"It can’t be... how can they be so young? That Feral Fey one looks like a grown woman. Are you sure about this?" Bruno asked Idris seriously.
"I would never lie. Both clans are the most powerful and have their own secret technique. I don’t know much about it, but the Feral Fey technique seems to rapidly develop the body; they can reach adulthood at 12 years old and fully cultivate thanks to this technique," the young Fey promptly replied. "As for the Barbarian Fey clan, they also have a technique that accelerates meridian development, but the effect is the opposite: they remain looking very young for a long time, even if they don’t want to."
Alm and Bruno knew that everyone there was indeed very young, so the youthful appearance of the Barbarian Fey didn’t raise suspicions. Bruno sighed heavily; they were at an age that would be considered childish by human standards, they should be just observing the world and being cared for by adults, but they were thrown into the world to fight and kill in a savage dispute.
He couldn’t judge, as each race had its culture. Beasts were known for rapid physical and mental development; humanoid races were more complicated, each stage of life was of utmost importance and had to be treated with care. Any disturbance when one is very young becomes a big problem in the future.
The Feys were a humanoid race, and they were definitely making a grave mistake. Their technique accelerated physical development, but an important mental development phase was missed. The damage from this would be profound in the future.
Alm and Bruno knew that living through this phase was crucial; that’s why they made efforts to properly care for Ruri in the past. But for these youngsters to be here with a low enough mortality rate to not be a waste, they must have been prepared many years before. They definitely never lived as children and were forced to miss an important phase of life just because the adults wanted more people to fight.
Alm thought about teasing Bruno again, but he didn’t have the courage; even he thought that this kind of thing was too extreme. If they could do something to ban this kind of technique, they would do it without hesitation in the future.
Bruno became pensive; he imagined that everyone should be around 15 years old, when their meridians would be developed. When he learned Idris’s age, he didn’t care much. In the ascending world, someone physically undeveloped couldn’t cultivate much beyond the first mortal realms; but in the divine world, with much talent, it was possible to reach his current level. He just thought that Idris was an exception to the rule; there were always complicated situations like Ruri’s, which led someone very young to fight very early. Now he realized his mistake...
"Does your clan also have something similar?" Bruno asked through the whale. They didn’t read memories about techniques or things that could be secret to avoid problems.
"Hm? Yes, of course. All Fey clans have a technique like this, but those of the two clans are high-level. I managed to cultivate to this realm thanks to the technique, but my body is still undeveloped. Before becoming a full adult, I will never break through to the divine realms. But the people of the two clans are physically adults, and that gives them a huge initial advantage."
The whale nodded, and now Alm and Bruno observed those Feys differently. Before, they were just people who would be useful; now, a twinge of pity existed for these young ones. Before, they saw some Feys being killed; but the people from the Feral clan seemed like adults, and those from the Barbarian clan emanated a dense Qi like that of someone fully developed, which was impossible for their age.
Bruno had no way of knowing about their age. If he had known they were children, he would have saved them from the necromancer immediately. But now he realized... his vision clouded by the fear of attracting attention; he wanted to do everything perfectly and ended up becoming a coward, just like in his past. Even if they were 15 or 20 years old, it shouldn’t matter, he let them die needlessly.
They now watched the two leaders carefully and analyzed them. The young woman from the Feral Fey clan was named Kisala, and physically she was a complete woman. Her long brown hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders, highlighting her pointed ears resembling those of a cat. Her brown eyes, with slit pupils, shone with an almost hypnotic intensity.
She wore a fitted brown leather tunic that accentuated her slim figure of 1.82 meters. The tunic opened slightly at the front, highlighting her confident posture; she had an aura of feminine beauty and cleverness around her.
The young woman leading the Barbarian Fey people was named Ambry. She stood at 1.49 meters and looked like a little girl, fitting her age. Her hair was a light silver tone with a touch of blue, highlighting her delicate face and large pointed ears. Her wings, in soft shades of pink and orange, shimmered in the light, evoking the image of a fragile fairy.
Ambry wore leather attire resembling that of a small wild warrior. She carried a large axe that seemed too heavy for someone of her stature. However, her confidence and posture showed that she was more than capable of wielding it with precision and power. Her presence exuded an aura of unbreakable strength, making her impossible to ignore.
The two were surrounded by hundreds of members of their clans, both sides staring coldly at each other as a heavy atmosphere permeated the air. After a few seconds, they moved calmly towards each other.
Kisala simply looked down, facing her rival with a cold and silent gaze. There was an aura about her that immediately made Alm feel strange.
’That cold aura... that dark gaze... it reminds me of someone... looks like you two will hit it off quickly,’ Bruno sarcastically commented in their minds.
At that moment, the impatient little Fey exploded. "You bitch! You planned to sneak attack the members of my clan! Not only is that against the sect rules, it violates the agreement between the two clans."
"Hm? It was just a natural reaction. Or do you think I wouldn’t notice my people being killed by you on the first day? The power used to kill them is clearly the work of brainless barbarians like yourselves," came the sarcastic reply, and Kisala’s gaze turned bloodthirsty.
Ambry quickly contorted her face and positioned her axe; everyone behind her did the same, ready to attack at any moment.
’Impulsive and without much control over her emotions... she still looks like a loli, she’s really perfect for your standards,’ Alm didn’t forget to jab.
Ambry took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her axe. Although she wanted to, she didn’t give the order to attack; something was clearly wrong. Several of theirs were killed on the first day, and they had the obvious poison of the rival clan. Now the other side was accusing them?
The two stared at each other, despite not liking each other, they didn’t imagine that the other was lying. After a moment, they both turned their heads to the side in surprise.
"DIE!" several Feys from both clans shouted at the same time.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blades clashed, and chaos erupted suddenly. All the young ones on both sides began attacking immediately. There was no order from the leaders, but these youths were already used to hating each other, and they were too immature to handle this situation and dialogue.
"You! You planned this!"
Ambry roared, letting her emotions take over. Her axe spun, and the earth beneath her feet exploded. Immediately, Kisala dodged, and in less than a second, a life-or-death battle between the two sides began.
From a distance, watching everything clearly, the whale sighed. The necromancer acted perfectly, using the fragile emotions of these Feys against them. If they were experienced cultivators, they would realize that something made a few members attack without any command; acting without orders from the leader was a serious crime, no matter where, and obviously, added to the strange occurrences, this wasn’t a coincidence.
"Lord... I beg of you... those who attacked before were the ones who were controlled. Only you can prove this to them," Idris spoke, looking at the whale with trembling eyes. "Allow me to let them read my memories, and everything will be proven, but they will know about you. Please, allow me..."
"It won’t be necessary. Just wait here," the whale cut him off sharply and took a step forward.
Idris saw the laws of the earth rise from the ground and float, being drawn around the whale. Suddenly, in the eyes of the round figure, an earthy brown glow pulsed.
On the battlefield, everything had started just a few seconds ago, but one side had a very explosive power, and the other was very agile; neither could hit each other directly, and no one had been killed yet.
The two young leaders leaped into the sky, fighting swiftly and wildly. Ambry attacked with her axe, but Kisala dodged, leaping and counterattacking with arrows from her bow. The little Barbarian Fey spun her axe, and with its abnormal weight and power, the arrow exploded. But a poisonous mist spread through the air, being absorbed by her.
"You bitch! You think this filthy poison will take me down!"
Ambry roared, and her bloodline was activated to the maximum. In response came a sarcastic laugh, but the opposite bloodline was activated equally; reason was gone, and now it was kill or be killed. Both were willing to unleash everything... it was at that moment that both felt something was wrong.
"Descend and converse."
A low, lazy voice sounded among them all, but their bodies and power immediately froze, as if it were a superior and oppressive command.
At the same moment, those in the skies felt their spiritual roots being disconnected. Then gravity pulled them down, but there was another much greater and invincible force pulling them.
Boom!
Everyone, including the two leaders, fell to the ground with an explosive sound. A mist of earth rose, covering everyone’s view. Those who were already on the ground immediately felt as if steel handcuffs were binding their legs, rendering any movement impossible.
The two leaders tried to get up quickly and move, but they were stunned by what they felt: their bodies were covered in runes of the laws of the earth. They were completely dominated and sealed, with no chance of defense.
’How?’ They both thought in sync and widened their eyes, feeling something watching them from above, and a cold sweat ran down their spines.
When they guided their eyes upward, through the mist of earth, they saw two small luminous dots. They were two divine eyes radiating infinite primordial power. Both of their hearts began to beat uncontrollably... it was fear, surprise, and shock. What was that?
The voice sounded again, still low and lazy. "Idiotic children. You’re going to kill those of the same race just because you feel different from each other?"
"S-sir... they started it! They’re disloyal and planned this," Ambry quickly replied, her voice trembling.
The sound of a snort echoed. "No, you’re not stupid, and you know something is wrong. But you chose to ignore it and just want to kill the ’enemy’ you’ve named."
Suddenly, the eyes pulsed, then a wave of energy spread, and all the mist of earth dispersed. Everyone then saw the round figure in the sky radiating a primordial brown aura. Behind him, everyone saw a shadow... it was a gigantic figure, like an invincible beast.
"A human... no, a half-human," Kisala murmured, then spoke seriously with a cold aura, "Do you know who you’re dealing with? I am..."
"Silence, brat." The whale cut her off sharply, feeling something wrong. An even stronger power pulsed around him, making both of them swallow hard.
Nearby, a figure hidden in the shadows had a strange expression and was dazed. Then the earth beneath his feet opened up, and countless runes appeared and covered him in less than a second.
The whale above just raised his hand forward, then gravity seemed to reverse around the figure, and he was drawn toward that hand.
The two Feys watched, stunned, as the whale grabbed a formless shadow. He clenched his fist, and the shadow dispersed, revealing a human being grabbed by the neck.
"You think you’re great, with your powerful clan. But you were easily outsmarted by a human taking the same test as you."
The whale said dryly, and his other arm moved, waving. Immediately, almost thirty Feys from both sides writhed.
Crack!
The muffled sound of something breaking came from within them. They all fell to the ground with their lifeless bodies. The two leaders turned to their members, and their eyes reddened with fury.
"YOU, HOW DARE YOU!!" Ambry roared, clearly convinced that the figure had killed her members.
"You see, brat," the whale said, slightly waving his hand.
In the same second, the soul within all the bodies emerged before their eyes. The two turned pale immediately... the shape of the soul within their allies was anything but a Fey. There were beasts and other races within them; clearly, the soul did not match the body’s owner.
This content is taken from freёwebnovel.com.
"As you can see, this clever one here is a necromancer and set everything up. Everything was very obvious, and as I said before: you’re not idiots and could have avoided everything, but you just chose to kill each other."
The whale spoke coldly, then turned the human figure he was holding for all to see. He was completely sealed and couldn’t even open his mouth, but on his forehead, a dark symbol was seen, making it clear which sect’s test he was taking.
"Shadow God... those bastards..." Kisala murmured, radiating intense hatred.
The whale nodded. Initially, the plan of the two in this test was not to attract so much attention and to do things calmly... well, they failed miserably, but they could still remedy it. Both Alm and Bruno felt bad for these children and wanted to do something. They also needed to establish contacts and have allies in the sect; so they saw this as a good opportunity. An external enemy was perfect for uniting the Feys, and they, who saved them, would have a good entry card and trust.
"Well, now that you understand." The whale spoke, waving and releasing everyone.
In that second, the two stood up and looked at the round figure, thoughtfully. He had the same cultivation level as both of them, and they could feel that he was taking the test for the same sect. But he mastered everyone so easily that it seemed like he hadn’t used any of his power... he could have easily killed everyone.
They were talented and considered invincible among their peers, but this human hybrid gave the impression of being on a completely different level. Only one thing came to the minds of the two: ’I have to bring him to the clan.’
In that exact second, the whale’s aura changed completely. Then, the two women instinctively took a step back.
Everyone there felt an unbelievably deadly pressure... but it wasn’t even directed at them. In the eyes of the whale, a murderous intent sprouted.
’That... Ruri is fighting and had to use the maximum power we allowed,’ Bruno said, feeling her through the array.
Immediately, the whale sighed in the sky. His divine soul was ignited, quickly surveying a large area around. Below them, everyone saw divine power sprout in the world and felt their souls tremble... it wasn’t laws, Qi, or anything; they were completely dominated by an indescribable power that made them feel before something unnameable.
Everyone froze with wide eyes in the direction of the whale. ’M... monster...’ Kisala and Ambry thought in unison, and their eyes gleamed with excitement.
’There are hundreds... thousands... damn, they don’t stop appearing, they’re countless. They’re surrounding and attacking her with everything, all at once,’ Alm said dryly.
The whale in the sky nodded. The sealed human turned into dust particles as if he had been disintegrated. Everyone below saw it and felt a tremendous fear. That human definitely wasn’t weaker than them, but... he was killed like that... if that round figure wanted them dead?
"I have things to take care of, goodbye." The whale left those words without even looking back and shot off, disappearing into the horizon.