Arash walked out of his own haya after cleaning up and getting dressed in a fresh cotton shirt and loose dark gray sweatpants, now prim and proper, with a slight fresh lemony scent. Arash had underestimated the short excursion and didn't prepare well. As such, he spent a total of four and a half days in Tok Silihan's secret hideout without washing himself or changing clothes. A personal record-breaking unsavory 'achievement'. 

 

Now, feeling more confident, Arash was ready to face his boss and Uncle Miles.

 

From the corner of his eyes, he tried to peep at the thin fluttering cloth covering the entrance of Tok Silihan's haya. He could barely see anything since it was somewhat dark inside. Tok Silihan didn't open the window flap to let light and air in, which was quite strange. Without opening the window, the haya would easily become especially stuffy. 

 

Arash paused his step, in a dilemma. Should he go over to Tok's haya to take a look?

 

Arash strained his ears to listen, but no sound came out from the bamboo house. 

 

Maybe Tok is taking a nap. Arash tried to persuade himself. He had been harsh on the old man. True, Tok Silihan was overwhelmingly paranoid, but his intention was good; he cared for Arash.

 

Nah. Just let him rest. Later, let's curry favor and flatter him kaw-kaw(1). Arash nodded and gave himself some encouragement. After all, he was an expert at flattering cranky seasoned oldies. Arash was sure the Spiritual Healer would definitely forgive him. 

 

Arash noticed an adolescent aborigine standing a few steps away quietly. Most probably, he was today's attendant. His expression was quite rich; he tried hard to cover his indignance with a servile attitude. Arash noticed an unmistakable fear and helplessness as well. He must be feeling really sh|tty since the Tok Batin turned up when it was his shift guarding the elder's haya.

 

Once the boy realized Arash was observing him, he quickly placed his hand over his left bare chest n bowed deeply with respect. 

 

Only Elders deserved such a deep bow. 

 

For this boy, the respect he showed to Mr. Arash was genuine and well deserved. Only Mr. Arash could pacify the elderly Spiritual Healer of their tribe. Without Mr. Arash, most of the younger generation would be hanged upside down for random unfounded reasons, their dignity removed. Unlike the upper echelon of the tribe, who reveled in the Tok Batin's presence, the young ones longed for the Spiritual Healer to return to the depth of the forest as soon as possible.

 

Arash smiled good-naturedly and rubbed the young aborigine's tousled head. 

 

"Don't be so nervous, Little Brother. Could you help me with something?"

 

Arash observed a few Soul Energy Particles disentangled from their usual orbit around his palm, where he touched the boy's head. They seeped into the aborigine quietly.

 

The light in the boy's eyes turned mellow. He noticeably looked refreshed. The negativities hovering over his being reduced by a lot. The contradiction was too obvious to ignore.

 

Feeling good and appreciated, the boy smiled sincerely at Arash.

 

"Sure, Big Brother!"

 

Direct contact. Instantaneous absorption. Affected in two seconds. 

 

...

 

Butler Miles rearranged an extra silver cup over a small table. Dainty butter cookies were placed over a piece of flower-patterned doily on a tiny silver plate.

 

"More tea, Young Master?"

 

Alan gave a slight nod while reading a business-oriented book. He expressionlessly leafed through the pages, although his mind was elsewhere.

 

With Butler Miles' help and the latest detection device developed by the main Family, they were able to pinpoint the location with the highest mana density. To their astonishment, they inadvertently found out Arash and the Tribe Leader's whereabouts. It was 1.8 kilometers deep into the ground, 56.7 kilometers towards the northeast hills. They have looked for an opening towards an underground cave through satellite imaging but to no avail. It seemed that the high mana density distorted the satellite's scanning and mapping ability. That was why this place was still preserved well from outside intrusion.

 

Because of that, they had to settle for less. Other areas besides that had the same mana concentration, which was already significantly higher by three times compared to the town areas nearby.

 

Granted, with their abilities, they could just bulldoze everything to reach the location, but to what expense? It was highly likely that the whole tribe will work together to fight them to the death. Even if they won, it will be a very costly win. Because of that, they came to a decision to let things lie for now.

 

A hand was placed on Alan's shoulder.

 

"It's alright, Young Master. I know we have failed many times, but we mustn't give up. Activating your Origin is the most important benchmark before you could officially join the upcoming trial for the Family's heir candidacy. We still have time."

 

"What if I don't have the talent like what everyone is saying?" Alan answered quietly after a short pause.

 

"Never doubt yourself. Late Lady Esme was the best dual-element prodigy of her time, while the Family Head is still the best light-wielder of the Family. There must be something that we overlook."

 

Alan took a deep breath to calm himself.

 

Looks, intelligence, martial arts prowess, strength, business acumen, and mannerism. He was top-notch in all aspects, except that he couldn't awaken his Origin blood. Due to this, he had been shunned by the Family, and cast aside from the main Family business. It has been so many years. Alan had developed an iron indomitable will, thanks to Butler Miles' tutelage.

 

"I have decided. We must pull Arash to our side at all costs. I remembered what the Tribe Leader said. This could be the clue that we missed. Only through Arash, we might be able to have a breakthrough with the aborigine Expert. Plus, Arash's natural charisma will be crucial at the right moment if we are to fight for the heir candidacy placement in the future."

 

"Young Master, how do you plan to persuade him? From my evaluation, this person has high integrity and morality, a very rare trait to be found in the masses nowadays. He might interpret your cause negatively."

 

"I know what he wants. I know his weakness. As long as he helps me obtain what I want, I will provide him with all the resources he needs to find his wife."

 

Alan shrugged nonchalantly as he answered with confidence. He acknowledged that he had been the one pressuring Arash into being his subordinate. Although Arash finally agreed, he knew it wasn't mutual. This time, he will make it right.

 

"My advice is, discuss with him openly. Regardless of whether he agrees or otherwise, he is trustworthy."

 

Alan was impressed with Butler Miles' high evaluation of Arash's character. He nodded slightly after deep contemplation.

 

Butler Miles paused slightly. He turned towards the Bateq's village, as if searching for something. "Mr. Arash is finally on his way. At his pace, he will arrive in six minutes."

 

"Have you checked him out?"

 

"I did. Heartbeat a little high, most probably due to long hours of trekking. However, his overall health degraded somewhat. He is generally in a slightly poor health condition, as opposed to the brimming essence of mana in his body. Most probably, the Expert is progressively channeling the energy to improve his condition."

 

The contradiction signified that Arash might have been seriously injured previously and was nursed back to health by the Bateq Tribe Leader. Without a noticeable healed open wound, the injuries might be internal; in a worst-case scenario, the internal damage might be permanent, reducing his lifespan. An average doctor wouldn't be able to detect much in this wilderness, hence, will only prescribe multivitamins to improve overall health condition.

 

"What did they do in that underground cave for the Expert to willingly impart mana into a civilian who had no blood relation with him? How bad was Arash's condition before?" Alan pondered. 

 

Mana was precious. In this world where deforestations were rampant, mana source was nearly extinct. It was unthinkable for someone to be so selfless. He had thoroughly investigated his subordinate's background; Arash was a pure-bred city-dweller who had no connection with the current aborigine group. His hometown was a few states to the south, with both parents living well off and healthy.

 

"Have you checked the Expert's mana level?"

 

Miles nodded slightly. "Late Stage 2. However, one must not be deceived by what is obvious. I have checked the records from the Family headquarters. The experts in these areas could harness the power of nature, like a Druid. Their personal level did not reflect their true prowess. The strength of a Spiritual Healer is dependent on his connection to the land. This old one guesstimates the Tok Batin might be slightly above me. He has the home-ground advantage."

 

Alan coughed his tea, slightly shocked by his butler's high evaluation of the rude Tribe Leader. 

 

Specialists were categorized by the amount of mana they could manipulate. They were then segregated into stages, where stage 1 Specialists could subdue ferocious animals without the usage of firearms, and Stage 2 and above would be able to exhibit inhuman strength and abilities against monstrous entities.

 

Who was Miles?

 

Alan had heard his name since he was a toddler. Although he wasn't clear of Miles' personal background, he knew that Miles had been an accomplished Specialist in the family for years. He wasn't always a butler. When his mother and siblings passed, his father decommissioned Miles from the fields due to severe injuries and reinstated Miles into a new position; as his personal butler and protector. Although his ranking had dropped, he was still considered an upper mid-rank Specialist. There were less than fifty in the Corporation. The lower ranks were in the thousands.

 

"Interesting, interesting. Who knew one could meet a stage 5 Specialist equivalent Expert in this remote area. This Arash has great luck to be favored by the Expert like this." Alan chuckled with interest.

 

Arash arrived just in time after Alan commented on his subordinate's extraordinary luck; his breathing was steady, and his eyes were determined. 

 

Butler Miles took a step and stood in front of Alan with a serious look, much to Arash's confusion. He had been very friendly and accommodating an hour ago. 

 

"Hello, Uncle Miles, Boss Alan." He smiled gently and nodded to them in greeting. Seeing their stoic expression, maybe he had interrupted during a crucial time? He did make an appointment, though.

 

The little pulses around him didn't show any abnormal behavior. 

 

Ah, the range wasn't right. 

 

Arash took a few more steps forward before some Soul Energy Particles flew away from his body and entered both the old butler and his own boss. His actions made Uncle Miles tense up slightly. As he righted his posture, Alan stood up and placed a hand over the butler's shoulder, reminding him to calm down. Although clueless about the confrontation, Arash could clearly see Uncle Miles was treating him like a potential enemy all of a sudden.

 

Did he notice the Soul Particle Energy?

 

If Uncle Miles did, he would've reacted during their first encounter an hour ago.

 

Feeling nervous internally, Arash gave an apologetic smile to smoothen the tense situation.

 

"Am I intruding? Shall I come back a little later?"

 

Uncle Miles took a deep breath and adjusted his breathing before he returned to his gentle behavior. It was unknown which was more effective; Arash's willful little pulses or Boss Alan's pat on the shoulder.

 

"Apologies, Mr. Arash. I thought I saw something a little disturbing just now." Tok Silihan bowed slightly as he smiled unnaturally. He took a step back and stood behind Alan, who was sipping tea like usual. Arash felt goosebumps appearing on his arms and quickly looked back only to see emptiness. He was partially relieved, partially confused. However, he didn't push the subject and stood awkwardly in front of the duo.

 

"Have a seat, Arash. Have some tea. Today's brewed tea is infused with organic camomile. The cookies are handcrafted by an artisan in Germany, gluten-free. Quite acceptable. You should try some. I didn't know Miles would bring them over."

 

Like a typical prodigal son spoiled with riches in Korean dramas, Arash's boss languidly introduced high-end tea and cookies to him. Arash was trying his best not to roll his eyes, which would be really impolite. He was here to apologize first and discuss properly, second. 

 

Arash sipped some tea. His eyes brightened with the delicate aroma.

 

"Before anything else, I apologize for deviating from our preexisting plans, Boss. It was truly not my intention. Some matters were out of my control. I, too, am very helpless in this situation. Sorry!" 

 

...