you wake up, everything will be good. I'll loosen a bit of my suppression over my talent and breakthrough and become a Town-level cultivator so that I can enter the Dragonhead Mountain and find more resources for you"

"You want cultivation resources, right? Even if I have to flip the Dragonhead Mountain upside down, I will do it as long as you wake up!"

Raven's voice was filled with desperation and he made all sorts of promises to Zaven who was in a coma. No matter what, he is still a young child and he has no choice but to grasp straws

For Raven, his family is his mental support. He already experienced how painful it was to lose family, he doesn't want to experience it the second time. He would literally do everything if it meant that it could save his uncle and cousin

Upon hearing those desperate words, Zaven was incomparably shocked. Although he knew deep down that his cousin loved him a lot, this was still the first time that he felt it this strong

"What... what was I doing all this time...?" Zaven thought to himself as he cried mentally

Does he hate Raven? On the outside that might be the case but deep down, he was really just jealous. He was very jealous of Raven's talent but Zaven knew that he too was willing to do everything for the sake of the family, including Raven

The memories of the past year flashed on Zaven's mind and his heart couldn't help but ache not just metaphorically but also literally

"I'm bad... I'm really bad... I don't deserve the love of my family!"