Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Altman also came to a halt. With an abnormally serious tone, he said, “Of course I’m not kidding. As the sage who possesses the Enlightenment power, I can help you obtain the most basic rank of any occupation as long as I’m willing to pay the price for it. Even though it would only be the most basic rank, it’s a completely different concept from an ordinary human. Besides, if you have the heart to improve yourself, as long as you’re hardworking enough, it would also be possible for you to raise your occupation’s rank and be as powerful as Casdia or Julinas, or even more powerful than them! You’ve made the correct choice when you first met us and now, you’re the only one who hasn’t succumbed to a mental breakdown and can even have a talk with me. You should be able to tell whether I’m lying or not.”
Zhang Lisheng’s expression was indefinite as he hesitated before struggling to form a sentence. “B-But I don’t know what I can do to help you, S-Sage Altman. I just started my business and yes, I do have some connections b-but…”
“Rest assured, kid. I’ll tell you what to do. Not only that, the thing that I want you to do will definitely be within your power, like I hope that you can find a way to take us out of this island after the sky has turned bright.”
“You want to leave Oahu? To where?”
“Anywhere is fine. As long as you take us out of this island, I’ll activate the warrior’s power for you first and let your body undergo a radical change to obtain a physique that can go beyond your limit,” Altman used an alluring tone as he said with all solemness.
It might pose a problem to an ordinary person to bring a few people without any identifications to leave Oahu, but it was not too difficult for Zhang Lisheng to do so.
Doing so would grant a superhuman body to him and this was an exchange that would completely benefit him. Besides, the person at loss would still be Altman who appeared to still have the upper hand in this situation.
“Anywhere is fine, anywhere is fine… The easiest way would be for me to buy a yacht and take you to Kauai. I have a very resourceful friend there… Of course, I’d be fine too if we don’t go to Kauai. I heard that a better yacht can even bring you around the world…”
“You don’t have to explain it to me, kid. I only need you to do the things that I ask you to do.”
“Alright, Sage Altman. Then, let’s go with buying yachts..but in order to buy one, I’d have to go back to Honolulu City…”
“No problem. I’ll ask Kamil to drive you while Sadna and Mansolad will follow you to protect you.”
Even though the word “protect” was used here, it was more like a monitor in essence. However, Zhang Lisheng did not have any objections after hearing Altman’s words. Instead, he nodded his head as a way to say he agreed.
Altman was very happy with the young man’s decision. Patting Zhang Lisheng’s shoulder once again, he turned around without saying a word. Zhang Lisheng, on the other hand, ran back to the campfire and leaned on his backpack. After that, he turned to the opposite side for a moment before gradually falling asleep unknowingly, as if he was fully exhausted. He even snored faintly along with his calm and steady breathing.
By the time he woke up from his sleep, it was already daytime with the sunlight shining its rays down the Earth.
“You’re awake! Altman changed his mind and told me to follow you to town together with Annette. Pack up and we’ll make our move immediately.” Just as he stood up in a wretched manner, Zhang Lisheng already heard a stiff voice resonating by his ears.
“Mr. C-Casdia. It’s changed to you following me to town?” The young man was stunned for a moment before asking in a dumbstruck manner.
“Casdia is your bodyguard and Annette is the professional guide that you hired in Honolulu. I think it’s more credible for such a combination to buy a yacht. It would not raise suspicions easily.” Under the bright sunlight, Altman, who was not far away, pointed at a blob of clear water floating in the air not far away before telling Zhang Lisheng, “Come on, kid. You should wash your face first before leaving.”
“Alright.” Zhang Lisheng quickly ran to Altman’s side. Hesitantly, he reached out his hand into the water blob floating in the air. Realizing that it was ordinary, clean fresh water, he scooped out some water from the blob to wash his face before exclaiming in amazement, “Sage Altman. Did you do this? This is amazing!”
“This is the power of sorcery and no sage can touch it. You’ll understand it naturally after you become a sorcerer.”
Upon hearing his words, Zhang Lisheng was stunned for a moment. Then, with a slightly longing and resisting expression, he nodded before washing his face and straightening his clothes. Then, he began to embark on the path of returning, together with Casdia and Annette.
After they had unknowingly walked out of the volcanic area and were walking on the forest path leading to the parking lot, the young man suddenly said, “Mr. Casdia. It’s not appropriate for you to dress up like this as my bodyguard.”
“Mr. Zhang, call me Suno from now on,” Casdia replied in a low voice. “Don’t worry. Annette has a change of clothes in his car and I can roughly fit into his clothes as well. I’ll change into them after I’ve reached the parking lot.”
“Oh! Looks like I’ve been worrying too much. Sage Altman is cautious and wise so how could he not possibly thought up of this.”
Upon hearing his words, a cold hard smile crept upon Casdia’s face. As a commander in chief who had a good grasp of the overall situation so naturally, he understood the significance of having a businessman of such weight like Zhang Lisheng switching sides to his own. He knew that he should treat Zhang Lisheng with a kind and amicable attitude.
No matter how many excuses and reasons there were, Zhang Lisheng was actually betraying his own world by helping these spies from the supernatural realm.
As a heroic and fearless warrior, Casdia would naturally not have a fondness towards a despicable traitor. He was not good at pretending so for this reason, his attitude towards the young man was somewhat contradictory and out of place.
Casdia’s weird smile did not seem to rouse Zhang Lisheng’s attraction. However, when it entered the field of vision of Annette who already revealed a meek look, it made him dispel the last peculiar thought out of his mind.
After he had witnessed Casdia’s powerful strength yesterday night, Annette knew very well that unless he hid in the US Navy or the Air Force military base in Oahu, even if they made a report to the police, the warrior from the supernatural realm beside him would easily kill him even if they were in front of the police.
Now that such a horrifying smile with an unknown implication crept upon Casdia’s face, it was better for him to act obediently for the sake of his meager life.
With each of them buried in their own thoughts, they walked to the parking lot quietly, not saying anything at all along the way.
It was only until they had reached Annette’s SUV that Zhang Lisheng suddenly stopped and touched his stomach before glancing around. “Urghh! M-Mr. Casdia! I’m sorry, I need to go to the bathroom. You can go with me and wait outside of the toilet’s cubicle.”
Casdia had the pride and conceit of being a warrior and commander. Despite Altman’s order of close surveillance, he still hesitated before replying, “Mr. Zhang. Sage Altman has told me to give you as much freedom as possible to my ability. You can go to the bathroom but I hope that you can get on the bus after I’ve done changing my clothes in the car.”
“Then I hope that you can change much slower. Mr. Annette, where is the bathroom at the parking lot?”
“Over there.” Annette pointed the direction to the bathroom for Zhang Lisheng before opening the car door to the SUV.
He entered the car and at that instant when he sat on the driver’s seat, he suddenly felt a tingling weak current traveling across his entire body. Fortunately, the feeling of discomfort only lasted for a moment and soon disappeared without a trace.
Annette rubbed his eyes tiredly and cursed under his breath. “Damn it!”
Then, he proceeded to turn around and search for the change of clothes wrapped in a plastic bag before passing them to Casdia who was already sitting in the co-driver’s seat and was already shutting the door.
Since he needed to change his clothes anyway, Casdia casually imitated Annette and shut the car door after he took the clothes. At that instant when he shut the door, he could see through the car window that Zhang Lisheng, who was walking towards the bathroom, suddenly turned around and flashed a cold smile at him.
At that instant, Casdia felt that all of the fine hairs on his body suddenly stood up. Not only that, Annette who was by his side also felt his fine hairs stand up.
Hundreds of ugly flying insects that were the size of a baby’s fist, with red and black ring patterns and 20 centimeter long black stingers, spurred their transparent wings as they emerged from Annette’s body that exploded into countless thin human skin shards, stabbing towards Casdia who was sitting in the narrow car compartment.
The warrior who was attacked and had no idea on how to open the car door could only indiscriminately infuse his body with vicious vindictiveness before smashing the door.
Attending to one thing and losing sight of the other, one of the hundreds of flying insects surrounding him tightly actually broke into Casdia’s protective vindictiveness and plunged its poisonous stinger into his body.
At that instant, the vigorous poison began to spread to every part of his body through his blood. The warrior who could sense a faint black mist starting to appear before him ignored the fact that he was poisoned and just pulled out his sharp sword fiercely after he had obtained enough space.
However, at the same time when he pulled his sword out, the flying insects chasing him out of the SUV suddenly swelled to become 20 times larger than their previous size. The stomach covered with wrinkles engorged rapidly as the insects began to group together in groups of ten before charging at the warrior from all directions.
No matter how Casdia hacked his sword to kill these strange insects, or how they had gotten close enough to him, they would eventually end up exploding soundlessly like a miniature vacuum bomb.
In just a short span of time, the air about 50 square meters around Casdia twisted to form small pieces of dense vacuum belts, thoroughly scathing the warrior who had zero possibility to escape with a mass of bruises.
After Casdia had finally overcome the flying insects’ attack, a long giant worm with a beast head extended out of the air without warning, biting him with its mouth and began to raise its head to snarl and chew.
At this time, the warrior who knew that he could no longer survive, finally made up his mind to die together with his enemy. As he blasted his last ounce of strength, he yelled “Burn!”, causing dazzling yellow rays to erupt from his body as it gradually forced the giant beast’s mouth open.
However, when he was floating in the air glancing at the parking lot beneath their feet with his bloody eyes, he saw that at the place where Zhang Lisheng was standing just a few seconds ago, a beast with the size of three mills placed together was crouching right there as it body swelled. With its mouth open wide, it squirted out a cyclone that seemed to be able to distort even the light shining down from the sun.
Suspended in the air like a target, Casdia, who had experienced hundreds of battles, regardless of size, with him never tasting defeat before, finally tasted despair for the first time in his life.
Decades of years flashed across his mind, with the final picture fixed on a charming woman wearing a white dress smiling as she stood in the spring breeze.
“Estherel…” A smile of nostalgia crept upon the corner of his mouth. The warrior gently uttered a name before cursing “This is indeed the world of the devils” before being shredded into pieces by the powerful wind.
