48 Chapter 48

Just from this conversation, Sun Wukong knew that Igor would definitely become someone who can reach the Strongest Top Ten. 

He looked at the blonde again with a gaze full of approval.

"For someone your age, you speak great words, kid! Only someone who is willing to fight can earn their seat among the strong!"

.

|DxD|

.

Sun Wukong felt immense pride at that moment. He viewed the young blonde completely in a new light. He felt that with how Igor viewed the world, he was worth his attention. In the end, he decided to offer him the opportunity to gain some insight.

Looking directly at Igor, the old monkey spoke.

"Kid. Would you like to see a real battlefield?"

"?"

Contrary to expectations, Igor did not jump up in excitement. He only looked forward with his eyes closed in contemplation. 

This was a significant decision that could change the course of his life forever.

[Going to a battlefield means I will get to see an uncensored view of complete bloodshed.]

Although Igor was not one to shy away from killing, having to witness thousands of deaths in a single moment was an entirely different thing. The amount of gore and the screams of those facing a slow and painful death would be commonplace. The wails of men who had lost their comrades would be ever-present.

But…

"I'm willing."

Igor wasn't willing to let go of such an opportunity. He had over sixty years to ready his mentality. Even before he transmigrated, he had a clear understanding that all those who had walked on the path of the strong had to see and cause bloodshed. And after numerous decades having been trapped with his own thoughts, he had long since prepared himself for every possible scenario. At worst, he would have to grit his teeth and endure.

If he shied away now, this would become a dark smog in his heart and a devastating hit to his pride. Refusing the opportunity to evolve his mentality now would become a regret in his subconscious. The last thing Igor wanted was to look back on this moment a hundred years from now with regret in his heart. The blonde knows himself. He knows full well that if he declines this moment out of fear, it would become a stain on his conscious. Even if the years passed on, he would always look back and think, "What if?". Those kinds of thoughts would be detrimental to his future advancements as a warrior. As a warrior, he would lose all qualifications to call himself one if he refused to see a little bit of blood.

Therefore, if he wanted to continue on this path he had chosen, he had to accept. To outsiders, this may have been a simple request. But to Igor, this was a decision that would impact him for many years to come. And so, he wanted to make the proper decision.

Looking at the old monkey in the eye, Igor delivered his answer.

"I want to witness a battlefield with my own two eyes."

"..."

Sun Wukong's grin could not grow any wider at this point. All that went through his mind was one thing.

[He'd make a good partner for my descendant.]

His mind drifted back to Bikou, one of his most promising descendants. He had already started showing talent and was being groomed to be the next Monkey King. The old sage was very interested in what sort of powerful partnership would stem from their cooperation. Given their slightly similar personalities, he had complete assurance that they would work together.

Although…

[I'll have to personally invest in Bikou's training after this.]

In his base state alone, Sun Wukong was already sure that the blonde had surpassed most of the upper echelons from the three factions. In terms of raw power alone, Igor completely decimates over 90% of the supernatural world. He had the power and it would continue to grow even further. 

But what he needed the most was experience and a battlefield would give him that. Although the blonde had the power, he still fell short on how to use it.

Sun Wukong already began running through a list of things he wanted to show the blonde. In his mind, Igor had already become half a disciple. With how Igor carried himself, Sun Wukong had already come to value the blonde. His convictions and beliefs made Sun Wukong have no problems aiding the blonde a bit on his path to becoming stronger. From what he knew of his character, Igor was not a tyrant.

And so he had no problem preparing to shape him into a proper warrior.

[Besides honing his experience, I might as well give him a few tips on Aura Sensing-]

*Finger Snap*

Igor looked at Sun Wukong with a confused gaze.

"Hey, monkey sage. You there?"

Igor's action of snapping his fingers brought Sun Wukong out of his contemplation. He suddenly appeared as if he had gained an epiphany.

Looking at the blonde, he quickly grabbed his shoulder and spoke with finality.

"We leave tomorrow."

"???"

The blonde was confused by the sudden statement before it finally clicked in his head.

"?!"

Igor started panicking. He tried to reach out to Sun Wukong to renegotiate the parameters of their departure.

"W-wait a minute-"

But Sun Wukong vanished on the spot. He already knew what the blonde wanted to say yey he wasn't having it. He had already stayed for too long and the date for the next battle between Indra and Shiva would commence by the end of the week. The last thing he needed was to face an irritated Indra. And he did not want to negotiate the terms of departure with the blonde.

As for Igor, his eyes were filled with complete panic.

"No no no no no no no!!!"

On a normal day, he wouldn't have cared. In fact, he would've insisted they left immediately. But now, Asia was in the mix. He really couldn't bear to part with his little sister. It was already hard enough for him to leave her alone to sleep.

Yet as Igor grabbed his hair in indecision, he eventually lowered his hands in acceptance.

"Stupid monkey sage…"

Although he wanted to curse Sun Wukong, he understood that he couldn't afford to take long rests on his path to power. So as much as he wanted to stay with Asia, it would be detrimental in the long term.

Igor was fully aware of the waves he had caused and sooner or later, strong people will come to either enslave or kill him. Yet he did not regret his actions since they are what led him to him meeting Asia. Restricting himself in any way was not in line with his personality.

.

|DxD|

.

Asia was terrified. The scene of being grabbed by a hooded figure continuously replayed in her head. It was so detrimental towards her young mind that she continuously screamed with cease. The scene replayed over and over again and each time she would get so terrified that she would continuously call for her grandfather.

But nothing ever changed. Without any rest in between, her kidnapping would end at the point where she was about to be injected before starting all over again. She would feel someone pick her up and when she opened her eyes and failed to recognise them, she would try to get out of their embrace yet her struggles would prove fruitless. It would eventually end with a needle approaching her before starting all over again.

These repetitions were grinding heavily on her fragile young mind. Her psyche was wearing down with each playthrough. She was already dabbling within the depths of despair, her eyes growing more and more soulless with each playthrough. But just when she thought she would have to endure all of it again, the surroundings darkened. 

In the abyss of blackness, she started hearing someone call her name over and over again.

"Asia! Asia! Asia!"

"?!"

She looked around frantically, trying her best to find whoever was calling her. She treated it as a figment of her imagination at first. The first thing her mind would try to do in a completely hopeless situation is to find sources of hope.

So when she no longer heard the voice after what seemed like an eternity, her shoulders slumped down in defeat. Her legs could no longer support her body as she collapsed to the ground. 

Her choked sobs cleared the silence, her tears streaming down her face.

"I-I wanna go home. I wanna see g-grandpa. Please…PLEASE LET ME GO!!!"

Her tears came out in a downpour. Her pleas for mercy were met with cold silence, complete hopelessness and despair invading her heart like a tsunami.

But when all seemed lost, a ray of golden radiance pierced into the darkness.

"Asia! Asia!"

"?!?!"

Asia darted her head all over in search of the voice. Her eyes were wide open in a desperate search for the source.

"Asia! Asia! Asia!"

"Y-yes? Where are you?! Please tell me where you are!!!"

Yet all she was greeted with was silence once more. Asia was truly breaking now. Her eyes slowly became lifeless. The constant crescendo between hope and despair was shattering her unexperienced mind and to defend itself, it began to shell itself away, lest the owner lose her sanity.

Asia no longer ran anymore. She only sat down on the ground with her knees to her chest. Silent tears escaped her eyes yet there was no emotion behind them.

She had already resigned herself to living in this darkness, yet the same golden radiance from before appeared. This time, it tore through the darkness like how the sun eliminates the shadows.

The same voice she heard before suddenly resounded throughout the world of darkness.

"ASIA!!!"

Immediately, the darkness cleared and the scene that greeted her left her in a daze of confusion. Holding her by the shoulders, a teenager with blue eyes and long blonde hair in a ponytail was staring at her in relief.

She didn't even have enough time to properly comprehend everything before she was pulled into a very warm embrace. 

Her instinctive reaction was to panic but when she heard the voice…

"Asia! You're okay now."

…tears automatically welled up in her eyes.

"Waaaaa!"

She immediately held on to Igor like he was her lifeline, because he was. When she recognised that it was his voice that had been calling out to her, she couldn't contain the emotions she had bottled up before.

Burying her head in his stomach, she absolutely refused to let go. Naturally, Igor did not even entertain the thought of doing so. Wrapping his arms around her, he nuzzled the top of her head with his chin.

His fingers softly caressed her hair, his voice coming out soft and comforting.

"You're safe now. You're safe."

Asia's response was to only hold on tighter. She still couldn't differentiate reality from the dream. But upon feeling his skin, inhaling his scent, and hearing his voice, she gradually grew to believe that all of this was real. Every sensation she was experiencing was real, the proof that she was out of that dark place. 

Yet the moment Igor tried to break free, she immediately held onto him.

"NO!"

Burying her head in his chest, she couldn't help but plead.

"D-don't leave. Please don't leave…b-big brother."

.

AN

.

So…quick question. This is unrelated to the story. I just truly want to know something.

Does showering with cold water help grow muscles? I've been weightlifting for almost a year now yet this is the first time I've heard of this.