Chapter 18 Puppet

Treasures, or items if you will, have different grades from low to high as follows. Black, earth, sky, heaven, and god grade. They can be weapons, armors, accessories, or even mundane stuff like furniture.

To put matters into perspective. A tier 1 black grade sword is a great training sword. From tier 3 black grade sword it can be considered a lethal weapon for a mortal. This means someone who did not cultivate before can be killed easily.

Higher than tier 3 black grade it would be useful for people just starting their cultivation. From tier 6 black grade it can be considered a real weapon.

For a family with a bit of standing a rank 1 earth grade treasure would be considered a real weapon and a rank 6 earth grade treasure would be considered a family heirloom.

For a Tier 7 world, like the Elves, a rank 1 to 6 heaven grade treasure would be considered a family heirloom while a rank 9 heaven grade treasure is the heirloom of the whole Elven race.

As for god grade treasures, the Elves couldn't even imagine creating, buying, or even owning something like that. If a Tier 8 or 9 world knew a Tier 7 world had a god grade treasure they would decent even if that means offending and even risking war with the backers of the Elves, if even the backers of the Elves hadn't already demanded the god grade treasure.

So for Yggdrasil to feel greed well up inside him was expected. At first glance, the ring on Ben's finger looked normal, just a black polished ring. No details, just a smooth surface. But when you focused all your attention on the ring, you would see incredibly small inscriptions, all layered and connecting each other.

It had such a level of detail that Yggdrasil couldn't even fathom where the inscription started or even its functions. But one thing is for sure, the ring is a legacy treasure. The ring gave off an aura of a god grade treasure if you breached its illusions, which made it seem like a useless treasure.

"I feel your greed you old piece of bark." A sudden voice shook Yggdrasil out of his thoughts.

"Who dares!" The World Tree shouted angrily towards the voice.

A snort came from the voice. "Me, Adramalech Lord Pride, you stupid old piece of wood."

"He really is your son!?" Yggdrasil had his doubts on whether Benjamin was Adramalechs' and Uriels' son, but that doubt dissipated like snow in the sun.

"If that is your first question you're stupider than I initially thought." Mocked Adramalech.

Yggdrasil is speechless, no one has ever spoken to it like this. 'No that isn't true. Those arrogant demons.' Yggdrasil thought to himself.

"Oh well, it doesn't really matter anyway. Do you still remember the deal for the marble-card?" Adramalech asked.

"How could I forget?" Yggdrasil asked incredulously. It was a deal of a lifetime. One of the World Tree's other abilities is having control over all the energies in his world. Generating and recycling the energies, sort of.

The Demons and Angels came with a deal Yggdrasil couldn't skip out of. In exchange for the marble-card, Yggdrasil would get blessed by the heavens of Hell and Heaven, giving him the ability to control Demonic and Holy energy and comprehend their laws.

"It is time to use them, don't you think?" Adramalech stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I guess the statement, making a deal with the devil will always end in favor for the devil, isn't wrong."

Yggdrasil sighed. Holy and Demonic energies surged from the World Tree. The two energies are directed to Benjamin, who is currently lying on the ground having his mind taken someplace else.

---

Benjamin woke up with alarm bells ringing inside his mind. It felt like death was looming over him. Out of instinct, Ben rolled to the side.

Clang!

The sound of metal meeting ground drifted to Benjamins' ears. Ben jumped to his feet and looked at his attacker.

If not for the fear of the fist coming for his face right now, Ben would have had the most confused face ever.

Whatever is attacking him, it wasn't living. A humanoid puppet is the description that first came to mind when looking at what is attacking Ben.

It looked like this puppet is made entirely made from metal because its color is complete grey. It had no nails, no hair, just dull grey skin.

Ben dodged the coming fist in the nick of time and he backed off, at least that is what Ben wanted to do. The puppet stayed on him like glue, throwing fist after fist with a scary accuracy and speed. All Ben could do is retreat and dodge. Ben didn't want to find out if the puppet is really made of iron by blocking one of its attacks.

Ben's eyes constricted into pinholes. 'An opening!' As Benjamin bobbed and weaved, dodging the puppet's attacks, which would put a pro boxer to shame. Benjamin saw an opening. Readying his stance, he kicked forward with a perfect teep.

His foot connected with the hip of the puppet making it stumble backward.

'It is soft?' As Ben's foot connected he felt the texture of a being made of flesh and bones. A grin surfaced on Benajmin's face.

He went on the attack. Dodging a coming fist to dip his body to the left, to set up a powerful left punch to the liver, at least if this puppet had organs at all.

The puppet took back its fist to defend his liver and the right side of his face. But it didn't matter, as Ben wound up a powerful kick to the inner thigh of the forward leg.

A boxer's stance is wider in comparison to a kick-boxer. Making a kick to the legs fatal, making them fall to the ground. As this is what happened to the puppet.

It landed on a knee making it drop its guard entirely. Ben cocked back his right arm for a finishing blow to the puppet's head. As it fell to the ground, it sunk through the surface.

Ben's surroundings finally got his attention. Benjamin found himself in a weird place. The ground is water, the sky is sinister red with crackling black lightning. Benjamin doesn't sink through the water surface which calmed Ben a bit.

He looks at his own reflection. Deep pitch-black hair, eyes a dark blue with a sheen of purple as if his eyes want to mesmerize you into your craving fantasies. A prominent jawline, a fair nose with neat eyebrows. 6'5 with broad shoulders and a lean but buff body build.

A majestic figure materializes before him. This man before him has a similar body build and hair color. Even though you needed to look real close their facial features are also a bit similar.

Only there is a stark difference between the two. The man had pitch-black horns protruding from his forehead, 9 black tails sprouting behind him, and blueish skin.

"D-dad?" Benjamin asked shocked.