Once all the blood had gathered at the wounds it had spilled from, Alister then said, “Blood healing.” The blood knitted together to form flesh and return to normal, closing the wounds.
Ren and the others expressed their shock, eyes wide and mouths agape. Hiroshi stuttered, “Is this… really healing?”
Kaida spoke up, “Yes, but no… It’s different.”
Razorgrin stepped forward, yelling, “What is this kid?”
Alister responded, “This is me making sure you all don’t die. A little thank you wouldn’t hurt.”
Razorgrin flared up, “Why you-”
Ren quickly intervened, “That’s enough.” He slowly flexed his arms and twirled his shoulders, saying, “It’s surprisingly more effective than Kaida’s healing.”
Kaida felt offended. “Hey, my healing is just fine!”
Ren walked up to Alister, with a sincere expression on his face. “I’m not going to demand an explanation. Everyone has a right to keep their own secrets, some cards they keep close to their chest. After all, only a fool places all their cards on the table.”
He then extended his hand to Alister. “So thank you for saving us and healing our wounds. We owe you our lives.”
Alister reached out and grabbed his hand. “You’re welcome then. I’m glad I could help.”
Ren paused shortly, then said, “But…”
Alister’s expression turned curious. “But what?” freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Ren’s gaze lingered on Alister for a moment before he spoke.
“You shouldn’t keep secrets from your team. We’re supposed to trust each other and have each other’s backs. How can we do that if you’re going to keep things from us?”
Alister raised an eyebrow. “You do know you and I have only ever talked to each other, what, like eight times now? There’s basically no difference between you and a stranger.”
Ren chuckled, acknowledging the point. “Fair argument.”
“So I guess you can… Slowly reveal things as you get to know us.”
Just then, a massive boom echoed through the valley. Everyone turned their heads towards the source. Darven had landed, holding a massive orange orb in his hand.
“My lord, I have returned.”
Darven walked up to Alister and placed the rather large core belonging to the Berzerk ape by Alister’s side and bowed respectfully.
“You’ve done well, Darven,” Alister said, his voice calm but he appreciated his efforts. “Now, you and Cinder should handle the remaining monsters in the valley.”
Darven nodded. “As you command, my lord,” he replied, straightening up.
Cinder, who had been watching silently, gave a nod. “We’ll take care of it, my lord,” she said.
With that, Darven and Cinder took off, their bodies quickly disappearing into the distance as they moved to eliminate the remaining monsters.
Terra, who had remained by Alister’s side, looked down at the group. “What will we do with them?” she asked, sounding curious. “The humans, I mean.”
“Humans?” Kaida asked, confused.
“Yes, humans,” Terra replied, leaning forward slightly as her blue eyes gazed down at Kaida. “Or are you not a human?”
Alister stepped in, speaking up with a feirm tone. “Terra, stop that.”
Terra pulled back immediately as she apologized.
“Forgive me, my lord,” she said, her gaze shifting away from Kaida.
Alister then turned to Ren. “Is it okay to call the operation complete? My dragons can handle it, so the rest of you can head back to rest.”
Hiroshi chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Oh? The newbie wants to put the veterans on the bench?” he teased, glancing at Alister. “I can’t say the thought of going back to our ride to chill while the score builds up isn’t intriguing, but if I did that, what pride would I have left as a superior? But I guess since my body hurts so much, I don’t really have another choice.”
Kaida rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with disappointment. “Just say thank you and stop being hard to please,” she said, crossing her arms.
Hiroshi shrugged, giving a half-smile. “What can I say? Sometimes the truth hurts to admit.” Ren moved to adjust his glasses, only to realize they were missing. A look of surprise crossed his face.
Hiroshi chuckled, unable to resist a smile. “Seems your habit didn’t let you realize your glasses were gone,” he said.
Ren laughed softly, shaking his head. “I guess you’re right,” he admitted.
Ren looked back at Alister, his gaze inquisitive. “Is there anything else you’re hiding?”
Alister smirked. “That’s a secret. I am allowed to keep secrets, right?”
Ren sighed, then smiled. “Then can I at least trust you to handle this? You won’t mess things up, no monster will be left standing when the pick-up team arrives?”
Alister’s expression turned serious, his confidence clear. “Yes, you can rely on me.”
Ren could see the conviction in his eyes and smiled slightly. “I guess Master Yuuto knew what you were capable of. That must be why he placed so much faith in you and showed you such kindness.”
Ren sighed again, turning to the team. “Okay, team, let’s return to our truck.”
Razogrin’s eyes widened in shock. “You can’t be serious. We’re really gonna leave everything to this kid and his flying lizards?”
Before anyone could respond, Terra’s voice echoed powerfully, her presence dominating the space. “Watch your tongue, boy. If not for my Lord’s kindness, you would have long been reduced to dust and lost to the wind.”
“If you dare speak out of line again, I assure you, you will regret it. An Archi-Void always makes good on their word.”
Terra’s aura spiked, causing chills to run down the spines of Ren and the others. The oppressive aura made the air feel heavy, and Razorgrin visibly shivered.
Hiroshi stepped up to Razogrin, tapping his shoulder lightly. “Hey, don’t be a buzzkill. We’re
all exhausted here. Don’t spoil this for us.”
Razorgrin clenched his jaw but nodded, recognizing the gravity of the situation. He lowered his gaze, taking a deep breath. “Alright, fine. I’ll trust you, Alister.”
Alister couldn’t help but feel oddly satisfied with his response. “Thank you. I won’t let you down,” he said, though a touch of smugness crept into his voice.
Alister called out to Ren, who was still within earshot. “Ren, once I’m done here, I’ll notify you so you can call the pick-up team.”
Ren turned, acknowledging Alister with a nod. “Alright.”
“And,” Alister added, “once I’m done here, I’ll be off alone for a bit.”
Ren raised an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”
“It’s just to feed my dragons,” Alister explained, his voice steady, though it was a lie. “It’s a delicate and personal process they keep to themselves. So, I won’t be putting my camera back on either.” This was his excuse so he would be able to carry out his daily quest.
Ren paused, considering this. Then he nodded again. “Alright. Return once you’re done. This may have put us ahead of the other guilds, but it doesn’t stop them from catching up. So,
hurry.”
Alister gave a sharp nod. “Understood.”
As they walked back, climbing over the steep slope that led to the top side above the valley, Hiroshi leaned over, a smirk on his lips. “So, you trust the kid, huh?”
Ren adjusted slightly, still rattled from Terra’s earlier outburst. “I do. Master Yuuto saw something in him, and so do I. He’ll handle it.”