Chapter 31: New Members

Akash arrived at his chambers naked, the familiar atmosphere easing his mind and soul. He adjusted the temperature to his liking and jumped on top of the bed as the room started to get cooler, hitting the hay, tossing and turning in his first normal slumber in ages.

~ 7 Days Later ~

After waking up, the first thing he wanted to do was, to take a hot shower, for an hour in particular. Bathing in blood for months had given him an unpleasant feeling, even though his body was nourished by it.

Akash took the sabre he got from Haji Tea out of his inventory in preparation for finally cutting his hair. After cutting it, he drew it back and made a round knot, leaving behind a single longer bang to the right of his right eye.

As he looked in the mirror, however, he thought something was still missing. Thus, he picked up his sabre again and used it to trim the sides and back of his head evenly, below the top.

He opened his bag, given by Haji Tea as well, picked a noble suit and his mobile phone, dressed up and then dialled Haji Tea's number.

~RING RING~

Haji Tea was practicing in a ruined zone as he picked up the call without looking at it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr Haji."

Haji Tea couldn't recognise the voice.

"Who is this?"

"Akash Tagar."

Haji Tea was startled, he almost dropped his phone from the shock.

"My... My Liege… I'm sorry, I couldn't recognize your voice."

"Yeah, it's been a while. By the way, are you at the mayor's office?"

"No, no, My Liege, I've resigned as the mayor. My grandfather is the new mayor of Abran City now."

Akash raised his left eyebrow.

"Oh, you've already brought your family here."

Haji Tea chuckled.

"Haha, not the whole family, just my wife and grandfather."

"I see, let's meet up then. I have a gift or two for you."

Haji Tea's eyes shined in happiness.

"As a matter of fact, I also have a surprise for you, My Liege. I'm coming to the headquarters right away."

"Alright."

Haji Tea flew into the sky. There was a man in a suit who was waiting near a vehicle for Haji Tea, Mike. When he saw Haji flying overhead, he loudly asked.

"Mr Haji, what happened? Your car is right here, why are you flying?"

Haji Tea was kind of a peculiar guy, he had always used a car when he could've flown instead. When asked, he just replied that he didn't like flying without further elaborating.

Thus, when Mike saw him flying, he understood there must've been some reason for it.

Haji Tea didn't slow his pace and answered while soaring forward.

"His Majesty is back, so I'm going to meet him!"

Mike's eyes twitched as he murmured.

"There is only one person who could be addressed like that by Mr Haji... Lil' bro is back!"

Mike got in the car, started it up and with a swift drift, drove towards the headquarters as well.

Akash put the phone back in his pocket and equipped his Golden Cloak. With it on, he looked in the mirror and commented.

"I look like a completely different person."

Akash stepped out from his chamber and sat down in the hall. Soon after, the gate opened and Haji Tea entered, he was not alone. There was a fragile old man and a beautiful woman behind him.

Haji Tea knelt as he entered the headquarters. The two people behind were startled by this but Haji paid them no mind and proceeded to speak to Akash.

"Welcome back, My Liege!"

Akash smiled and replied.

"I'm very happy to see you again, Mr Haji, you may stand."

Haji Tea stood up and looked at Akash, his mouth agape, the old Akash was nowhere to be seen. His height had increased by half a foot while his muscles had become even more chiseled, his whole body reeked a strange aura.

At first sight, it felt savage, Haji Tea was scared by it. With a second look, it became entrancing, Akash looked unbelievably attractive. When Haji Tea moved closer, he saw magnificence, as if there was no safer place other than near Akash Tagar. Haji Tea calmed himself and stated.

"My Liege, this is my family."

Haji Tea pointed his hand to the fragile old man.

"This is the current Mayor of Abran City. My grandfather and the famous head of the Tea Family, Baghi Tea. And, this is my wife, Aisha Tea."

Baghi was very surprised to see such a powerful young man, he couldn't believe that he was only 15 and at the 1st Star realm. Meanwhile, Aisha was paralyzed. Akash had dominated their minds from their very first meeting.

Akash stood up.

"Welcome to the new family."

Baghi Tea caught his composure back.

"It's an honour to meet you, Your Highness."

Baghi Tea peeked at Akash but he wasn't able to check the level of Akash's cultivation realm. After feasting the blood of primordial beasts, no one below Star King can even grasp Akash's strength.

"He is not at the 1st Star realm, he is hiding his cultivation."

Baghi Tea assumed.

Akash smiled at Baghi and then looked at Haji who was different than he was before as well. He was slightly taller than before and had a new van dyke goatee with long brown hair reaching down his shoulders.

"Oho, I guess I'm not the only one who has changed"

"Yes my liege, I have been practicing for 2 straight years in the Training Grounds after you left."

Baghi Tea's focused all his hearing on them. He was very confused when he had seen the changes in Haji Tea at first after he had come back from the Training Grounds.

Haji Tea claimed he had been training for 2 years but for Baghi Tea it was mere 14 days. These questions were troubling Baghi Tea and Haji Tea refused to tell anything as Baghi was not part of the Ancestor Law Enforcement.

Akash willed the profile of Haji Tea to appear in front of him.

[Name: Haji Tea

Realm: 2nd Moon, Star Captain

Aptitude: Medium-High Grade

Learnt Laws: Martial Law, Divine Law

Inborn Laws: Poison Law (Awakened), Life Law (Awakened), Forest Law (Yet to Awake) ]

Akash raised his eyebrow and spoke.

"So, you have awoken another attribute. Well done, Mr Haji."

Baghi Tea looked at Haji in wonder and asked himself in a puzzled way.

"My grandson learnt divine law! Was he that of a genius?"

"Haha, it's all thanks to you. The System told me to practice in a Training Ground of divine attributes. This was the surprise I was talking about on phone, but I forgot nothing is a surprise for your highness"

Baghi Tea was dumbfounded, he couldn't even grasp the content of their talks. For the first in his life, he felt as if he was a foolish clown sitting in the confab of the wise.

"My Liege, can they join our force too?"

Haji Tea asked Akash as he gestured at Baghi and Aisha.

Akash opened the profile of Aisha Tea.

[Name: Aisha Tea

Realm: 3rd Moon, 10th Star

Aptitude: Upper-Common Grade

Learnt Laws: Fire Law

Inborn Laws: Life Law (Awakened).]

Akash nodded his head and replied.

"She can be accepted as a soldier."

Suddenly, a voice came into Aisha's head.

*beep*

[You are qualified to be a soldier of the Ancestor Law Enforcement. Do you want to join?

'YES / NO']

She cried out in surprise. Haji Tea held her hands and looked into her eyes.

"Don't worry, honey, just accept it."

Aisha didn't say anything and just nodded. A golden piece of paper came out of nowhere in front of her.

[Release a droplet of your blood and you will become a soldier, and enjoy the privileges this rank provides.]

Aisha looked at Haji briefly before doing as she was told. The golden paper went into her chest.

*beep*

[Aisha Tea has been appointed as a soldier of the Ancestor Law Enforcement.]

Baghi Tea's eyes widened as he wondered what kind of paper that was. Akash looked at Baghi then and similarly checked his profile.

[Name: Baghi Tea

Realm: 3rd Moon, Star General

Aptitude: Upper-High Grade (Blocked)

Learnt Laws: Martial Law, Thunder Law

Inborn Laws: Poison Law (Awakened), Life Law (Awakened) ]

It was Akash's time to be shocked.

"Upper-High Grade aptitude! he is even better than Haji Tea. He is also at the peak of the Star General realm, what a great subordinate I just found. But alas…"

Akash looked at Baghi Tea, who was not showing the slightest hint of the power a tamer at the Star General realm should have. He mumbled to himself.

"He is going to die soon."

Baghi Tea was a smart man, so he immediately understood something was amiss causing him to ask Akash.

"My Liege, am I not eligible?"

Akash smiled and retorted.

"Who said you are not?"

Akash saw that 'Blocked' written on his aptitude, he didn't have to call the System to ask what that meant. He knew that when a tamer went through tremendous torture, depression or trauma, his talent would become blocked. And it would remain that way until the tamer overcame whatever was holding them back.

Baghi Tea was dying because his talent had been blocked for a long time already when he saw his city getting destroyed and he couldn't free himself from it. However, Akash already had some ideas on how to cure him of his ailment.

*beep*

[ You are qualified to be an Earl of the Ancestor Law Enforcement. Do you want to join?

'YES/NO' ]

The same voice rang in Baghi's ears, Baghi Tea replied without a second thought.

"Yes, I want to."

In the same way, a golden paper came into existence in front of everyone, following which Baghi Tea dripped a droplet of his blood on it and the golden paper entered his chest.

*beep*

[ Congratulations, Baghi Tea has become an Earl of the Ancestor Law Enforcement.]

"Equip your cloak from your inventory."

Akash instructed.

Haji Tea helped to guide them, and they wore their cloaks. Baghi Tea had the Earl's Cloak, it was of silver colour while Aisha had the Soldier's Cloak, A red-coloured one. As they wore it, all the necessary information flooded their minds.

One word left the mouth of Baghi Tea after he had finished absorbing the knowledge.

"Unbelievable…"