Chapter 154: Pantheon Of Mythical Beast

"Sigh, what do I do now?"

A handsome youth with black hair cascading down his temples muttered to himself in a defeated voice. He was standing before a frozen river, staring at an abandoned ship, part of which was submerged in the ice.

Naturally, this person was Jack.

After failing to secure the elemental crystal, the Maverick Guild had gone back to the Valerian Kingdom, where they were from. Though they didn't get the crystal, Reyes still made sure to pay off Jack.

The youth stared at the five gold coins in his grasp, but there was no excitement in his eyes. No, a measly five gold coins wouldn't make him excited, not when he had dozens in his spatial storage.

Though he was staring at the ship, Jack's mind was occupied with thoughts. He was contemplating... contemplating whether he should return to his family or run away. He wanted to ask Reyes if it was possible for him to join the Maverick Guild.

However, he held back.

The reason was because...

'With the influence and resources that bastard has, it'd be much easier for him to find me.' Jack reasoned as he slowly turned his back on the now-empty ship.

'The rats must be happy now.' Jack let out a chuckle that didn't match the emotionless gleam in his eyes, his effort to lighten the mood futile.

'What should I do?' he asked.

'Stay hidden,' a voice responded in his head. 'If you return there, you'll become a part of him.'

'One of the numerous people,' another voice added.

'Hide, hide where?' Jack asked, his voice laced with frustration. What possible places could he hide that that old monster wouldn't be able to find him? The normal mundanes wouldn't know, but all the major powerhouses in the human domain/Far West would never go against that man.

The moment they found out any information about him, they'd immediately capture him and take him back to that godforsaken place.

"You have to change your identity, then." An intelligent voice suggested. "Only then could you truly disappear."

Of all the voices in Jack's mind, this was by far the most intelligent one; the others had a variety of personalities. He often confided in this voice for advice.

Jack pondered over what he had heard. 'Change my identity?'

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'Yes...' the voice confirmed, filled with certainty. 'Then you can hide in plain sight.'

"Plain sight?" Jack was still a bit slow.

'You'll hide in the kingdom where Grandpa has the most influence.'

'He would think I'll probably go to the Elven Empire, the Orcs, or somewhere else.' Jack's eyes flashed as realization dawned on him. 'Not knowing that I'm just right under his nose.'

'But how would I change my identity?'

'The first step is very difficult. Are you sure you want to do it?'

"Whatever it takes," Jack said, conviction filling his eyes. "I'll stay hidden for now, but when I get stronger, I'm definitely paying that old man a visit."

---

Meanwhile, back at the small cottage...

Nox had communicated to all his pets, assuring them that he would be fine. Though he was still yet to open his eyes, feeling the strength in their bond was already enough assurance.

Of course, the couple and Wendy didn't hear this voice for obvious reasons. Wendy went outside and called the healer back into the room. She quickly checked his pulse, confusion flashing in her eyes.

"This... how is this possible?" The healer was at a loss for words; this was the first time she had witnessed something like this.

"Cursed attacks don't work like this... did you guys find the antidote or something?" Then she shook her head. Even if they found the antidote, there was no way it could heal him, as the kid was already dead.

"We don't know," Wendy explained, the tears gone from her eyes, her voice sharp. "All we saw was a bright light envelope him and..."

Wendy went on to explain the whole ordeal... Even after her detailed explanation, the healer was still perplexed. The more she thought about it, the more she felt a light migraine. Hence, she could only check Nox's condition and looked at Wendy with a serious tone.

"His condition is stable, but he seems to be in a comatose state," the healer claimed. "But he should be up and running in days or weeks."

The healer's words calmed everyone's hearts. Some time later, the healer left. Wendy offered her money, but she refused, saying she hadn't done anything to warrant payment.

Wendy, Fluffington, Thirteen, and Astralux returned to Nox's bedside, watching the handsome boy sleep peacefully. Thirteen gently pulled the bedsheets covering Nox's body and squeezed himself onto the bed, watching Nox's face.

Fluffington and Astralux also hopped onto the bed, rubbing their faces against him. Wendy smiled softly at this sight. Even though she wasn't part of the connection, she could feel that the beasts truly loved their master.

***

Meanwhile, in an unknown location...

"Is everything done?" Terra asked.

Nox, who had just finished assuring his pets that he was perfectly fine, nodded at the beautiful feline goddess.

"Then let's go," Terra said, her tail flicking behind her as she turned and began walking forward without waiting for his response.

Nox took a glance at his surroundings and realized that they seemed to be in an open field, the horizon painted in hues of gold and purple as the sun set behind distant mountains. The grass was tall, brushing against his legs as he followed Terra's light footsteps.

Nox forcefully looked away from Terra's sensual waist, which was swaying from side to side, and said after a long stretch of silence:

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere," Terra simply whispered and started to whistle. It was a clear signal that she didn't want to indulge in any more conversations, and Nox quickly got the hint.

The two walked through the field. Nox was a bit wary as he looked around. They seemed to be in a wild area of some sort, which meant there could be magical beasts. seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

After walking for over an hour, they soon arrived at a giant gate... Looming in front of the door was a towering golden ape, watching with vigilant eyes.

"We're here," Terra smiled. "Welcome to the Pantheon of Mythical Beasts."