Chapter 263: Not The Strongest

Rex and the others are currently standing behind the woman and Yosef.

They're currently in the middle of the city with the citizen of Lountain City surrounding them in a circle as the woman gave her speech,

"The nightmare that we have suffered has come to an end"

"We have now united once again without any discrimination of any kind, our city has been blessed by the help of the angels from Ratmawati City-"

Her speech riled up the crowd as she also didn't forget to thank Rex and the others.

Without their help, Lountain City will be still under the rule of the tyrant that is hungry for power until each one of them died.

After the woman gave out her speech, she suddenly turns in Rex's direction.

Even the citizens surrounding him are looking at him with a weird expression, until suddenly, "The citizens of Lountain City have agreed to give you the mined Lightning Stones as our gratitude for helping us freed ourselves from the evil Awakened"

Rex didn't expect the city to give him the lightning stones.

All Rex wanted are for the evil Awakened to be punished severely, he didn't once think about taking the lightning stones.

"You don't have to, the Lightning Stones can be traded for the city's improvement", Rex replied.

Rex already scans the Lightning Stones and finds out that the Lightning Stones are mid-grade, and some of them are high-grade which is valuable.

If Lountain City sells it to other cities, they might even be able to improve the city drastically.

With many mutated animals around this place, Yosef can't fend them off alone and equipments are necessary for the city.

There are more urgent things than giving them to Rex.

Hearing this, the woman smiles lightly before three men came forward from the crowd of people bringing three huge wagons full of Lightning Stones.

"We insist", the woman said,

Then she continues upon seeing Rex's hesitant expression, "The cave is deep, even after years of digging we only manage to take 20% of the cave's content. Mutated animals rarely came this high, So you don't need to worry about us"

Under the woman's assurance, Rex finally accepts the offer.

After Rex received the gift from the city, the event ended as Rex and the others prepared to leave the city at once.

"Can't we just rest for a day here?", Adhara asks tiredly.

Their road here is very tiring especially after they got attacked and chased by Vashag, then she also fights the Awakened and she felt tired.

But knowing her capabilities as a Werewolf, Rex shakes his head.

"We need to move to the next location as soon as possible", Rex replied calmly.

Hearing this, Adhara sighs as she knows that she will not be able to convince Rex to stay here for long with that kind of expression.

Rex glance at Edward before he said, "Did the villagers find the Banyan Tree?"

"They found two of them around the foot of the mountain, What do you want me to do?", Edward explained, before picking up the villagers, the woman told Edward about their findings.

After thinking for a moment, Rex then said, "This is a Little Ambrosia Cloud"

He takes the Little Ambrosia Cloud from his inventory and gives it to Edward, he then continues, "Go to the Banyan Tree and get another Little Ambrosia Cloud using this and merge them. You simply just need to put both Little Ambrosia Cloud close"

Rex gives Edward an elixir before he takes out the Grisly Mist Bear's Heart, 

"After merging the Little Ambrosia Cloud, take it and this heart to Evelyn", Rex instructed.

Hearing this, "Evelyn? Which Evelyn?", Edward asks in confusion.

"Evelyn Luc of course, I make a deal with her. She asks for these items in exchange", Rex replied nonchalantly, but his conversation pulls Adhara's attention to them.

But before Edward was about to leave, Rex stopped him.

"Oh yeah, tell her to prepare because once I get back I will go straight to her room", Rex added.

Upon hearing this, Adhara widened her eyes in shock before she suddenly pulls Rex's shoulder and glare at him, "What do you mean by prepare? and since when did going to her room normal?"

"I mean prepare the information that I asked", Rex replied with a wry smile.

From her angry expression, it's clear that Adhara misunderstands what he just said.

And when Rex thinks about it, the sentence that he said is indeed misleading but he didn't intend to say it like that.

Adhara squints her eyes, "Did you make a deal in her room too?"

"Uh... Yes?", Rex replied hesitantly, but upon seeing Adhara was about to burst in anger, Rex hurriedly added, "Nothing happened, there are her guards in front of the room"

"You're saying that if her guards are not there then something would happen?", Adhara asks sharply making Rex gulp harshly.

Looking at Adhara interrogating Rex makes Edward laugh.

"Stop your quarreling love birds, Rex probably didn't do anything because he didn't have the balls to do anything", Edward joked.

Hearing this, "What did you say?!", Rex asks angrily but Edward manages to slip past him.

But before Edward left, he suddenly stopped and said, "Oh yeah, It'll be better if someone can accompany me back"

"Ari can accompany me back", Edward added while giving a glance at Ari.

Rex was confused, but since Edward asks for a company then he will let him, "Fine. Ari, you go back to the university with Edward"

Ari nodded his head before he glance at Edward.

Both of Edward and Ari's eyes met for a moment as they stare at each other intensely.

After giving Ari a slight smirk, Edward dashes away before Ari follows him from the back as both of them disappeared inside the mist.

~

Scarlet Banes Kingdom, Werewolf Territory.

A menacing Werewolf walks along the castle hall with heavy steps, the Werewolf wears armor that covered his entire body but he didn't wear a helmet exposing his face.

The black furs match the full black armor with a tint of gold on the armor's edges.

Aside from the fancy-looking armor that the Werewolf wears, the red cape on his back that falls down to the floor differentiates him from other Werewolves wearing armor along the hall.

The Werewolf walks slowly until he arrived in front of a huge door.

With his big muscular thick hand, the Werewolf pushes the door open before he strides in.

Inside the room stands a hooded Werewolf wearing a red robe,

This Werewolf is shorter than the average Werewolf, and the way this hooded Werewolf stands is hunchback signifying that this Werewolf is quite old.

In front of the hooded Werewolf lies a black pot that looks regular from a glance.

If Rex was here, he will instantly feel the moonlight energy gathering towards the hooded Werewolf as he sits in a meditative position with his eyes shut closed.

"Hallac...", The armored Werewolf called lightly with his gruff voice.

But the hooded Werewolf didn't respond as the armored Werewolf approaches closer, "Hallac, the King is asking for the progress"

Even after the second time, the hooded Werewolf didn't answer.

The armored Werewolf frown, he stretches out his hand wanting to snap the hooded Werewolf out of his meditation but then,

Swoosh...

A subtle air infiltrates the room from the opened windows.

Moonlight energy suddenly swirls around the hooded Werewolf as his head snaps left and right, "Origin... Yes... Guide this lost one..."

The armored Werewolf steps back as he saw this phenomenon.

And when he heard the hooded Werewolf mention the origin, the armored Werewolf goes onto his knees fearing that he might upset the origin by disturbing this phenomenon.

"I see... I see...", the hooded Werewolf mumbled.

This phenomenon went on for a couple of minutes before the hooded Werewolf opened his eyes suddenly as he gasp for air.

Looking at this, the armored Werewolf approached him hurriedly.

"What happened? What did you see?", the armored Werewolf asks curiously.

Hearing this, the hooded Werewolf glance at the armored Werewolf before his eyes spark, "The Origin, he just showed me the way..."

While saying this, the hooded Werewolf's hand stretches towards the black pot in front of him.

He mumbles unclear words, only the word Origin can be heard clearly amongst his mumble as the black pot in front of him suddenly glows red.

It was clear that the hooded Werewolf is enlightened by the so-called Origin.

"*#@*#@*#@*#@", the hooded Werewolf started chanting unknown words as the moonlight energy that swirls around him gathers to the black pot.

Swoosh!

The black pot insides are starting to get filled with moonlight energy.

Whilst this is all happening, the armored Werewolf steps back as he saw this unknown phenomenon happening in front of him.

ROAR!!

A powerful roar resounded inside the room as a dark red figure materializes above the pot.

Looking at this, both the armored and the hooded Werewolves went to their knees as they marvels at the scene in front of them.

"It's...It's the Origin! We are blessed to see your figure", the hooded Werewolf shouted in joy.

After the dark red figure materializes into a Werewolf figure, the figure then glances down at the hooded  Werewolf as the moonlight energy becomes chaotic inside the pot.

Crack!

The black pot started cracking under the pressure,

Upon seeing this, the hooded Werewolf panicked, "We need to contain the energy!"

But then, the hooded Werewolf saw a shiny necklace on the armored Werewolf's neck before he strides towards the kneeling armored Werewolf and grabbed the necklace harshly.

"Hallac! What are you doing!", the armored Werewolf shouted.

After getting the shiny necklace, the hooded Werewolf throws the necklace into the black pot before he started chanting aggressively, "@#&@#!&@"

It goes on for minutes until suddenly,

ROARR!

Another loud roar resounded as the dark red figure and the moonlight energy went straight into the pendant of the necklace.

Swoosh!!

All of the chaotic dark red energy went into the necklace until suddenly,

BOOM!!

The black pot alongside the energy and the necklace exploded powerfully sending the hooded and the armored Werewolf crashing into the wall.

Pieces of the wall fall to the ground as they crashed to wall.

After both of them recovered from the explosion, what lies in front of them makes their movement stop as their eyes marvels at the scene.

In front of them is a floating necklace with a glowing pendant on it.

From the energy the necklace emitted, both of them can feel the same energy as the dark red figure that appeared before.

"Incredible...", the hooded Werewolf said as he inched towards the necklace.

He then stretches out both of his trembling hands to take the floating necklace, 

This necklace was created by a remnant of what they called the Origin, and thus they feel low under its presence as the necklace gives off a divine presence.

Upon touching the necklace, the hooded Werewolf's body jolted.

But when he wanted to inspect it, the sound of footsteps approaching the room can be heard.

Not long after the footsteps, a group of Werewolves came inside the room hurriedly lead by a powerful Werewolf that emits a kingly aura.

King Baralt came inside the room and look at the surrounding.

His eyes then landed on the armored Werewolf before the armored Werewolf kneel on the ground and greeted, "My King..."

"What happened here Ruston?", King Baralt asks.

Ruston stands back up before he replied, "The Origin has blessed us my King"

He then points at the necklace that Hallac is holding that gives off a divine presence, it almost makes even King Baralt tremble in his feet but the red light already dimmed.

"My King...", Hallac greeted as he brought the necklace to King Baralt.

Looking at the necklace, King Baralt then asks, "What is this Hallac? What does Ruston mean by the Origin has blessed us?"

"The Origin gave me a vision, and with this, we can do the forbidden Ritual", Hallac replied.

Hearing this, King Baralt takes the glowing red necklace from Hallac's hands before he inspects the necklace, "How can we do the forbidden ritual?"

"Before we do the forbidden ritual, we need to activate this necklace first", Hallac said.

King Baralt glance at Hallac in a questioning look before Hallac then continues, "The sacred necklace can only be activated by the strongest Werewolf, and there is none other Werewolves that are more powerful and purer than you, my King..."

King Baralt smiles viciously as he looks at the necklace in awe,

After hearing what Hallac said, King Baralt puffed out his chest before he instantly bites his left hand as blood burst out.

He then instantly grabs the necklace's pendant with his left hand.

Blood covered the whole pendant as King Baralt closes his eyes.

The divine blessing from the Origin, he wanted to feel it in his hand expecting the necklace will slowly be activated with his blood.

But even after a minute passed, nothing happened.

King Baralt opens his eyes in confusion before he looks at the necklace soaked in his blood.

Seeing that the necklace hasn't been activated yet, King Baralt looks at Hallac in confusion making Hallac's body jolt.

"What is the meaning of this Hallac?", King Baralt asks in anger.

Hallac was at a loss for words because he doesn't know what happened, "I-It's supposed to work, the Origin himself gave me the vision"

Hearing this, King Baralt grabbed Hallac's neck and slammed him to the wall.

BAM!!

"What is the meaning of this?!", King Baralt shouted in anger as a blue moon mark appeared on his forehead that makes his aura even more pressuring.

Under King Baralt's heavy aura, Hallac then struggles to say, "I-It's n-not you"

"What?!", King Baralt asks again fiercely.

Ruston then steps forward before he said, "The Origin didn't lie, then this only mean that you my King is not the strongest"