As days turned to nights and the nights turned back to days, a week passed. During this week, the Malfae had focused on nothing but drinking the seawater.

During this time, it was only when the [Hive Monarch] had not been able to drink to a single drop more, that it had even thought about distracting itself with other things. Perhaps, it had been because of this persistence that the creature had been able to finish the tub full of liquid -relative to its size- in just a week. With merely 5 days left in its lifespan, the creature did not even dare to imagine what would have happened, if it had not focused on this task so.

Meanwhile, when it had had so much seawater that it had been about to vomit, the Malfae had practised [Mana Manipulation] as per the woman’s instruction. But despite the chambermaid’s assurance, the creature had found it difficult to accept her explanation. This hindrance had not been because the creature had considered the chambermaid’s method to be false or a lie.

After all, the creature knew that the only one who wanted it to succeed, perhaps even more than itself, was the woman in the cell next to its own. The creature knew her to be desperate enough that she would not dare employ that conniving mind of hers.

Hence, the lack of progress was a result of its own way of thinking, rather than its distrust of the method. The creature just could not see its mana as a part of itself. It was quite akin to someone asking a non-magic user mortal to move their hair. The progress thus was slow going.

However, at that moment, the creature took a sip and drank the last drop of the seawater. No sooner had the creature finished the liquid than it felt a change in itself. The creature felt stuffed but not in a way that made it feel uncomfortable. The Malfae felt as if it had become more than what it had ever been. It felt itself grow into something more, without any physical change.

This was nothing like it had ever felt. It was almost akin to how the majestic woman had felt more than just herself when she had used the Skill on the creature.

Ting.

Ting.

The creature’s pupil-less eyes widened and its lips parted in a grotesque smile. It had known that the notification would be coming soon. Yet, when it finally did appear the creature could merely grin and stare. If the Malfae had been a mortal, it would have cried, overwhelmed from its emotion as it would have been.

However, as the creature was an Immortal, it did not. Instead, the creature’s shoulders began to shake. Its chest heaved. Its breathing hastened. It tilted its head back and then, it let out a loud screech. The unpleasant sound of the screech was quite similar to the grating of metal.

Its neighbour screamed at it to stop but the creature stopped only when the breath in its lungs died down. It was as if, in that screech, it had let out all of its hopelessness, its fear, its terror and its desperation leaving the creature afresh.

And then the creature began to laugh.

0.0

The creature was brought before the green-clad majestic woman and was placed on a footstool right in front of her throne.

“You drank the entirety of the elixir.” The woman looked down her nose at the Malfae which was at her feet. “The ruckus earlier was from your evolution notification, I presume?”

The creature did not deny as it projected.

Agreement.

The woman eyed the creature for a moment before she let her lips twitched in a smile. “Intelligence is such a precious gift.”

Although others may not understand the meaning of the woman’s words, how could the Malfae not? After all, those were the same words that the woman had used in their first meeting.

The creature gulped. For it knew that the comment was not an appreciation, but rather a warning. It was a warning that was belated. And it warned of dangers that would have descended had the situation progressed in any other direction than the one it had.

The Malfae let out a silent sigh. The [Hive Monarch] had had to fight itself to delay its evolution. After all, the creature had not known what the green-clad woman’s reactions would have been if it had evolved without her permission. It was afraid that the lunatic would have destroyed its egg if it had not sought its approval.

Hence, it had been worried about its safety, as it evolved. After all, for the Malfae its safety while evolving was paramount. And in the Malfae’s mind, the only way to ensure this safety had been to evolve in the presence of the one that the [Hive Monarch] feared the most. Thus, the creature had only seen two options. To either use the woman’s strength. Or it could hide from her strength.

However, hiding had never been an option. For it knew it could not hide. It could not escape. Thus, whether the Malfae’s fear was well-founded or not, the creature would never know as it had already made her choice.

“Is it going to become pretty?” The high-pitched voice of the boy echoed out as it peered curiously at the Malfae’s wrinkled face.

“Yes.” The woman kept the creature pinned with her gaze. “Go ahead now.”

The creature gulped for a moment before it summoned its Status and sure enough, the option to evolve was mentioned. The creature focused on it.

Ting.

Ting.

Once upon a time the creature would have frowned, scowled and thrown a tantrum at the single option that appeared before it but, at the current moment, it could only feel the joy that the current option was even available. The Malfae focused on the only option it had available and a confirmation notification popped up.

The creature scoffed. As if it would deny itself the opportunity to evolve when it had less than 5 days left in its lifespan. It simply focused on [Yes].

Ting.

This time the evolution process began differently than the previous times. A white ooze began pouring out of its pores, slowly at first but then in droves from all over its body. The chalky and opaque ooze began to cover the [Hive Monarch] and harden at the same time. At a glance, the hardened ooze gave off the feeling of a shell.

As the process continued, where earlier there had been a creature of blue, now existed a white cylindrical egg the size of a mortal’s finger.

0.0

The woman picked up the cylindrical egg and focused on it for a moment, making it disappear.

“Mother, how long till it becomes pretty?”

“Hmm?” The [Monster Tamer] furrowed her brows. “This is its third evolution. It should take somewhere between a year to three.”

“What!” The child squawked. “I can’t wait that long! I want it now!”

“What if your mother can reduce this time?” Divyaaditi smiled indulgingly at her son. “Hmm. What would you do then?”

The boy frowned for a moment, before sneakily glanced at his mother for a moment. He then puffed up his cheeks, crossed his hands and mumbled. “…”

“Hmm? What was that?”

“…I will give the mother a hug…”

“Oh! That’s very precious.” The woman said with her eyes comically wide and wonder lacing her words. “How can I refuse such a generous offer!”

“Hurry!” The boy whined. “Hurry then!”

“It will still take some time though.” The woman said as she pondered. “My [Essence Space] can, perhaps, half the original time. So, expect somewhere in between 6 months to a year and a half?”

“What!” The boy squawked with his eyes narrowed and temper indignant. “That wasn’t what I wanted!”

Divyaaditi did not give her son a chance to complain further as she scooped the almost 8-year-old in her arms and hugged him for his dear life. “That is why you should always make sure what you are agreeing to, my son. Don’t just agree with anything!”

“No!” The boy squirmed in his mother’s hug. “Let me go! This is cheating! You cheated!”

“I didn’t cheat!” The woman laughed as she rubbed her cheek against his plump ones. “You merely got tricked!”

“That’s the same thing!” The child squirmed and flailed as he kept on trying to escape.

“No, it is not!” The green-clad woman laughed.

“FATHER!” The boy screamed. “SAVE ME!!”

0.0

“Now this is something that I should be doing.” A gruff voice said. And although the words might give off the feeling that the speaker was pleased, the tone conveyed the exact opposite meaning. It was displeased. “Tch. At least you learned.”

Divyaaditi bit back a grimace and kept her face pleasantly neutral. After all, she did not want another dosage of this old grouch’s rather unpleasant tirade. Even once had been too much.

“Yes, Maharaja Bandhan.” She replied politely, not daring to remain quiet in case she set off his bad temper.

The man eyed the woman for a moment, apparently searching for any trace of impertinence. As he found none, the old man harrumphed and turned to the mudskipper sleeping on the table. “Bring me a grade four Scroll.”

The mudskipper lazily opened its eyes and gazed at the old man in the much the same way the man had gazed at the woman before it hissed at the old man and turned its face away.

“Useless! Absolutely useless!” The salt and pepper haired man grouched. “I am surrounded by incompetent fools! I have to do everything here! Why not made me even hull the water? I should do that too because everyone here is so bloody useless!”

The green-clad woman closed her eyes, wishing to disappear. Fortunately for her, the old man went to the back of this office and brought a cloth scroll, white as the white moon and the size of a mortal’s forearm. Meanwhile, he did not stop grumbling.

“Tch. Tch. Tch. Pitiful. I am so pitiful. Even at this age, I have to do all this. Pitiful. Truly pitiful.” The man eyed the mudskipper but the mudskipper ignored his voice entirely. “Just what sins did I commit in my past life that I suffer so. Lamentable. Truly lamentable.”

Divyaaditi almost coughed out blood as she heard the nonsense that the old man was spouting. He was pitiful? He was lamentable? This nasty old grouch! He spared no one and scolded everyone for mere breathing wrongly and he was pitiful? Unfortunately for her, the grey-robed old man saw her expression.

“You! You! How dare you show me such a face!” He changed the direction of his righteous ire. “You think you are something special?! Let me tell you, I was already at second Tier before you were even born! Yet you show such disrespect? Insolence!”

“No! Maharaj Bandhan! You misunderstand.” The woman hastily spoke. “I was just surprised at your Spirit’s reaction. I did not mean any disrespect.”

At those words, the mudskipper turned to face her and it let out a series of loud hisses as if delivering a tirade quite akin to the old man himself.

“You! You think you qualify to judge my Spirit?!” The man did not care and scolded once again as he pointed his bony finger at her. “You, who was born just yesterday, dare to look down on my Spirit?! Let me tell you, this spirit has seen more in its long life than you will ever see!”

The woman stepped back. Born yesterday? She was 43 years old! 43! How was she born yesterday?! ‘This nasty old grouch! He got sent here for this nasty temper of his, yet there is no improvement!’

The woman hastily summoned a cylindrical chalky egg and as she placed it down the table, she retreated towards the door. “Much apologies Maharaja Bandhan. I just seemed to have remembered an important matter. Please have the Tracking Scroll sent to my husband’s office once it is done. I shall take my leave now. Pranam Maharaja!”

The woman opened the door and retreated as the old man’s voice echoed out. “You! How dare you leave when your elder is still speaking! Audacious! Insole-”

0.0

The door to the [Monster Tamer]’s chamber’s opened and a moustached man walked in. He had a smile tugging at his lips and carried a cylindrical egg, almost the size of his finger, in his left hand. While, in his right hand, he carried a massive scroll almost the size of a mortal’s forearm.

His eyes fell on his wife and his smile twitched.

The woman had her hands crossed and her forehead was marked with creases of anger. Her nose was flared and her clenched fists were ready to tear the bedsheet within their grasp. ‘That’s where Suryaakaruna gets his temper from.’

He sat down next to the clearly upset woman and placed both the things on the nightstand next to the bed they were sitting on. “So, you went to meet the [Ward Smith]?” His deep voice echoed out.

“Mm-hmm.” The woman’s forehead twitched.

The man smothered his smile. “It did not go well, I take it.”

It was as if that was all that the woman needed to let her frustrations out, like a river breaking through a dam. “That nasty old goat! Disrespect? Insolence? Audacious? I will show him all those things! That stupid half-dead mongrel!”

“Pitiful? He is pitiful? Lamentable? He is lamentable? If he is pitiful and lamentable? Then what are we?! Grass to be stepped upon?! It is not him but us that are pitiful! It is us that are lamentable! Because we have to deal with him!”

“I endured everything last time, didn’t I?! Why? Because I had asked him something that was not his forte! Did I say a single thing about how many monster corpses it cost me? How many Remnants did he lose me? Did I? Did I? I said not a single word!”

“But that crusty old goat was not satisfied! He went off because a bit of disappointment slipped out of me! I did not even blame him! Yet he went off! This old piece of ancient rot! I will turn him into monster-feed one day!”

“Singh Raj hasn’t had mortal meat in a long time now, hasn’t it? It will at least appreciate the flesh of that nasty old trash!” The woman finally stopped and panted. Her face was red and her eyes were wide. The bedsheet in her hands had been torn to shreds.

“It was a difficult day for you.” The man softly patted her back. “At least you don’t have to deal with him again.”

“I wouldn’t have dealt with him too even this time.” The woman snapped, more out of irritation rather than at her husband. “But that old codger refuses to deal with servants!”

“I know. I know. Next time, just let me deal with him.”

“Ha! As if that ghost would allow it!” The woman gritted her teeth. “When he dies, I will make sure to feed him to my monsters. I will make sure that his Spirit does not rise no matter what. Such nastiness should remain dead!”

“Yes, yes. You do that. Singh Raj will get a good meal then.”

The woman’s head whirled to glare at her husband. “Do not treat me as a child.”

“I am not. I am not.” The man said with wide innocent eyes but the smile on his lips betrayed his amusement. As if sensing the danger, he handed the egg to his wife and changed the topic. “Here. Place it back in your [Essence Space]. The more time it remains dematerialised, the better.”

The woman glowered at the moustached man for a moment before she snatched the egg from his hand and made it disappear.

The man did not give the green-clad woman the chance to retaliate though as he quickly handed her the massive scroll. “Keep it somewhere safe. It should not be left just lying around.”

“You!” She snapped at the man before she snatched the scroll from the man’s hand and stalked out of the room. The [Ship Captain] chuckled as he stood up to follow.

“Where are you going?” He called out. “Let me come with you too!”

0.0

Kiran sat in his room like he did all day these days. He sat within his room and stared at the wall. He sat in his room and thought of his chambermaid. And when he became too excited thinking of her, he usually gave her a visit. Though, he couldn’t enjoy her to his heart’s content these days. He no longer had the Spell [Stimulate] so he couldn’t heal her after enjoying her properly as he had had previously.

Kiran missed those times, he did, but he was satisfied with what he had at the moment. The black-haired man did not regret his decision. At least, he could still enjoy his chambermaid. Whereas if had retained the Spell, he wouldn’t have been able to.

Besides, his possession of the Spell had been temporary anyway. The way his Class had been losing Levels, it wouldn’t have been long before he had lost access to the Spell. At least this way, he had traded the Spell for something that he could use.

Kiran felt his crotch stir and he thought about visiting his chambermaid earlier than usual, but ultimately decided against it. He had yet to have dinner. And if he went there on an empty stomach, he would remain distracted and would not be able to make use of her properly.

Kiran knew it from experience.

The black-clad man glanced outside and closed the door. It was still alit outside as if the evening was dragging its feet. It was not dark enough that Kiran felt comfortable going out. If he went out now, he would be looked at. Stared at. Pointed at. Kiran didn’t want that.

He wanted to live in his room, eat when there was no one around and then go to meet his chambermaid at night. He liked this routine. It gave him everything he needed. He truly didn’t want anything else. He was truly happy. Blissfully happy. So happy.

Maybe if he repeated it enough, he would come to believe it.

Maybe if he repeated it enough, he would no longer be ashamed of being seen.

Maybe if he repeated it enough, he wouldn’t need his chambermaid. Maybe he would be able to not visit her. Maybe he would be able to not make use of her. Maybe he would be able to ignore her.

Maybe.

But that was for later. It was for later and not for today. Today, he was in his room. He would go out to later at night when there would be no one to see him. He would visit the chambermaid. Today he would make use of the chambermaid.

He had paid for her. Yes, he had. She was his. But had to be careful. Yes, careful. He could no longer take care of her. He had to be careful. He needed her to heal. He needed her to heal to use her more. He needed her.

Ting.

Ting.

Ting.

Ting.

-X-

Within a desolate desert, inside a dilapidated shop, on a simple chair, a youth seemingly slept.