Pure's Abandoned Essence, Sparse Of Flames

"Yes... just, hurry... she is, ready... uh." The voice of the Carmesí Vermilion Bird was no longer simply majestic and imperious, but completely downcast and without vigor. After she spoke, the Cindy who was still being barely covered by flames into a humanoid flaming figure began to be slowly revealed as the flames surrounding her body began to not dim but rather, to incorporate into her own being. The ashy, grey colored flames and the ordinary but intensely and now powerful red flames slowly disappeared into her as they were all seemingly absorbed from within her heart, while the oval-shaped flamy object that was previously in front of her chest was now nowhere to be seen and only a little, tiny figure's silhouette was visible.

After not that long of a time, Cindy's body slowly began to descend while her eyelids fluctuated every now and then. Seeing her rosy complexion, Yun Beishang had a heavy sigh of relief go on in his chest for a few seconds, after all, he couldn't just trust an AI to say that it was fine to stay in the game for 2 days straight, right? He himself suffered from something similar back at the release of the game itself after all...

"Cindy!" Yun Beishang didn't dwell on anything and, as he still carried the two little wolf cubs and one Rosey on his arms, he dashed at Cindy while the figure in front of her chest who was initially of a bright, blinding red and white color slowly formed into a solid-like materialization. At the same time that it happened, there was a strange sense of connection, of a bond or even a link between two being's hearts. Just like when he, Yun Beishang, used his most beautiful, purest white still not attained essence on Rosey, Tonkia, Irllytia, Tornyllia and even most recently, the bread shop owners' daughters.

As such, though Yun Beishang wanted to touch her himself and feel her warmth, beating heart and breathing skin; he already knew she was more than perfectly fine and that the Carmesí Vermilion Bird exhausted the last of her existence to bestow all of that upon her apprentice.

Step, step! Crrjj!

Yun Beishang reached before Cindy and dragged the soles of his feet on the carmesí desert, passing Rosey's body onto Zyv's lap and as Little Wolfy joined Zyv by sitting on her right shoulder; Yun Beishang's left hand caressed the young girl's face. Her right cheek felt slightly ticklish but also a different kind of warm to that from which she was feeling intensely right now. Cindy slowly but somehow still unexpectedly opened her eyes at that moment and, as her eyes went back to that  azure-lake like green color; instead of having tinges of red on them, they were all being surrounded by two different types of flames at all times.

"..." Yun Beishang became dazed at the simple sight of this, those were her own two innate flames! What a cool fashion design! But as he dumbly gazed at the striking eyes of the little figure on his left, and as Rosey lifted her eyebrows at such a sight, Cindy herself propelled her own body upwards to Yun Beishang and locked his neck with both her warm, soft arms before planting a long peck on his lips. Up in the air, the Carmesí Vermilion Bird's eyes fluctuated at last, some kind of vigor returned to themselves as she gazed at the success of her painstaking, last efforts.

"Yiyiyiya!" At that moment, a sudden call for attention resounded as they kissed like innocent, stupid teenagers; Yun Beishang had a familiar imminent sensation. He looked down below both their chins as he separated from the still dreamy-gazed, warm glance of Cinders; and sure enough, only to find out that there was a little chicken with a silhouette of a tail appearing on its rear. On the other hand, it had a cute but pathetic and little peak as its mouth and its wings were simply laughable.

"Hmhmhm..." Yun Beishang chortled at the sight, and the impish little thing noticed it. But, when the thing saw Yun Beishang, it became dazed instead, before turning completely obedient and even cheeky as it went from enjoying Cindy's chest to leaning against Yun Beishang's body.

Wide eyed, Cindy looked at the damned little thing like she couldn't believe it. Then, she pouted and made a face for a little before her eyes brightened as she looked back up at Yun Beishang who was gently gazing down at the ugly chicken below their chins. "Hmph."

Cindy harrumphed alright, but at the moment she did, as Yun Beishang simply ignored her and treated the little thing like a new toy... it happened.

*PING* Global System Announcement: 'Journeyer' Little Phoenix Maiden has become the owner of the Vermilion Bird Pet and has become eligible for appearing on the Pet Leaderboards! The Bright Sunset Region players will be granted...

After the initial 'typical' announcement of the Bright Sunset Region, its Division and one of its Sub-Divisions being rewarded sounded out, as usual, a baffled Yun Beishang couldn't believe his eyes as the thing was utterly cute but also now kinda shameful to look at. Its description appeared before his eyes as it did with Cindy's, Zyv also similarly blinked, not knowing how to feel; jealousy or relief?

[Vermilion Bird]: (Yun Huo): Type: Vermilion Bird Pet(Sacred Beast), Grade: None, Level: 0, Owner: Little Phoenix Maid. As one of the mythical beasts of the Myriad Beasts Division, the Vermilion used to be in charge of being the Sacred Beast Protector of the Carmesí Vermilion Bird Sub-Division, but it had instead become free of its duty since thousands of years ago after a tremendous sacrificial event. It has now become bounded to you and is capable of slowly growing up into its true power as it continues to grow stronger; it is made from the last bit of almost-being Essence of Pure, the last Carmesí Vermilion Bird Sacred Beast Protector and can be considered its own child.

Attributes: HP: 150, MP: 10,000, Stamina: 10,000, Physical Power: 100, Magical Power: 1,000, Physical Defense: 0, Magical Defense: 45, Hit Rate: 80%, Dodge Rate 0%, Critical Hit Rate: 0%, Pierce Rate: 0%, Attack Speed: 80%, Movement Speed: 35%.

"..." Somewhat speechless, Yun Beishang gazed at it before finally turning his head to look at the cheeky but shy and adverting smiling glance of Cindy, her visage was splendid, but he couldn't take off his eyes off of her for another reason. He said, begrudgingly, "What is this, ah? Is this thing supposed to be our child now? You're stealing from the Carmesí Vermilion Bird, your own mentor! How could you do this, ah?!"

Hearing his oh so serious voice and seeing his deadpan expression, Cindy though for the best and wanted nothing more but to be held and embraced by him at that moment, after keeping Yun Huo away that is. But even then, the poor little and innocent Cindy was already corrupted as a naughty idea flashed across her mind, nothing could stop her as Yun Beishang became dazzled to her craziness. She said in a sweet, shy voice that did not seem to intend to be teasing or just simply as a joke. "Then, what do you say if we make our own then? They can then become friends, ah, in-game I mean. Once they grow up."

"..." Eh, once again, Yun Beishang was speechless. His mind drifted to only his thoughts as he almost cursed out. 'Make one? Eh, wait a minute... 'they'? Just how many do you plan to make me take care of, ah?!'

Lifting his eyebrows, widening his eyes and and inflating his nostrils, Yun Beishang could only hold the dear little chicken on his left palm before backing away. As if just in case she would get preggo with him just standing there close to her, oh no, oh hell no! That was dangerous!

The still lingering warmth on Cindy's was heard as she spoke while pouting and inching closer and closer to himself, "Eh~? Where are you going? Please don't leave, we can wait until marriage, I'm almost 16 so it should be fine next year, right?!"

Seeing her eyes beautifully opened and hoping for a rotund 'yes', Yun Beishang couldn't believe her words, was she trying to pull a fast one on him? 'Hey, I'm already considered a woman, take responsibility!'? Oh, fuck no! But anyways, as he understood she was just speaking out of dizziness, from how tumbling around she was walking with the same hot gaze on her eyes, Yun Beishang went back to her and while looking at the chicken, Yun Huo, skills; he then looked at Rosey who looked back at him as if saying 'so what?'.

One of Yun Huo's skills was practically the same as Rosey, they would basically grow stronger and acquire either another grade or have their skills improved. But in Yun Huo's case, seeing how she didn't had any grade as of right now but was still somehow able to appear on the Pet Leaderboards and taking into consideration how from Lord to the so-called strongest 'Universal' grade were 9 different grades in total and how that skill had only 10 levels; well, it was just easy to understand. At LV20, the thing would gain one tail, at LV40, another. Just like Rosey would gain a petal on top of her head which, now only needed one more level for her fifth petal to start begin to bloom!

As for the rest of the thing's skills, Yun Beishang saw that it was practically a supportive type of pet, much more than the Little Wolf, Cosmic Wolf; of Zyv. Before Cinders could handle her Yun Huo at last, Zyv took it from Yun Beishang's hands as the little wolf cub and the chicken looked at one another, clear sparkles of friendship already forming over just a glance and sniffing of one another. "I LIKE HER!"

As for why did they know it was a 'she'? Pure was a she, and this Yun Huo was basically a kind of incarnation of sorts, but not quite so. Naturally, the little cute and wonderful ugly chicken was a she, ah.

"Enough? I... need to... leave now, before, they see... new God, now let me show you... what the heaviness of being you... is being you." To the Carmesí Vermilion Bird's amusingly weird words, everyone else simply waited for her to continue speaking. And as Little Wolfy wanted to engage in a meeting of sorts with her fellow pet comrade, Cindy took Yun Huo back into her hands as she slightly blushed and went back to Yun Beishang's left side while the rest of Zyv, Little Wolfy and Rosey stayed on his right.

Pure's words, her mentor; however, made her froze in place. She knew, Cinders, as well as her mentor. If anything, this was a goodbye. But even then, it was still a sudden sensation of discomfort on her stomach that Cindy couldn't help it, she looked up above to meet her mentor's eyes and slowly began tearing down a little before calming down slightly.

Pure nodded at her reactions, she didn't need to say anything, Cindy was finally her inheritor and now also the one taking care of the future of the Vermilion Bird's race. Who knows, there might even be the resurrection of the other branches of the Vermilion Bird clan, no longer them being recognized only as 'Carmesí'.

At this point, Cindy took in a deep breath of air and as Yun Huo looked up at the her 'from the past', she said in a low but softest and tiny voice. "Yun Beishang, could you... ah, well, could you just do as she says? I'll be fine, it's... it's just a game after all, it has been fun. Right?"

Looking up at him with her azure-lake like green eyes with flames fluctuating on them, as strange as they seemed they still somehow managed to impact Yun Beishang as he then nodded to her words, not intending to make it more somber or awkward. He simply touched her left cheek this time with the back of his left hand before once again cupping her right cheek with his left palm, before lowering down the three lazy girls on his right and leaving them as he walked forwards after giving his Cindy a nice grip on her little hands.

Step, step, step.

"Haaah, okay Vermilion Bird. What now? That transformation... that you talked about, was it related to 'this'?" As he spoke, Yun Beishang slowly lifted his left and right arms, their pose each was the perfect one for him to hold the bow best suited to himself. And sure enough, his left arm once again had its transformation to that of a gloomy, verdant color along with the design of roots, leaves and simple life energy oozing from it; his right arm similarly once again transformed to that metallic-grey at his hands and fingers while the rest of his right arm all the way to his shoulder wings were transformed into a pitch-black, dark-like abyss with damascus steel patterns, and some claw-like gashes every now and then as small specks of ashy glows rotated around his entire arm.

"Yes! That's it..." Pure's eyes turned brilliant, her wings still hovering up in the air and now fully unfolded, her body began turning bright crimson. Her excited voice then continued to ring at his ears while his arms felt immeasurable power flowing through them into the rest of his body, which was new as he never even felt too much power from them and only the presence of strength. A verdant gloomy bow appeared on his left, it was 2.33 meters large. An arrow with its shaft being pitch-black, dark-like abyss with a spearhead that was of a metallic-grey color but was seemingly 'tainted' by that pure darkness of the shaft and whose other extreme of its body was featherless, appeared once again at his right hand, with a length of 133 centimeters and that was as thick as 6 inches thick.

"Now, shoot me so that I can see the power you've gained, new God!" Her voice was even more fervent, her eyes seemed crazed even, but her will was determined as a slightly weirded out Yun Beishang responded to her 'unique' words of death with a compliance of her request. Moving his body to aim at Pure, he only summoned one arrow from his Essential weaponry. Then, with his eyes growing extremely fierce and extremely calm; time seemed to stop as it did so many times before in his time playing this game.

MPI-SVING!!!! - PUK-BKOM

An insanely, unbelievable sound of the arrow being shot between two spaces of time sounded out, Pure's eyes showed worship and veneration as the arrow exploded in her belly just as soon as she saw it be shot from Yun Beishang's hands, she was not able to react at all!

-333,666.

POH! WHOOOOSH~~!!

There was no Critical Hit, no Pierce Attack as even a MISS wasn't possible even before Yun Beishang had attained his first Essence himself. Now, there was only the sound of air being powerfully shot out from the impact of his improved arrow against Pure's body, as if her body alone was capable of stopping it half-way through her body. And indeed, that just happened, without even needing nor intending to defend herself, Yun Beishang's improved arrow only managed to travel up to the center of her belly before it fully dissipated.

"..." The eyes of Pure that were just then crazed, turned overwhelmingly disappointing. Her gaze was vacant for a long time and it wasn't until only a few minutes later, that she gazed back at Yun Beishang with a fury that was useless to try to describe for as she wanted nothing more but to tear him into little pieces, inside out and squash him into mud over and over again! It was even possible since, a 'Journeyer's' capabilities allowed them to revive. But with her actions, he would indeed suffer enormous pain. That was enough!

Chirp! Chirp! CHIRP!

"You miserable vermin! Useless! Worm!" Venomous words escaped out of Pure's peak as they let out sonic booms out of crystal rage, she looked hatefully at Yun Beishang for a long while before her eyes turning vacant once again. After another few minutes, as there was more and more brightness to the world and as the carmesí paradise of a desert surrounding them became even more intense, she finally spoke once again. "There is no use. It is pointless..."

Gazing up above to the sky with her peak turned to her left, Pure seemed about to cry as her eyes began dripping blood. An incredulously small amount of blood compared to her immense, colossal body while even its appearance was ugly itself, of a brownish and murky red color. "Do it again."

As Pure demanded, her wings once again soared up above the skies, this time they grew immensely to a few tens of kilometers and before long; they went further enlarged than what Yun Beishang had seen before.

Whoosh!! Hwaaah~!

As Pure became bigger, back to its colossal form; she retraced her steps a few tens of kilometers, drifting herself instantly apart from Yun Beishang and company. But her eyes were still deadly set on Yun Beishang's very own eyes.

STOMP~~!

From the distance, the horrifying sound of a stomp resounded, Cindy glanced at Yun Beishang before emitting a panicky yell at him out of exasperation. "Do it again, Beishang! Do it again!!"

'Are you kidding me? I know! I just also know it would be pointless! Fuck!!' Thought Yun Beishang, for as he was fucking done with this quirky ass of a bird. His Essential weaponry had already even dissipated away from his grasp, but seeing the incoming Pure, he let nothing else get to his mind as he was about to command them to come out in the open again.

...