Chapter 23

"I knew you could do it Marcus"

"I knew you could make it out"

The Old Man, The Flame Emperor said to Marcus zs he paced slowly balancing himself on the bamboo cane on his right hand.

"What Happened to you?"

Marcus asked the barely standing man in front of who had bulging biceps and ripped body before.

"Ah, You know Marcus, my time's up"

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that"

All of the anger he had, vanished when he looked at the feeble old man.

Marcus took a deep breath and said.

"I'll make sure, you get a proper burial"

The Old Man stared blankly at Marcus and let out a sigh.

*Pat*

The Old man patted Marcus's shoulder when he reached him and smiled.

Suddenly the old man pulled his hand and his head bobbed back. The Flame Emperor looked at Marcus with his eyes wide open.

"OH...My" He pressed his hands against his chest as he looked at Marcus in surprise.

"What happened?"

Marcus as always was puzzled.

"What the hell did you do in there?"

The Old man asked Marcus, his hands still on his weak and skinny chest.

"Where?"

"In the Dungeon, I sent you to"

"Oh there?, just some casual grinding."

The Emperor's jaw hanged in air as he heard Marcus.

"What type of a casual grinding did you do to become like this, you Monster?"

"Huh? What are you blabbering Old man?"

Marcus probably didn't know but The Flame Emperor had his own 'Cheat System' in hand.

The Appraisal skill which the Flame Emperor had could appraise anything. When he came to contact with Marcus, all the information about his progress appeared right in front of him.

Marcus had broken through his limits and it was off charts. This was not what he was expecting. Even The Flame Emperor when put through the 3 guardian trials was only able to achieve till infinity break. He was happy and was also jealous.

The Bit of jealousy which was rising in his chest vanished as soon as he remembered something.

"Ah Marcus, what you have achieved is just magnificent and amazing."

The Old Man said regaining his Old Emperor voice tone.

Marcus's ears reddened when he heard the Old man praise him.

"I suppose you still haven't Awakened a Seed yet?"

"No" came the reply.

"And I have to remind you, this achievement you achieved in these 2 years were Unreal, I congratulate you on the behalf of the other guardians."

"Yea" Marcus rubbed his nose, looking smug.

Suddenly then did he realize what the Old Man had said.

"Wait..2 years?" Marcus questioned.

"Yes 2 years in the outside and 6000 years inside."

The Old man replied with a smile.

"6000..Wha..?"

Marcus found himself stutter. Who wouldn't?. He had spent an entire time span of 6000 years In the Dungeons trying to escape.

"In order to help you grind, the time inside was set in a way that it would only effect the time here, outside slightly"

The Old man said pinching his fingers and rubbing them together, indicating the small time which had passed outside during his life inside the Dungeons.

Marcus still was dumbstruck. Maybe he hadn't noticed it earlier but his status window did show his age clearly, it was...

"STATUS!"

Marcus boomed and the system popped up revealing his status window.

He peered at his age. It was 17. It showed '18 in a day' beside it. Which meant..

"It's my birthday tomorrow"

Marcus said as he kept his voice down and looked at the ground. Shifting his gaze to the Emperor, Marcus snapped once again.

"Tell me Old man, what do I have to do to get out of this place."

"Oh excited are we?"

The Old man replied and came close to Marcus again.

This time he kept his hand on Marcus's chest and said something in a very very low voice.

"As I asked earlier, you still haven't Awakened your Seed right?"

Marcus's chest started feeling warm and a black light started glowing from its center as he looked at his chest.

Soon a Notification popped up in front of him and Marcus read it aloud.

"Do you want to receive the Seed from THE FLAME EMPEROR?"

Marcus was shocked. He was so confused when the Notification popped up.

"It's my bidding gift to you Marcus....for the hard work you have done..please don't deny it."

Marcus couldn't say any less and he accepted the Seed as the old man had requested him to.

The system inside the Flame emperor asked.

[Hey Old geezer!! What are you doing? Wouldn't giving him your Seed seal 60% of his true power]

The Emperor smirked.

"Yes it will, but the way it is now, his sneeze could destroy planets. I want him to be able to master his powers bit by bit so he could control it on will...and you are forgetting something system"

[And what's that?]

"He still hasn't awakened HIS Seed yet!"

[Oh My...You mean, he has that Seed?]

"Without a doubt"

The Emperor smirked and looked at Marcus who was running around in excitement.

Meanwhile on Marcus's side.

He was running around, jumping 50 feet high and was walking in the clouds.

He was brimming with joy.....he had a seed now, that too The renowned Cheat Seed of The Flame Emperor and it was his now.

Marcus was surprised when he found out he was able to walk on Clouds. It was the system which helped him understand that it was because of The powers of The Qilin he was able to do that.

Marcus gasped when he landed without a sound on a flowerbed on his landing and walked on them without disturbing any.

"MARCUS!"

Marcus turned as the Old man called him.

He appeared right in front of the old man in a split second, almost throwing the old man off balance.

"Cool down Marcus...Remember To be calm always because that is the only state in which you can produce wonders during an intense situation."

"Yes Sir"

Marcus replied with respect.

"Then, I would also like to pass on my Familar, my beast TO YOU MARCUS"

The emperor emphasized on the beast but was dumbfounded when he saw a part of the Tattoo on his hand sticking out from Marcus's kimono.

"Huh? Don't tell me you have a Beast too"

The Old man pointed at his wrist.

"Eh?

Marcus followed his gaze.

"Ah this, this is Diablo, my familar The Ninety tailed Demon Fox"

Marcus showed, pulling his kimono up.

"Oh and this too"

Marcus closed his eyes. After a second or two he opened them and they glowed blue, his canine teeth extended to fangs and his hair waved in air. The Qilin appeared behind in it's spirit form, having 2 big muscular arms with deadly claws at end and Fangs bared from its mouth. 2 goblets of fire revolving around its head. It was glowing like a sun during noon.

The Old man's teeth almost fell of when he saw Marcus in his spirit wielder form. He had thought he was able to suppress Marcus to some limit, but no, this boy who was in front of him, was something else, A monster among men.

Marcus snapped his fingers and he returned back to being normal.

"You have A beast and a Spirit too?"

"YES"

Marcus said proudly, beating his chest.

The old man thought for a second.

'My abyss dragon could help suppress his power a bit more. It's better I try persuade him to take it too'

"Ehem, Marcus could you please also take care of my Drako too?" The old man asked pointing on his tattoo.

"Huh? Is it even possible to have two familars?"

"Of course it is Marcus, but only some high level people could achieve this feat...like you"

"Because this is your last wish, I'll recieve it with pleasure"

Marcus said suppressing the excitment which was building up in his chest.

The Emperor chuckled and went close to Marcus. He placed his hands on Marcus's head and started whispering again.

Soon a notification popped up again and Marcus accepted it without a second thought.

The Tattoo from the Old man's arm slowly started withering away and appeared on Marcus's left hand and ran in the same pattern it did on his right hand with the Demon Fox. The only thing which was different was the details. The new tattoo showed a mighty dragon spiralling towards his wrist and its tail stood upright on his shoulders.

The old man didn't move his hand from Marcus's head and soon another notification popped up.

[DO YOU WANT TO BE THE GUARDIAN, Y/N]

Marcus looked at the notification and then at the old man.

The Emperor smiled.

"As I said Marcus, it's time up for me"

Marcus with a long face clicked on Y.

"I'll accept it because it's your death wish"

"Bwhahahaaaa"

The old man threw his cane into the air and turned back to being the Muscular dude. His robe changed to an open shirt and he wore Bermuda shorts. He had suitcases on his hand and a fedora cap on his head. A sunglasses was prepped on the fedora.

Marcus looked at him with his jaw open.

"I said my time is up AS THE GUARDIAN"

"Eh?"

"It's vacation time Marcus, I'll be going to this place called HAWAII on this other world and the beach view over there is Mwhaaa"

"Eh?"

"Tata"

"Wait, you fu*kin Old Geezer"

*Vanish*