Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Greenhouse
"What is that?!"
A long grey haired man panicked at the sight of something moving in dark. He nervously gripped the golden axe in his arms as he looked for any signs of movement.
Unfortunately, he didn't see anything moving, just the normal background he was used to, a clear glass enclosure filled with vegetation and small bugs.
"Am I just tired? Maybe I should take a short break, it's not like anyone would want to come here anyways."
Just as the man lowered his guard and dropped his weapons a strong force took hold of his shirt and lifted him into the air.
"What the hell!"
The man struggled to look down at the person holding him but he could make out a vague figure, a young boy with short purple hair and dark yellow eyes covered in a yellow aura.
"W-who are you? W-what do y-you want?"
The young boy silently pinched his fingers, exerting tremendous pain on the grey haired man, making him gag and spasm in the air.
"Listen to me. This is the greenhouse belonging to Grey Wing, correct?"
The grey haired man shuddered at the boy's voice, contrary to his rather immature appearance the boy's tone was harsh and malicious.
"Y-yes!"
The grey haired man began to sob, leaking tears and turning red as he gasped for air. His eyes bulged well beyond their sockets as small vessels popped.
"So tell me. What exactly has Mitto grown in this garden of his?"
"PIKO! PIKO HELP ME!"
Instead of answering the man desperately shouted with all his remaining strength as he looked to the glass enclosure.
"What?"
The boy turned his head towards the glass enclosure as a small lense came crawling out of his right eye.
In the boy's vision the scanner picked up a strong magic signature from the other side of the glass. It wasn't human but it also wasn't similar to that of a magic animal.
Suddenly a loud crack came from the glass as a large green vine smashed into the wall. To the boy's surprise, the glass now had a light fracture right where it was hit.
"Is that some type of plant?"
The boy threw the man to the ground and pinned him against the wall. A ball of light formed around his fist as he aimed it to the man's pale sweating forehead.
"What's in there? Tell me or I'll kill you."
The man brought his hands up to the air in surrender as he gave up hope, he didn't believe Piko could save him anymore.
"T-That's Piko, it's the plant master M-Mitto grew. I-It's a rare b-breed of human eating p-plants called Lifelinchers."
"Hmm?"
The boy let go of the man and walked up to the glass wall with a curious expression. With the scanner over his eye he quickly analyzed the shattered part of the glass.
"How exactly makes this particular plant so special from the rest of it's species?"
"P-Piko is special b-because it can use p-plant magic to grow and d-develop. Unlike the o-other Lifelinchers which c-cant use magic at a-all."
The purple haired boy smirked as he put his hand against the wall and melted a large part of the glass.
At once, multiple vines sprung from the hidden bush, wrapping themselves around each of the boys legs and arms.
"You'll make a fine pet Piko."
At the end of his sentence his entire body burst out into intense light and fire, burning through the vines, grass and glass like butter.
His small figure causally walked through the previously enclosed cage with no worry whatsoever.
Piko let out a loud shriek of pain as it backed up into the corner of the cage, trying to avoid the flaming human as much as possible.
Upon seeing the plant's true appearance the boy seemed a bit disappointed. "Piko" was as the man said, a Lifelincher.
Lifelinchers are typically a bright green color, they generally have a eggplant shape with a mouth filled with acid to help digest food. Piko was no different, just being slighter bigger at around three meters of height and having more vines than normal at around thirty in total.
"Now how do I get you out of here?"
The boy pondered over it for a few seconds before remembering something he'd forgotten a long time ago.
He flicked his hand and summoned a very strange key. It's dark blue with a symbol of a yellow star surrounded by wisps of blue light.
"I wonder whether this will work on you."
The boy places the key directly on the bare skin of the plant, swatting away any pesky vines in the process.
In Piko's panic at its habitat being destroyed and fire threatening it's safety, it willingly fills the key with it's magic power.
In a few seconds the key links to another key far way from the greenhouse. To the grey haired man's shock, the giant plant once belonging to Mitto disappears right before his eyes.
"So..."
The boy walks out of the burning wreckage with a mocking smile as he looks down at the grey haired man. His hand moves in the grey haired man's direction as he's once again lifted up in the air.
"What do you think I should do with you?"
"P-Please."
The man fought with all his strength as he tried to get rid of the light holding him by the neck.
"I-I promise I'll do a-anything you ask of m-me. D-Don't you want t-to know more about m-master M-Mitto?"
"Well..."
The purple haired boy jokingly scratched his chin as he looked at the man. His delight at the situation made the grey haired man feel a deep sense of fear that made him hesitant to even look at the boy.
"How about I let you off on one condition."
"Y-YES, yes, please I'll d-do anything."
"Why don't you join me and abandon Grey Wing? I promise I'll be able to pay you more than you made doing job requests."
After being stunned for a few seconds the grey haired man quickly nodded with as much of a smile as he could make.
"O-Of course, it would be my p-pleasure to serve s-someone as powerful as y-yourself. May I k-know what to address you g-great l-lord?"
The purple haired boy let out a great burst of wild laughter that sent chills up the grey haired man's spine.
"Of course, my name is Nix. Remember it well, from now on you will be the second member of the guild known as Solomon."
Nix grabbed the grey haired man by the waist as two wings sprouted from his back.
"Oh yes I almost forgot, what is your name?"
The grey haired man took a deep breath and looked Nix in the eyes for first time, "My name is Adam."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone