Chapter 31: Outing
(19 days to go before the 'Test'. Just what the hell is this 'Test'?)
Sou laid silently on his bed, his room lit by the elegant moonlight.
(It's the middle of the night yet I can't get a wink of sleep.)
Sou tilted his head towards his room's balcony.
"I guess I will take a 'stroll'..."
Sou got up from his bed and headed towards the balcony. he looked up at the sky and smiled faintly.
"Drago."
<Yes, Master?>
"Where is the closest dungeon?"
<It is quite far from here but it should not take more than 10 minutes for us to reach it. Are you planning to clear the dungeon?>
Fwoosh!
Sou's body disappeared from his balcony and now it was high up in the enchanting night sky. The moon shone beautifully at Sou relaxed and smiling face. Drunk in the night's furious beauty, Sou spoke in an ecstatic and relaxing tone.
"How can I not show this enchanting night sky what I am capable of?"
<Flirting with the sky I see...>
"Heh."
Shaa~
Though there was no trace of Sou's shadow in the air, his shadow appeared below him out of nowhere and fluctuated to an extreme degree, showing the signs of Devil's Summoning.
"RO-"
"Be quiet you fool! Do you wanna wake up the whole of Zicrus?!"
"I am sorry Master."
"Whatever. Let's go."
Sou stood over the majestic silver scales and the grand beast flapped his wings gently but surely enough to give them a speed boost.
"Uwaa~ Nothing beats the nightly breeze."
"Are you enjoying yourself, Master?"
Mary released herself from Sou's shadows along with the others, Kakund included.
"More than you can imagine."
"We are glad to hear that."
"Umm... Master?"
"What is it Kakund?"
"Can I go back to my Dragon form?"
"No."
"But why?!"
"You want people at our tail?"
"But I am sure people have noticed sir Drago's presence and are already witnessing him as we are speaking. So it should not hurt to add another Dragon."
"Why are you so insistent?"
"..."
"?"
"Because I am afraid girls will flock around me if I stay in this form..." Kakund's cheeks turned red from embarrassment and he tried to hide his face in a fidgety manner.
Veins became at the side of Sou's forehead.
(What are you, a girl?!)
... is something he wanted to say but did not.
"You are prohibited from fighting inside the dungeons we will be running for a week."
"Wha-"
"You are prohibited to object."
"Master is quite harsh."
"What? You were here too, pipsqueak?"
"Oi! I am older than you! Call me big sister Junko." Junko tried her best to flaunt her elegance but failed miserably.
"You may be older than me but..." Everyone's gazes who were on board on Drago's scale shifted to Junko's chest.
"Don't worry Lady Junko. Your time will come." The voluptuous Mary consoled the flat-chested Junko.
"Oh... you unlucky child..." Sou's words and face were alike- showing genuine sadness.
"Don't worry brat! Your growth spurt hasn't started yet." Drago said in an encouraging tone.
"It has started, hasn't it?!"
By the way, Junko is 13 years old, so technically, her growth spurt has already started.
"Lady Junko, I am on the same boat as you."
May was the same as Junko.
***
"We are here, Master."
"That was the longest 10 minutes of m life~," Sou said stretching his muscles.
"Shall we go, Master?"
"Mmhm."
[20 minutes later]
(Anther good harvest. I levelled up twice in this dungeon.)
"Status."
NAME- SOU REYNOLDS
AGE- 10
EQUIPPED TITLE(s)- DESTROYER, DOMINATOR
LVL- 202
HP- 83000
MP- 82000
STRENGTH- 56900 (+)
AGILITY- 60500 (+)
WISDOM- 57000 (+)
ENDURANCE- 56800 (+)
ADRENALINE- 67800 (+)
EXP POINTS- 60000
(The wisdom stat is not too much affected by levelling up? Now that I think about it, I won't be given any points after I clear the test.)
"Haa... I have to bury my face in a pile of books... What a pain..."
Sou thought for a while looking at the frame before closing it without doing anything.
(Let's not waste any points now. I will use up all of my points before the test. For now, let's focus on levelling up and accumulating points.)
"Now, to the next one."
"You still want to run dungeons, Master?" Junko asked playfully.
"We have something big coming up so I want to get stronger as much as I want to become as strong as I can before that."
"What is that 'thing', Master?"
"That is something we will know when the time comes."
"Understood."
(Come to think of it, can I use my servants in the test?)
{No, you cannot}
(Guessed so...)
"Drago, you will clear the next one by yourself, so find a challenging one."
A handsome man, much more handsome than Kakund's human form and Sou, exited the dungeon and the gate closed.
Walking closer to Sou, he winked at the ladies.
"Tch. Big guy flaunting his looks."
Though Kakund wanted to mutter under his breath, he was an idiot who got no self-control. Thus, his words were heard loud and clear by all.
"Hoh... Someone's fuming with jealousy." Sou mocked Kakund.
"Kakund, don't worry. You will also have a chance... in your dreams. Hahahaha!"
"Nice one Drago! Haha!"
All of them laughed while Kakund steamed in rage and embarrassment and was almost brought to tears. It was a joyous moment.
(Thank God they were able to manifest their original forms now instead of that silver forms. I can finally see them as my own rather than beasts and shadows.)
After 10 months of his departure from Krion, Devil's Summoning went through a change, and that change was the manifesting of their original forms before becoming a summon.
"Haha! Your face looks so funny!"
"Lady Junko, please don't tease Sir Kakund too much."
"Then why are you also grinning?"
"Hah! Exposed!"
"How can I not grin?"
"You-"
Ahem!
That surprised everyone and they all looked towards Sou.
"We are tight on time. We have to reach home before the sun rises. Let's move."
"Master's no fun."
"I don't wanna be fun."
"Tch."
***
Boom! Boom!
This was their 7th dungeon and it was the quickest one. The party emerged from the dungeon.
"Let's call it a day."
"Yay! Finally!"
"Even though you are older than me, you are mentally younger than me."
"That one hurt, you know?"
"That was my purpose."
"Haa... the mood's ruined now."
Sou turned his head towards everyone and opened his mouth.
"Good work everyone! Be sure to rest well!"
Everyone, including the other summons, bowed to Sou in loyalty and disappeared into his shadow.
Sou shifted his gaze towards the sky. The moon was nowhere to be found and the sun has woken from its sleep, brightening every nook and corner of the world. Sou basked in the gentle morning rays.
"Well, time to do my work."
***
"W-W-Who are you?!"
"Hmm... this is good..."
Tap...
The steps of the bloodthirsty kid who wore the bloodied face etched deep inside the man cowering in fear.
"The shopkeeper of a weapons shop... Mr Lime, right?"
"How... how do you know me?"
"So I was right..." The boy licked the red-stained fingers with delight. The golden gleam in his eyes seemed to dictate the ecstasy he was feeling on getting the blood of a young woman on his hands.
"D-Don't come any closer!" Mr Lime, the shopkeeper, crawled backwards in terror but it didn't stop the quenching presence in front of him.
"That woman... it was really good to see that woman shivering in fear and wheezing while chanting your name... but at the end, she didn't resist and I dug a hole in her stomach and tore in her half."
"Eek!"
There was no sorrow in Lime's eyes nor did he mourn for his wife's death. But he was terrified by the impending doom.
"What did I do?! What did I do to you that you are so bent on killing me?!"
He wanted to save his own skin. He wanted to run away.
(Heh... this is great.)
"What did you do huh... well..."
The boy took another step towards Lime and ignited a Flame Blade in his hands.
And that's when Lime realized it.
"Nothing~ I just want to kill you~"
Schwing!
The blood gushing out of the cut head of Lime showered on Sou like a graceful rainfall. He bathed in it with satisfaction.
"Haha... time to head back now."
The psycho's day ended like that.
***
"...Eve huh..."
The man watching the scene from the rooftops quietly took his leave.
***
-- Gift
received