Earth-Fire Giant

"So, Annabel… Do you know what I just realized?" Mason turned to her and said.

"What did you just realize, master?"

"I just realized that If I kill that monster I will level up to Mortal Rank 9 immediately, and also develop perfect spiritual roots! Why don't you help your old master put some of this dirt on his face so he can't be seen…"

"Yes, I will make you a dirty man, master!"

Mason smiled as Annabel came over and began putting some dirt on his face. He made sure to do this after the scout left the perimeter. The wind a second ago was disturbed by the movement of a nimble person. Without a domain, Mason perceiving this change would normally be impossible, but he had been alive for 200,000 years! He was practically a walking knowledge bank with a soul that increased his computational capabilities.

"So, thank you for putting dirt on my face Annabel… It feels quite good when you do it. However, I got to ask you… Why did you kiss me so much when you thought I was under your control?"

Annabel sighed as she rotated and spun and carefully applied the dirt to his cheeks. Once the muddy dirt was off her hands, she looked at her master and reminisced with a feeling of regret and remorse.

"Well, if you fell in love with me, I would've had a more powerful vessel when I created low-grade entity pills. It was unfortunate, but my training forbid I was nice to my captives…"

"Ugh, I hate people who do things like that to such beautiful women! Making them fall in love with lots of men… I was definitely the first person you captured right?"

Annabel giggled and shook her head. "Huh, my master wishes to know if there was anyone else… Did master develop feelings for me after receiving my preparation…" she imagined that anyone would have a hard time not falling in love with her, but then an air of maturity presented itself around Mason.

"Kid," he said with a deep voice, "Not even the seductress of Heaven could get me to fall on my knees for her… You, such a beautiful lady, didn't have the power to influence my soil…"

Annabel giggled before she patted him on the back. "Heh, I knew my master was something else! Now… aren't you going to ask me the same question?"

"What do you mean? Like… you wouldn't fall in love with such an old fart!" Mason still didn't really get a chance to look at his new body in the mirror. In a way, he still perceived himself as the same supreme man, but she could only laugh.

"Master… you can't be anymore than eighteen years old! I was so intoxicated by you, and I regretted that I was going to have to kill you! Luckily, master completely fooled me, and even put the hypnotic salt on my food… Notwithstanding, you really did do everything I said quite well…"

"Yes, now… I think I should stop having this boring conversation with you, and I go inside the cave. After all, I don't need love at my age!"

"Master… you're eighteen!"

"I'm not eighteen… you're at least 199 thousand years younger than me…"

"But… even if you're old… you were my first vessel I almost ever made… Now, don't be too brave in there! Go get them you dirty man!"

Mason laughed recalling some of the things that Annabel made him do to fall in love with him. There was washing her back, combing her hair, and even grinding his own poison. To him, at this moment, she was already a precious but ordinary shrub in his garden in this new life. He'd tend to her with all the resources he could muster, and if anyone messed with this ordinary shrub, then their bodies would be fertilizer for her growth.

"Alright! I'll be back… Hopefully, your master's system will give him a better quest than nearly killing himself!"

Annabel had no idea what the man was talking about, but he ran with a profoundly quiet and sneaky step into the cave. After seeing his shadow disappear, she turned around and noticed a few figures lurking in the forest.

….

Mason proceeded to the back of the cave as sparks and fire unraveled like a salvo from ships.

The cave was somehow light enough for him to see. It was full of remnant blue and white flames with a few burning rocks in various places. This could only mean these flames had reached a molten burning temperature.

Such high heats were possible for any creature at level 5 or higher that had a fire breathing capacity. The burning and flickering flames made him feel completely terrified, but extremely focused. After all, trying to get the final kill on such a beast would even scare a god who was turned into a mortal.

He turned and entered a forking path only trusting the fires and the clicking and clanging of battle. He began to hope his system would finally do something!

[Ding! New Quest is available…. Kill the level 5 earth-fire draconic giant…]

[Mission Quest info is self-explanatory… Avoid being seen and strike the beast in the head…]

[Quest difficulty: A-]

[Quest reward: 50 Pinnacle Points, Essence devouring posture (enhances spiritual root development to the pinnacle level), gift basket…]

[Would you like to accept the quest?]

"Yes!"

[Ding!]

[Host has accepted a nearly suicidal quest… Please proceed with caution….]

"Alright… will do, thank you!" Mason said with a sarcastic reply before he entered the territory. He felt the heat and displeasing qi as it spread into the area in which he skulked and tread. It was just a few feet away form the soldiers in their torn and beaten up armor. Ahead of them, was two fierce monsters going head to head while maintaining two fierce blasts.

Their blasts shifted back and forth as Mason scaled the wall and began recalling his training on his first planet. Once he was saved from being a grave robber, he became a thief, and this led to him being an assassin, and that led to him killing lots of people for resources.

Of course, every cultivator had to take the lives of others, but he did it for a noble reason. He used to be a royal ninja of the eternal government, and his job was to steal from bad people.

Right now, though, it was not time to begin wasting time thinking about his past life. It was time to stab down on this demon beast.

'As light as a feather, to death we deliver an eternity of bliss…'

He repeated the mantra of his old clan called the Nelia and fell down from the rocks.

The man and the dragon were still fighting before he received a prompt from his system.

[Ding! Host has learned new passive skill… examine!]

[Would you like to examine the stats of this beast?]

He was in mid air as the system prompt appeared in his mind. He couldn't believe the systems timing and saw that old fart laughing in the next universe as he practiced for their game.

"No, not right now system!"

He reached the monsters head and stabbed down into it. When he arrived, a mere spark flew of the monster's head before it tried to look up and roared. Once this was witnessed by Orland, he could see this as his chance to strike dead the powerful demon. He jumped off the spot he was in like an overstrung arrow and tilted then swung his sword into the monster's head. Sticking and clanging against it flesh it burst through. The monster could only fall down causing Mason to roll off its head.

"Hah, what a brave maneuver! Thanks for the assist, Mason…"

Mason skidded against the ground and landed away from the beast…

[Ding!]

[Your luck stat has increased by 4 points!]

[It is recommended that you try out your new skill examine!]

"No thanks system… you totally stole my chance to hit it in the eye… I hope you don't do this again…"

[Ding! System is adjusting setting to not surprise host anymore… It seemed this was the default setting, however, luckily system can change setting according to masters wishes…]

[However, please consider examining the beast….]

"Not right now system… Orland is here, and I need him to grab the core so I can develop my spiritual roots!"

…..

"Well, that was a tremendous battle! If it wasn't for you, I might have had to leave without examining this monsters' stomach…"

Mason nodded his head before he walked up to the monster.

When he did, he noticed a slight feeling of breathe and immediately leaned his hand against it.

"Yes, it's such a shame!" He could only laugh before he stuck his daggers into the monster's eye sockets into its head.

[Ding! Host has killed the earth-fire draconic giant, and gained + 10,000 experience…]

[Host has leveled up to Mortal Rank level 9]

[Ding! Host has also completed quest and gained 50 pinnacle points, one gift basket, and the essence devouring posture…]

[System would also like to point out if you used examine… you would've seen this monster was alive…]

Mason giggled at the system's comment; Orland then cut through the monsters big, round and hairy stomach to grab an ordinary looking marble in the center of its chest. Once he pulled out this fine, refined and remarkable little marble, he could only with hesitation throw it over to Mason. His next steps were a disgusting journey into the inner chambers of the monster…

IF he found Higgins inside of this monster, his life would be over, and his town would be destroyed.

"Mason… go take that marble and begin forming your spiritual roots… I'll meet you outside in a few minutes"

"Okay, have fun in there!" Mason said before he passed the bodies of the guards. They looked to be soundly asleep, and were probably knocked unconscious during the battle. In the battle, they were most likely used as decoys so that Orland could get a good hit in.

"Hmm, luckily you two are still okay… I will make you two some healing pills once I'm out of this tunnel…"

He grabbed them and put them on his shoulder, and then noticed Annabel appeared to be missing…