Chapter 127: Green Eyes Behind the Bush

[DING!]

[EMERGENCY QUEST COMPLETE]

[Protect Silvy!]

[Primary Objective fulfilled: Silvy was not taken.]

[Secondary Objective fulfilled: Pursuing Wyverns defeated.]

[SUB-EMERGENCY QUEST COMPLETE]

[First Ascent Advancement!]

[Requirement fulfilled: Level 100 reached and First Ascent completed during the Emergency Quest.]

[Settlement processing...]

[SETTLEMENT CONFIRMED]

Zishan relaxed after seeing the last notification. Then, more followed.

[Rift Steps Mastery increased.]

[Gravitic Anchor Mastery increased.]

’Oh?’ Zishan was slightly surprised. ’It seems like the continuous use of these Skills increased my Mastery over them. Sweet.’

Then, his gaze went to another notification from the System.

[Beast Nurturing Space Upgraded.]

’Right. That upgraded, too, it seems. I’ll check the specific upgrades later on. Right now, I need to know how Silvy is currently doing. System, you better not mess this up with me.’

Zishan shifted part of his attention inside the Beast Nurturing Space.

Silvy was playing.

The little dragon ran around the place while the projections of Zishan and Elinox played with her. She chased one of them for a while, failed to catch it, then changed direction after another one passed nearby.

She looked happy.

Zishan watched her.

Everything that happened outside started because those Wyverns wanted Silvy, while the little dragon herself had spent most of the fight playing inside this place without knowing about any of it.

His chest felt a little heavy, for some reason. He had just met this little dragon not long ago, but the attachment he had for her surpassed that of what he had known to be family on Earth, by far.

’Just keep playing, Silvy...’

He left her alone and pulled his attention back outside.

Ollie, on the other hand, was sleeping.

Zishan glanced at the boy inside Elinox’s barrier and wondered how someone could sleep through all of that. He then looked around the field. "Are we done here right now?"

Ernest had been staring somewhere far ahead with a frown.

"Yes, we are done." He turned toward Elinox. "Clean this all up. Don’t leave any traces."

Elinox nodded.

Before Zishan could ask how exactly she planned to clean an entire battlefield, Wind Mana gathered around him and Ollie, lifting both of them away from the ground.

Zishan looked toward Ernest.

"He has Wind too?"

He had assumed Sound was the man’s main Affinity because of what he had just seen, though Ernest had never actually told him that it was his only one.

"Another one..."

Zishan did not know how many Affinities the Crown Marshal possessed, and he was starting to think asking would only give him another reason to feel poor. Well, he didn’t really need to feel that poor. After all, if he was poor, what would you call those with no Mana Affinities at all? Slum rats?

Below them, Elinox extended one hand.

Gravity soon spread across the field.

The earth shook.

Zishan looked down as the ruined layer of land started rising from the ground. Cracked soil, broken rocks, ruined trees, patches of ice, and the places where the Wyverns had melted all came up together.

His eyes widened a little. ’What is she doing right now? Is this some kind of trick?’

Elinox lifted more.

The damaged upper layer separated from the earth beneath it until a huge section of the battlefield was hanging above the ground.

Then, she turned her hand.

The entire thing flipped.

Zishan watched the ruined surface disappear underneath while the untouched earth from below became the new ground above it.

He stared. ’You can do that with Gravity Mana? If you have Earth Mana, will you also able to do that? It’s just like Earth bending from Earth for some reason. Just on a large scale.’

Wind Mana spread from Elinox next.

Whatever remained on the surface was swept away. Broken branches, scattered rocks, blood, and dirt all gathered toward her before slowly forming into one clump above her palm.

It became smaller as the Wind continued compressing it.

Zishan looked around.

A few minutes ago, several Wyverns had been destroying everything in sight here.

But now? He could barely tell where the fight had happened.

"That is everything left from the battle," Ernest said beside him. "I can do this too, although she’s become more proficient than me when it comes to cleaning an area of any traces of battle."

Zishan looked at Elinox, then glanced at the field again. "Proficient..."

She had just flipped an entire battlefield underground and swept away almost every trace of the fight, yet Ernest made it sound like she had simply gotten better at cleaning.

If that was merely being proficient, he was not interested in finding out what Ernest considered ridiculous.

Elinox finished gathering what remained and flew toward them.

Zishan expected her to talk about the Wyverns or perhaps ask him to bring Silvy back out.

Instead, she looked at him and kept staring long enough for Zishan to start wondering whether something was wrong.

"What?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable for being stared at for a long time.

Elinox’s brows slowly drew together. "You... already completed your First Ascent?"

Zishan blinked. "Yes?"

"When?" Elinox’s face turned serious.

Ernest turned sharply toward him. "What?!"

Zishan looked at him, then at Elinox, scratching the back of his head. "During the fight?"

Ernest’s face became strange.

Elinox stared at him again. "You completed it while fighting the Wyverns?"

"Yes?" he answered.

Zishan did not understand why both of them looked more bothered by this than he had been while actually doing it.

Elinox continued looking at him. "You completed your First Ascent while fighting those Wyverns?"

Zishan nodded. "Yeah. I started it during the fight. It didn’t stop me from moving, so I just kept going."

Ernest stared at him for a few seconds. "You underwent your First Ascent during that fight... and completed it?"

"Yes."

Zishan started feeling a little strange at the way both of them were looking at him. "Why are you both acting like I did something insane? I already finished it."

Elinox turned her face slightly away, though Zishan noticed the faint movement of her shoulders.

His eyes narrowed. ’Is she laughing?’

Before he could ask, Ernest finally said, "We’re going back."

The Wind carrying Zishan and Ollie shifted toward the capital, with Elinox following beside them. Zishan did not complain. After fighting that many Wyverns, undergoing his First Ascent in the middle of it, and then watching the entire battlefield get erased, he had already had enough excitement for one day.

As the capital grew closer, his attention drifted toward the Beast Nurturing Space again, where Silvy was still playing.

The small black dragon ran around after the projections, occasionally flapping her wings when she could not reach one of them fast enough.

Zishan watched her for a while.

’If only you weren’t being hunted by some huge reptiles...’ He paused. ’No. Lizards. Even calling them lizards is mercy. And if those giant lizards weren’t looking for you, I would’ve just let you play outside with us."

Silvy caught the projection of Zishan and climbed onto him.

Zishan felt his chest tighten again. He really did not like seeing her stuck inside the Beast Nurturing Space, even if Silvy herself seemed to be having the time of her life.

’I guess I really need to get stronger.’

His gaze moved around the Beast Nurturing Space, which was filled with green scenery, and very peaceful. Then, he remembered something.

’Where’s Ollie’s projection?’ He could not see him. ’I’m pretty sure I told the System to give Silvy someone to play with. More would be merrier for Silvy, but...’

He searched for another second before giving up.

Silvy was happy.

For now, to him, that was enough.

’As long as you’re having fun.’

Zishan pulled his attention away.

He did not see what happened inside after that.

Silvy stopped running and looked between the two people in front of her. "Papa?"

Then, her eyes moved toward Elinox.

"Mama?" She tilted her head.

The projection of Elinox bent down and patted her head.

"Okay now..." she said. "I guess we’ll have to play again. If you lose, no cupcakes for you."

Silvy froze.

Her eyes widened. "Mamaaaaa!"

The little dragon raised both of her front limbs and started waving them toward Elinox as if she had just heard the most unfair rule ever made.

"Mama! Mama!" She kept pointing toward herself, then toward Elinox.

The projection of Zishan started laughing.

Silvy turned toward him. "Papa!"

Her protest became even louder. She somehow knew what cupcakes were. More strangely, the two people standing in front of her did not behave like simple projections.

They not only looked exactly like Zishan and Elinox, but their voices also sounded the same. Their expressions changed the same way. Even the way they watched Silvy felt far too natural for something the Beast Nurturing Space had created only to keep her company.

Not far from them, someone watched from behind a bush.

A tall young man stood there without making a sound. His green eyes remained on the three of them, and something gentle appeared in them when Silvy complained again.

"Big brother..."

His gaze shifted toward Elinox.

"Big sister..."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"You all never change."

Silvy raised her voice again. "Mamaaaaa!"

The young man’s eyes moved back to her. "You too, Silvy."

He continued watching them and muttered, "Just like Big Brother... you’re still into cupcakes."