97-106
97 CHAPTER 96- TALK ABOUT DUAL CULTIVATION
"So how do I… how do I do the soul cultivation? Help me with it," Zach asked with a serious look on his face. "Let's do it together."
Aria's face flushed after hearing that.
Zach raised his brows in confusion and asked, "Why are you— Are you blushing?!"
"Do you even realize what you just asked me?"
"I said help me out with the soul cultivation," Zach repeated himself.
"And do you know what two people cultivating together means?" Aria asked curiously.
Zach pondered for a while and finally realized what Aria was referring to.
"Does that mean…" Zach formed an 'O' with his finger and thumb in his left hand. And inserted the finger of his right hand into that 'O'.
"Am I guessing correctly?" Zach asked while repeatedly inserting his finger in and out of the 'O'.
Aria nodded violently and said, "It's called dual cultivation."
"Oh…" Zach stared at Aria's face for a while and uttered, "Well, if that's going to make me strong, then let's do it."
"No way!" Aria retorted and said, "You already have Victoria and Aurora. Ask them."
"Yeah, but they are normal humans." Zach let out a deep sigh and uttered, "You know, I had sex with Victoria because I used to think she didn't love me. I wanted to confirm her love."
"You… asked a girl to sleep with you only to confirm her love?" Aria asked as she shook her head in disbelief.
"I know I sound like a jerk, and I was. But I am changing… slowly…" Zach rolled his eyes and said, "My point was that when I went home after having sex with her, I told my mother about it, and she told me the risk of powerful beings mating with humans."
"That's true…"
"After that, I felt guilty, and I was worried that something would happen to Victoria because of my selfishness. So I didn't go to school the next day. However, I recently found out that she didn't go to school either, and that was one of the reasons she wanted to break up with me."
"I truly don't know who is at fault here," Aria remarked.
"So I can't do dual cultivation with them. While you are the same as me, so we can do it," Zach responded in a calm voice.
"Wait…" Suddenly, Zach raised his brows with a confused and curious look on his face and said, "Does that mean I can't even have normal sex with them?"
"You can, but you can't release your essence inside them, or it would be like adding acid into the balloon rather than the water," Aria asserted. "However, you can feed them your essence."
Zach furrowed his brows and asked, "Well, you sound very knowledgeable about it."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You are old, right? Like tens of thousands of years old?" Zach asked. "Did you have someone? Like a lover or… you know…"
Aria scoffed with a sigh and said, "I am not the type of person who can love someone."
"I used to think the same for me," Zach muttered under his breath.
After a brief silence, Zach looked at Aria and asked, "So… are we going to do it?"
"No way!"
Zach shrugged his shoulders and uttered, "I expected as much. I can't imagine us doing that. It feels… unimaginable— is that a word?"
Aria frowned her face, and she was a little disappointed after hearing that.
"You know…" Aria glanced at Zach from the corner of her eyes and said, "I am your servant, so you can order me to do it if you truly want to."
"Nay." Zach shook his head and said, "I am not a monster."
Aria chuckled after hearing that and said, "Sometimes I regret having you as my master."
"Only sometimes?" Zach asked with a surprised look on his face.
"You know, if our roles were reversed and I was your master, I would have made you do many unspeakable things," Aria asserted with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Like?"
"Umm…" Aria pondered for a while and said, "Like 'Assault Aurora in her sleep' or something."
"Wow…" Zach was left speechless after hearing Aria's comment.
"Did you just imagine yourself assaulting Aurora in her sleep?" Aria asked with a wide grin on her face.
"I didn't!" He actually did imagine that, and he felt guilty.
"Well, I was half-joking. Aurora is my friend, and I wouldn't do anything to make her hate me," Aria asserted. "But I do want her to hate you so I can have my revenge for all the humiliation you have—"
"Yeah, yeah." Zach sighed and said, "Now, is there any other way for soul cultivation?"
"Hmm…" Aria pondered for a while and said, "It depends on your soul core. Show me your life tree."
"Sure. But… how do I do that?"
"You really don't know anything, huh?" Aria stared at Zach in disbelief.
"For your information, I stopped my training at the age of seven after my father died. My mother asked me to live as a normal human, and so I did."
"If you had achieved your current knowledge when you were less than seven years old, then it's honestly commendable. And I mean it."
"Uhh… thanks?"
Aria jumped off the throne and landed in the center. Then, she reached her hand towards Zach and said, "Come."
Zach was taken aback by the situation. It reminded him of the first time he met Aria. Precisely, he recalled the scene where Aria asked him to join her.
Just like that time, Aria was inviting Zach to join her.
The red moon in the sky, the dripping lava from the stones that were hovering in the sky, and the river of the lava flowing around. Her white hair, red eyes, beautiful black nightgown, and a gentle smile on her flushed face.
Of course, this scene was nowhere similar to the time when Zach met Aria, but Zach was hit with the same feeling.
He was feeling charmed by Aria.
'If you ever saw my real beauty, you would forget all the girls and submit yourself to me.' Zach remembered what Aria had told him about her beauty.
'Well…' Zach jumped and held Aria's hand before landing on the ground. He smiled at her and thought, 'She wasn't lying about that.'
Aria furrowed her brows and uttered, "Why are you smiling at me like that? It's creepy."
'Nevermind. I take that back,' Zach groaned inwardly. 'Her personality is still the same.'
Zach let go of Aria's hand and asked, "What now?"
"Have you seen your life tree before?" Aria asked with a curious look on her face.
Zach shook his head in response and said, "I have created a skill tree and class tree. But not a life tree."
"However, by the name of it, I guess the life tree includes everything of my body and power?" Zach wondered with a curious look on his face.
Aria slightly nodded before saying, "The life tree indicates your entire life. Its roots show how strong your body foundation is. Its trunk shows how strong your base is. Its branches show your powers, and the leaves on the branches show the limit of your powers. There are also flowers, and fruits, that show the health of your body."
"Wow. What about the soul?" Zach was genuinely surprised.
Aria stared at Zach for a while and uttered in a solemn voice: "The tree itself is your soul."
"Okay…" Zach pondered for a while, "So I awakened by soul powers a while ago. Does that mean my life tree would start to grow now?"
"Yes and no." Aria sighed and said, "You had a life tree before because you have a soul. But now that your soul powers have awakened, the tree will rapidly grow, and so will your power.'
"So I have to learn soul cultivation to increase the capacity of the tree, right?" Zach asked. "Because I don't have enough juice (water/soul power) to water the life tree?"
"Exactly!" Aria clapped her hands and said, "But first, I need to see your domain."
Zach knitted his brows and asked, "Are you sure? Because we are currently in your domain. There is a chance that your domain will get destroyed, you know?"
"Just do it."
"Alright." Zach closed his eyes and joined both his hands together. Then, he raised the first two fingers of both hands and started chanting something.
Suddenly, Aria's entire domain was covered in a shadow, and everything turned dark.
However, the shadow shattered after a second.
Zach opened his eyes while saying, "It's not working—"
He stopped when he saw Aria on her knees. Her entire body was shaking as though she was trembling in fear.
She saw something in Zach's domain that scared her.
***
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===
Thanks, @devlincross, for the awesome gift!
98 CHAPTER 97- CLASS AWAKENING
"What happened?"! Zach asked with an anxious and concerned look on his face. "Are you scared?"
"No." Aria stood up and said, "I just caught a glimpse of the creatures who blessed you. And they were in their ugliest form possible. Although I didn't see the god you were walking about."
"Oh, that does sound disgusting."
Aria let out a weary sigh and uttered, "I give up. I can't find a way to access your life tree."
Zach placed his hand on his chin and pondered for a while.
"What if…" Zach looked at Aria and said, "What if I reverse track my life tree with the help of the skill tree and class tree?"
Aria shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Go ahead and try it."
Zach opened his menu and used Aria's blessings to change his secondary class to the crafter.
'Only crafter class can access my skill tree and the class tree because I used them to create them.'
Zach kept trying for a while, but all his attempts failed.
"Tch!"
Annoyed and frustrated after several attempts, he clicked his tongue and mixed his skill tree with the class tree.
[Congratulations! You have acquired an awakening class!]
Zach raised his brows in confusion and opened his menu to see his secondary class had changed even though he shouldn't be able to change it for the next 24 hours.
"What's wrong?" Aria asked with a curious look on her face.
"I got a new class… an awakening class…" Zach replied while stuttering on his words.
"What's the name of the class?"
Zach turned to Aria with a baffled look on his face and uttered, "Alchemist."
Zach mixed his skill tree and class tree, which resulted in merging all his classes with his skills.
Of course, he had tried merging his classes before, but it had never worked.
However, Zach's soul powers had awakened now, which was why he was able to merge his classes.
The Alchemist class was a mixture of Healer, Crafter, and Mage classes.
Zach could now heal, craft, and use magic without changing his class.
"That's great, right?" Aria uttered with a smile on her face. "So why do you look upset?"
"I am not upset. I am just… I wonder if I can still make the potions or not," Rudy uttered in a low voice. "I probably can, but…"
Rudy assumed that he lost all of his class skills because his class had merged. He thought he lost his DT skill, which was the most beneficial skill for him.
Of course, his DT skill wasn't a class skill, so changing classes wouldn't affect it. However, Zach had merged all the skills with the class tree.
"What's wrong?" Aria asked again.
"I am worried that this class awakening might have affected my DT skill," Zach responded in a calm voice.
"Does it still show in your stats menu?" Aria asked with a curious yet calm look on her face.
Zach nodded and said, "Yeah."
"Then how about you try using it?" Aria suggested.
"Here?" Zach glanced around and said, "But there are no monsters here."
Aria chuckled from the corner of her lips and said with a grin on her face: "Did you forget what you called me when we met for the first time?"
Zach had called Aria a monster.
"What does that have to do…" Zach stopped on his words when he realized what Aria was suggesting.
"Wait, are you asking me to use my DT skill on you?!" Zach exclaimed.
"Yes."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Zach shouted. "You do know that my DT skill obliterates anything I touch, right?"
"Yes, I do." Aria nodded and said, "But you said you want to control your DT skill and use a specific amount of MP. And I can't think of a better way."
"What if I fail? You will die."
"So be it." Aria furrowed. "If you don't want me to die, then learn to control it."
That reminded Zach of his childhood training, where his master forced him to do many risky things. That was one of the reasons why he never backed off in any of his commitments.
Moreover, his risky nature was the reason that Zach met Aria.
If he hadn't thought of going past floor five and risked his life, he wouldn't have reached floor ten and cleared it.
His one choice would have changed his fate and hindered his development. If he hadn't met Aria, he wouldn't have fought her. And Aria wouldn't have given Zach her blessings to change classes.
Zach was remembering everything because if he used and failed to control his DT skill on Aria, she would die.
"What level are you on, and how much HP do you have?" Zach asked so he could calculate the amount of MP he needed to use with his DT skill.
"I am level 29, and my HP is 25000," Aria replied honestly.
"So I will use 24 MP with my DT skill, and that will deal 24000…" Zach uttered in a low voice.
Zach placed his hand on Aria's chest— between her bosom and asked, "If… you die, will you be able to come back here again?"
Aria shook her head and said, "Most likely no. So if you mess this up, this will be our last time seeing each other."
When Zach had stabbed Ameria to confirm she was Aria, he hadn't killed her. She still had some HP left. Then, Aurora had healed her the next day.
"You are giving me second thoughts now…" Zach muttered under his breath. However, because he was close to Aria, she heard him.
Aria scoffed softly and said with a grin: "What, are you worried about me?"
"I am." Zach nodded. "Is that weird?"
The grin from Aria's face vanished as she said, "Didn't you want to get rid of me? This is your best chance."
Even though Aria was acting tough from the outside, she was scared from the inside. Not because she would die in the game if Zach failed, she was scared because if Zach failed, she would never get to see him again.
"What are you talking about?" Zach furrowed his brows at Aria and said with a solemn look on his face: "You are my party member. I am not going to let you go so easily."
"Don't worry too much about it," Aria said with a wry smile on her face. "If I die now or in the future, you can visit me anytime in the real world once you have beat the game."
"I don't know where you live," Zach replied in a disdainful tone.
"Then maybe I will visit you. I am powerful enough to sense you from my purgatory."
Zach chuckled and said, "How are you going to introduce yourself to my family? As my wife?"
Aria bit her lips and said, "I am regretting being your servant."
Zach scoffed and said, "Tell me something new."
"If I was your master instead, I would have messed with you and teased you on every chance I had gotten. But now, I am stuck as your servant, and you don't even use your authority over me."
Zach frowned his face and said, "If you truly want me to order you, then here is your order…."
Zach pressed his hand on Aria's chest and continued with a serious look on his face: "Don't die."
After saying that, Zach closed his eyes and used his DT skill on Aria.
Once he was done, he was scared to open his eyes to see the results.
"..."
He didn't want to see Aria turning into ashes.
"Are you going to open your eyes or not?" Aria commented.
Zach sighed in relief after hearing Aria's voice and opened his eyes.
"It worked…?"
"I have 100 HP left, so yes, it worked," Aria replied with a grin on her face.
Zach was so happy that he hugged Aria without thinking of anything else.
Aria's face immediately flushed like never before.
'This is the first time in my life a boy has hugged me…'
'Oh really? Does that mean I am your first?'
'Yeah…' Aria stopped when she realized she was talking with Zach using telepathy.
She pushed Zach and made some distance between them.
"Don't listen to my thoughts!" she yelled.
"I wasn't listening. Your voice automatically sounded in my mind," Zach responded with a shrug.
"Enough!" Aria frowned her face and said, "Now heal me!"
Zach knitted his brows and uttered, "That's not a way to talk with you, master."
Aria rolled her eyes and said with a sigh: "Heal me, master."
Zach shook his head in disbelief and healed Aria to her maximum health.
"It does feel amazing to be able to craft, heal, and use magic at the same time without changing any classes."
Zach stared at Aria and kept staring at her because she was smiling for some reason.
"What are you staring at me for?" Aria asked with a grin on her face.
"You said I am the first boy who has ever hugged you in your life, but you are tens of thousands of years old. So…" Zach shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's kind of hard to believe."
"What's your story, by the way?" Zach asked with a curious look on his face.
"It's nothing interesting."
Zach squinted his eyes and said, "I order you to tell me your story."
***
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0 new players logged in.
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===
Author's Note- How would you like to see Zach use his Alchemist class?
99 CHAPTER 98- FAMILY BRAWL
"I order you to tell me your story."
"That's not fair~!" Aria groaned. "Fine. I will tell you, but first, promise me that you won't get angry."
"Why would I get angry at your story?" Zach asked with a puzzled and confused look on his face.
Aria was scared to tell her story to Zach because she was afraid that Zach might cast her away or, worse, hate her.
Aria cleared her throat and started telling her story: "So the gods were ruling over different worlds. Each god had their own world to rule, their own universes. However, they wanted to expand their reach. So they created two goddesses."
"You and your sister?" Zach guessed.
Aria quietly nodded and continued, "My sister— Erza and I, we created a universe, different from all the universes. We wanted to do something new so—"
Aria stopped when she noticed a shocked expression on Zach's face.
"Should I continue?" Aria asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"In the other worlds, the gods created the races for one sole purpose." After a brief pause, Aria said, "To worship them."
"None of the races had their own free will. They were like the prisoners of the gods. However, my sister and I wanted to do something else, something new. Thus, we created a race that had its own will and thoughts, which could evolve and survive in any circumstances. We called them a perfect race."
"Wait… you are the one who created humans…?" Zach asked with a baffled expression on his face.
"There is more, so save your surprise for that," Aria remarked and said, "We watched over the humans and witnessed them evolve, but it was too slow. So my sister and I decided to take a nap."
"However, when we woke up thousands of years later, the humans had changed. We had no idea what was going on, and their population had increased by a million folds. So…" Aria looked into Zach's eyes and said, "We decided to create more gods to watch over them."
"..."
"My sister created six gods, and I created six goddesses. And… they are the ones who did all this crap," Aria sighed. "But it's not our fault. After we created them, we gave all the responsibility to them. When we woke up after our next slumber, we saw the humans had divided into different religions. But that wasn't the shock. The gods we created had become strong too."
"As we had given them the responsibility, we had divided their authorities. So they had to vote on every decision they made."
"And then they exiled you?" Zach guessed in a solemn voice.
Aria nodded and continued, "And without the heavens, our powers stopped growing."
Zach raised his brows and asked, "How long has it been since then?"
"I am not exactly sure but… maybe around 80 thousand years…?" Aria responded in a calm tone.
"What happened to you, sister?" Zach asked with a knowing look on his face.
"When I woke up after getting exiled, my sister wasn't there with me. Then one day, she visited me in my dream and told me she had been living with humans. But… I never heard from her again," Aria replied with a sad look on her face.
"..."
"I searched for her for thousands of years, but…" Aria sighed and said, "I don't want to talk about it."
Aria averted her gaze and repeatedly glanced at Zach from the corners of her eyes before asking, "Are you angry?"
"Why would I be angry?"
"I am the one who created the gods, so it's my fault," Aria asserted. "If we hadn't—"
"If you say it like that, then you have done a lot of great things by creating humans," Zach scoffed. "You are like a mother to all the humans, aren't you?"
Aria frowned her face and said, "Then with that sense, you are my son, and Aurora is my daughter."
"Uhh… let's not think about it," Zach uttered with a disgusted look on his face. "But by that logic, the gods you created are your real sons and daughters."
After that, they left Aria's domain.
"Thanks for today," Zach thanked Aria and opened the door to leave Aria's room.
"I would appreciate it if you stop breaking into my room at night," Aria remarked.
Zach scoffed at Aria and retorted, "I know you purposely leave it unlocked so I can break-in."
"Get out now. I need some sleep."
Zach left Aria's room and closed the door behind him.
Aria laid down on the bed and grabbed the blanket. She curled up with the blanket and muttered with a flushed face, "Why am I happy? What is this feeling?"
"I wanted him to leave me alone, but now that he left, I feel lonely…"
'I know you love him!' Aria recalled what Aurora had told her at the inn.
"That's impossible…" Aria uttered in a low voice. "We gods are unable to love because we have to treat everyone equally. We can't favor one over another. Nor can we hate anyone."
"Although we can get angry and sad, we can't love or hate anyone…" she added.
'But… why does my heart flutter when I see him?' Aria asked herself. 'I think it's the effect of our pact."
Aria let out a deep sigh as she turned to the other side of the bed and uttered, "This master-servant relationship is more troublesome than I had thought."
—
-
.
The next morning.
Zach opened his eyes to see Aurora staring at him with a smile on her face.
"Good morning," she said with a bright face.
Zach moved his face closer to Aurora and kissed her on the lips before saying, "Good morning."
Aurora was left speechless by the good morning kiss.
"What's wrong?" Zach smirked at Aurora and said, "Do you want one more?"
Aurora nodded without saying anything.
Zach moved and got on top of Aurora and teased her by rubbing his thumb on her lips.
"You are heavy…" Aurora uttered while staring into Zach's eyes with an alluring gaze.
Zach licked his lips and said, "If you look at me like that, I will do some questionable things to you."
"Oh?"
"You have no idea that you are playing in the demon's lap. I will steal your innocence, princess."
"Go ahead," Aurora said with a mischievous smile on her face.
Zach knitted his brows and placed his hand on Aurora's chest after saying, "I will do it."
Aria's face flushed a little, but she didn't flinch.
Zach cooped the feel of Aurora's breasts and then squeezed them gently.
Aurora's face flushed red as she pushed Zach down the bed.
"I am sorry!" Aurora apologized as she helped Zach to get up.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it." Zach walked to the door while smirking and said, "I was just testing your commitment."
"I will also test your commitment by touching you one day," Aurora remarked.
Zach shrugged his hands and said, "I am ready anytime."
Zach opened the door to see Aria standing there with her ear placed on the door.
"...." Zach shook his head in disbelief and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Well... you two were being all lovey-dovey yesterday, so I was expecting to hear moans at night." Aria looked into Zach's room and inspected the bed with her eyes before saying, "But I guess nothing happened."
Zach walked out of the room and uttered, "Stop acting like a pervert."
After that, they got ready while Aria made breakfast.
When they were eating breakfast, Zach glanced at Aria and uttered inwardly: 'If her sister's name is Erza, then there is a high chance that she is my…'
Zach sighed before completing his thought and uttered to himself: 'So that means… I am married to my aunt.'
'So the gods are my brothers and sisters, and this all is just a... family brawl.'
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===
100 CHAPTER 99- HEAVENLY PLEASURE
"Anh! Mnh~ Nmh~" Aria moaned in pleasure.
Aria was at the bottom, and Zach was on top of her. And Aurora was sleeping beside them.
"Anh~!" Aria's face was flushed red, and it was turning redder with every moan.
"Would you stop moaning?" Zach sighed. "I don't want Aurora to hear us."
"But it feels so good~"
Zach slowly increased his speed and continued what he was doing.
"Mnh~ I had no idea this would feel so good. If I knew this pleasure, I would have asked you to do it a long time ago. It's truly heavenly~"
"Even though it's your first time, you are wild," Zach remarked.
"Anh~ Yes~ That's the spot~"
"Here?"
"Yes~ Do me there. Mnh~ Mm!"
"Are you even trying to hold your moans?" Zach asked with a groan.
"I am Anh~"
Zach frowned his face and said, "If you moan again, I will stop."
"No, please~ It feels so good. So don't stop Mnh~" Aria covered her face and said, "I will hold my moans. So go as hard as you can."
"If you are moaning like this at this speed, you will go insane if I go any harder," Zach asserted.
"Go do it~"
Zach shrugged his shoulders and said, "Don't blame me if you get addicted to this."
"I am already addicted~!"
Zach increased the speed and pressure as Aria asked him to.
"Amh~ Mm… nn... Anh… mnn... Nmm…" Aria tried her best to hold back her moans, but she could keep it up for any longer.
"Anh~ Amn~ Amh~ Aanh~! Yes! More! More~ More~!"
After a loud moan, Aria stopped and nearly passed out from the pleasure.
Zach got up and looked at his wet gloves before muttering, "I can't believe this was real."
"Are you okay?" Zach sighed and shook Aria with his leg.
Aria didn't say anything and simply slinked her eyes in response.
"You don't look okay…"
"You are great at giving massages," Aria uttered in a low voice.
"I think the credit goes to the gloves." Zach looked at his gloves and said, "It was one of its benefits."
After eating breakfast, they completed the NPC quest and got 100% completion of the map. It had many things, but Aurora insisted on coming to the beach because she had never seen a beach in her life.
Of course, Zach hadn't set on either, so they decided to go to the beach.
However, when they got there, a few players were already present at the beach doing their own things. Some were couples, while some were in parties.
Aria was upset after seeing them, but Zach told them, 'Just because we completed the NPC quests and got access to the secret location, that doesn't mean other players can't do the same.'
Honestly, Zach was also hoping that he would be alone at the beach, but he couldn't do anything for obvious reasons.
After that, Zach, Aurora, and Aria found an empty spot on the other side of the beach where no one was around.
Zach had already messaged and informed Victoria about his outing at the beach. He asked if she was free to join them, but unfortunately, Victoria was swamped with the work.
However, even if she wanted to join them. She wouldn't be able to.
Only the players who had access to the secret locations on the map could enter the beach. Zach, Aria, and Aurora were at a party, so they all had access to it, while Victoria wasn't.
While players could join the guild as temporary members, they could join a party. And even if they were able to do so, Victoria first had to leave the guild to join the party, and she had to wait for four more days for that.
After that, Zach crafted bikinis for Aria and Aurora, and he ended up using all the materials in that process.
He crafted a black bikini for Aria, which was a perfect color for her. And he crafted an ivory-cream-colored bikini for Aurora that was the same color as her hair.
Zach wanted to make Aurora's bikini a little different and more revealing, but he didn't have enough material, nor did he have time.
He also crafted a black swimming trunk for himself.
After that, Zach mentioned his massage technique, and Aria asked him to test it on her.
However, it turned into a series of moans.
It was more awkward for Zach because Aria was apparently his aunt.
Zach glanced at the sleeping Aurora and uttered, "I know you are awake for a while."
However, Aurora didn't respond and kept her eyes closed.
Zach raised his brows and nodded as though he was thinking of pulling a prank on Aurora.
He sat on her legs and said, "Don't blame me if anything happens to you."
Even after Zach's warning, Aurora didn't open her eyes.
Zach placed his two fingers on Aurora's thighs and slowly walked it up to her stomach. Then, he walked his fingers and stopped between Aurora's chest. He moved his finger to the right and then went to the left.
"Where should I go?" Zach uttered in a loud voice.
Aurora's face was slowly turning red, but she still wasn't opening her eyes.
Zach sighed and said, "You made me do it."
Aurora was expecting Zach to grope her breasts, but instead, she received a kiss on the lips.
Aurora opened her eyes and muttered, "That's cheating."
Zach smirked and licked his lips before saying, "You know I never play by rules."
Aurora glanced at Aria and found her sleeping, although both Zach and Aurora knew she was awake.
"Let's go into the sea," Aurora suggested.
"Okay…" Zach turned to Aria and said, "Are you coming."
After a brief silence, Aria said, "I will join you later."
Zach and Aurora went into the sea and walked until the water was reaching their waist.
Aurora stumbled into the water, but Zach grabbed her and pulled her close to him.
"I was scared, you know?" Aurora uttered.
"Of water?" Zach scoffed.
Aurora puffed her cheeks and said, "I closed my eyes and accidentally fell asleep. And then I woke up to hear Aria moaning 'Harder Harder' and all that. I thought you and her were…"
Zach poked Aurora's puffed cheeks and said, "You have a dirty mind, you naughty girl."
Aurora wrapped her arms around Zach and said, "You made me like this. So…"
Aurora kissed Zach on the lips and said, "So you better take the responsibility."
"Oh?" Zach raised his brows and kissed Aurora before saying, "Then I better get something in return."
Meanwhile, Aria was watching Zach and Aurora from a distance. Her face frowned more and more as they kissed again and again.
Zach and Aurora stared into each other's eyes and got lost in the moment. The water had made their body wet, and the cold breeze made them shiver a little.
They moved their face closer to kiss, but suddenly, a big wave came and swayed Aurora with the flow.
"Zach!" Aurora yelled as she drowned in the water.
Zach dived into the water and activated his gloves' powers to control the water around him. He pulled the water close to him that brought Aurora back into his arms.
"Are you okay?" Zach asked with an anxious and concerned look on his face.
Aurora nodded and hugged Zach as tightly as she could so she would never get separated from him.
Suddenly, there were yells and screams on the beach.
Zach glanced around and wondered, 'What's going on?'
"Zach!" Aria approached Zach and Aurora with an anxious look on her face and said, "Something is wrong."
"I can see that…"
It wasn't the big wave that drowned Aurora, but it was the sea. Zach noticed that the sea surface was slowly increasing. When Zach looked at the beach, he saw everything was submerged in the sea.
"What the—"
The other players were screaming and yelling for help as they drowned.
'It's hard to believe that they can't swim. Something else is—"
Zach's eyes widened in realization as he yelled, "Get out of here!"
Zach tried to jump out of the water, but he couldn't. It was as though his body was stuck in the sea.
***
Total players in the game 404192.
0 new players logged in.
77 players died.
===
101 CHAPTER 100- REALM OF THE SEA
Of course, jumping in the air from the water was impossible, but Zach couldn't even move his body. It was as though the water had turned solid.
Suddenly, a small hole appeared in the middle of the sea, and the water slowly started getting sucked into it. The more water the hole sucked, the bigger the hole became.
The players who were near the hole were also sucked into it. Eventually, it sucked all the players in, and only Zach, Aria, and Aurora were left.
"I am scared!" Aurora closed her eyes and hugged Zach as tight as she could.
Zach was trying his best to move, but he couldn't. He also tried to control the water around him using his gloves' ability, but it didn't work even though it worked a while ago.
Aria looked at Zach and held his hand but didn't say anything.
'Great…'
Zach watched as the blue hole sucked them into the water.
When Zach glanced around, he saw other players struggling to breathe. He looked at Aria, and she was perfectly fine, but Aurora wasn't.
Zach held Aurora's face in his hands and stared into her eyes.
The air bubbles left Aurora's mouth as she ran out of the oxygen in her body.
Zach pulled her face closer and kissed her on the lips to provide her oxygen.
Zach had mastered breathing techniques which he used to control his body in battles. He could easily hold his breath for 5 minutes, but he had to kiss Aurora every 30 seconds to give her his oxygen. And due to that, his body also ran out of oxygen.
But, he wasn't struggling, nor was he worried about himself; he was worried about Aurora, who was trying her best to breathe slowly.
Zach glanced around to see many players had already died.
Aurora tapped on Zach's shoulders and gestured that she couldn't hold her breath anymore. However, Zach himself didn't have any oxygen left in his body.
Zach looked at Aria and found her staring back at him.
'I have no other choice…'
Zach moved his face close to Aria and kissed her on the lips. Aria was surprised and shocked, but she knew the reason why Zach did that. She kissed him back and passed some oxygen to Zach. However, she felt guilty when she noticed the dejected look on Aurora's face.
Then, Zach turned to Aurora and kissed her until he ran out of oxygen again.
Aria raised her hand and gestured that she was out of oxygen too.
Zach clenched his fists and hugged Aurora in his arms, hoping the water would disappear soon, and it did.
Everyone fell down to the ground with a loud thud, but Zach and Aria landed on their feet.
"What is this place…?" Aria muttered as she glanced around.
They were standing in an underwater arena, where hundreds of sea creatures were standing and sitting, watching in the arena. They all were in a humanoid form, but some of their body parts were still of the sea creatures.
In the middle of the arena, there was a skene at the highest point, where a man was sitting on his throne, and dozens of guards were around him.
"Whalecum to the realm of the sea, Atlantis," the man asserted in a loud voice that echoed in the entire arena. "My name is Aquitius the seventh, and I am the king of this kingdom."
Even though it left a great impact on everyone, Zach paid no attention to the sea king or anyone.
When he looked at Aurora, he noticed her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving.
Zach placed her on the ground and shook her while calling her name: "Aurora. Aurora!"
Zach kissed her on the lips and pressed his hand on her chest.
COUGH! COUGH!
Aurora coughed out water as she opened her eyes and looked at Zach with teary eyes.
Zach sighed in relief and hugged her before kissing her.
"Are you okay?" he asked with an anxious and concerned look on his face.
"Umu…"
Zach frowned at Aquitius and glared into his eyes. And Aquitius did the same.
"Don't you dare glare at me, boy," he said in a raspy voice.
Zach let go of Aurora and helped her stand up.
"I will be right back," he said to her and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The next time he was seen at the skene, with a lightning sword in his hand that was touching Aquitius neck.
Zach could have severed Aquitius' head if he wasn't stopped by his guards.
Aquitius looked at the sword in Zach's hand, then looked into Zach's eyes for a while.
'I see… so he is…' Aquitius' eyes widened in surprise as he muttered, "Get back."
Zach frowned even more and uttered, "I will kill you."
Aquitius gazed at his guards and said, "Get back."
"But—" A guard tried to speak, but Aquitius' one gaze stopped him.
All the guards stepped back, leaving Aquitius totally defenseless.
"If you kill me, then you won't be able to go back to the surface," Aquitius uttered in a calm voice.
Zach glared at Aquitius for a while and jumped back into the area where other players were standing with Aria and Aurora.
There were a total of 81 players, including Zach, Aurora, and Aria. However, 30 of them had already died in the blue hole.
"What is this place?" Zach asked in a loud voice.
"As I said, this is the realm of the sea—"
Before Aquitius could answer Zach's question, Zach asked another question.
"Why are we here?"
"You triggered the secret event," Aquitius replied.
"What type of event?"
"This sea realm has three kingdoms. One is Atlantis— the one you are currently standing on. The second is Xavier, and the third is Ribel," Aquitius asserted.
"The other two kingdoms are ruled by Aquitius the fifth and Aquitius that sixth. They are my brothers," he added.
"Are you also transported here from your own world?" Zach asked.
"Not exactly." Aquitius took a deep breath and replied, "The gods came to us. They offered us a new world, so we agreed."
"Now, let me tell you about the event." Aquitius stood up from his throne and conjured a trident in his hand. He tabbed the trident on the ground, and a scroll appeared above the arena.
"This scroll is our heirloom which was passed on to us by our ancestors. It contains a powerful magic spell based on the water attribute."
"Great then…" Zach beckoned Aquitius and said, "Give it to me."
Aquitius raised his brows in amusement and asked, "Tell me one reason as to why I should give you my family heirloom?"
Zach conjured a lightning trident similar to the one Aquitius was holding and tabbed it on the ground as he said, "Tell me one reason as to why you shouldn't give it to me."
"No one has added to open the scrolls for decades. Even my stupid brothers can't dare to open it. Nor have we allowed anyone to go near it, let alone touch it." Aquitius frowned his face and continued, "If we can't give it to our people, why would we give it to an outsider?"
Aquitius tabbed his trident on the floor and said, "Now tell me your reasoning."
Zach mocked Aquitius by imitating him and said, "If you give it to me nicely, then I will spare yours and your kingdom's life."
"Hah!" Aquitius laughed out loud and said, "Killing me or my kingdom won't get you back to the surface."
"Then how can we go to the surface?" a player asked with a curious look on his face.
Aquitius smirked and said, "Only the spell in the scroll can get you to the surface."
"Then how do we get the scroll? Another player asked.
"That's the wrong question." Aquitius once again tabbed his trident on the ground and asserted, "The correct question is— What do we have to do to get the scroll."
"What do we have to do to get the scroll?" yet another player asked.
After a brief silence, Aquitius gazed at Zach and uttered, "The scroll is protected by three seals. And only my brothers and I can undo the seal."
"Just get to the point already!" Zach broke his silence and said, "What do we have to do to get you and your brothers to undo the seals?!"
"A simple task," Aquitius responded in a calm voice.
Zach knitted his brows and asked, "What task?"
Aquitius stared at Zach for a while and sighed before saying, "Argh! What in the fuck am I doing?"
"...." Everyone present there stared at Aquitius in confusion.
"I am not cut out for this shit." Aquitius sat back on his throne and said, "Just go to the other two kings and complete the tasks they give you. I will undo the seal on my part once their tasks are finished."
"However!" Aquitius suddenly shouted. "Those two tasks should be completed by the same person. Otherwise, I won't undo the seal on my part."
Aquitius gazed at all the players and shrugged his shoulders before saying, "First come, first serve, bitches!"
'His personality went from 0 to 180, and now it's minus 180.' Zach thought to himself.
"You all can come to my palace, eat, rest, and do whatever you want. You are very, very whalecum there. But remember, the clock is ticking."
All the players, including Zach, Aurora, and Aria, went to the palace to prepare to leave for the other kingdoms.
Aquitius looked at the dead bodies of the players in the arena and said, "Feed these bodies to the draught fishes. It would work as a fuel for the players to travel to the next kingdoms."
***
Total players in the game 404129.
0 new players logged in.
63 players died.
===
Thanks, @Atrax, for the gift!
102 CHAPTER 101- DEPARTURE
There was a banquet at the palace, and all the players, including Zach, Aurora, and Aria, were enjoying the food.
"When are we leaving for the other kingdoms?" Aurora asked as she took a large bite from the dish.
"After we have filled our stomachs," Zach replied with a scoff.
"There is no need to hurry," Aria said without making eye contact with Zach and continued, "The tasks the other kings will give will probably be hard, and Zach is the strongest player."
"But not everything can be done by strength and power," Aurora remarked. "What if the tasks are something like a puzzle where we need to use our minds?"
Zach raised his brows at Aurora and asked, "Are you saying that I am stupid to solve the puzzles?"
Aurora smirked and said, "No, but you get impatient very quickly."
"You are not wrong about that," Zach replied with a grin on his face.
After seeing Zach and Aurora talking and laughing, Aria bit her lips. She felt bad and sad because her suggestion was laughed off.
'He is not even feeling sorry or trying to apologize even though he kissed me without my consent!' Aria uttered to herself.
Zach noticed Aria glaring at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
Aria averted her face in anger and didn't say anything.
"..." Zach raised his brows in confusion and thought, 'What's with her? I am already feeling awkward because we kissed. What's more, she is my aunt!'
'I didn't apologize to her because I thought she would get angry for mentioning it, but I guess she is a little upset.' Zach sighed softly. 'I will talk to her when we are alone.'
"You know… I think you two should stay here," Zach asserted with a serious look on his face.
"What?!" Aurora exclaimed.
"Why?!" Aria exclaimed.
"There is no need for you two to come. I can go and return in one day," Zach responded with a shrug.
Aurora frowned her face and said, "Are you saying that we are a burden to you?"
"What? Of course not." Zach groaned, "I mean, this place is safe. And who knows what tasks the other two kings give us? Like, what if they give a task to duel with other players? I don't want to fight you two even in my dreams."
"Don't worry…" Aquitius approached them and quipped, "We don't do such inhumane acts."
"Although we are not humans! Hah!" Aquitius laughed out loud.
"..." Zach
"..." Aurora
"..." Aria.
"Get it?! Inhumane… human… Come on, bro! That was funny!" Aquitius groaned with a sigh.
Zach glanced at Aria and Aurora, and they nodded at him in response before leaving Zach alone with Aquitius.
"How's the food?" Aquitius asked with a curious look on his face.
"It's good. Although I would have preferred some fish too," Zach sneered.
Mentioning fish or any sea creatures in front of the sea king was, without a doubt, a bad idea. But not for Zach.
Aquitius pointed his gaze at the meat dish on Zach's plate and asked, "How's the meat?"
"Good," Zach responded while eating without caring for his manners.
"It's made from the dead bodies of the players who died," Aquitius asserted.
Zach choked on his bite and looked at Aquitius in disgust.
Aquitius grabbed a glass of water and gave it to Zach after saying, "Don't worry. It was a joke."
Zach drank the water and placed the glass on the table with a loud thud that caused the glass to break.
Aquitius shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's how we feel when humans mention eating fish in front of sea creatures."
Zach glared into Aquitius's eyes but didn't say anything.
Aquitius did the same and said, "No one has ever dared to look me in the eyes, let alone glare at me. But you are the second person to do that."
"I don't like being the second, but okay."
"Hah!" Aquitius laughed out loud and patted Zach's shoulder, and said, "You are a funny kid, boy!"
Zach stared at Aquitius in disbelief and thought, 'Is he really a king? He surely doesn't act like a king. And what's with his crazy vocabulary? He calls me boy, kid, and bro. And why is he suddenly acting all friendly?'
Suddenly, Aquitius' face turned serious as he continued speaking: "Listen, kid, the tasks won't be easy. You have to do what it takes to win, or you will meet despair…"
Zach shrugged Aquitius' hand from his shoulders and walked past him. Then, he stopped and looked at Aquitius from the corners of his eyes without turning back and said, "I know what despair feels like, and that's why I am ready to go all out."
Zach walked away after saying, "I have got someone to protect, after all."
Aquitius watched Zach leave and then scoffed slightly as he muttered, "Spoken like a man."
Aquitius turned around to leave, but his face suddenly turned pale for some reason.
'What is this feeling I am experiencing? It feels like someone is staring deep into my soul…'
Aquitius glanced around to find the source, and his gaze fell on Aria, who was glaring at him like how a hunter glares at its prey.
'...!' Aquitius' face turned even more pale after looking into Aria's eyes. 'What is she doing here?! I couldn't sense her presence before even though she was in front of me. I even talked to her! But her appearance is different, so I couldn't recognize her! And more importantly…"
Aquitius glanced at Zach, who was talking with Aurora with a smile on his face, and wondered, '…Why is she with 'his' son?'
"Well…" Aquitius gulped down and walked away before muttering, "That makes three people who glared at me."
Aurora filled her mouth with juice and nudged Zach.
"What?" Zach asked with a confused look on his face.
Aurora moved her hands to say something, but Zach couldn't understand a thing.
Aurora sighed and kissed Zach on the lips, releasing the juice into Zach's mouth. She savored the taste from Zach's mouth and licked her lips after the kiss.
"How was it?" Aurora asked with a mischievous grin on her face.
"... disgusting…" Zach replied.
After hearing that, Aurora puffed her cheeks and turned her face to the other side.
Zach shook his head and filled his mouth with the juice to do the same thing Aurora did to him.
After the kiss, Zach said with a grin on his face: "Now we both are disgusting."
Aria shook her head in disbelief and thought, 'I feel so irritated after seeing them like this. If I knew this would happen, then I would have never advised Aurora to make moves on him.'
After filling their stomach with food, they went to the palace's lounge and dissed their plans.
"So, which kingdom should we go first?" Zach asked Aria and Aurora. "Xavier or Ribel?"
"I think we should go to Ribel first because it's the closest to Atlantis," Aria suggested in a calm voice.
Zach looked at Aurora to see her glancing around the palace without paying attention to what Zach was saying.
Zach raised his brows and pulled Aurora's ears before saying, "Stop fooling around."
"I am not." Aurora puckered her lips and said, "This palace reminds me of my palace. I always sat on the lounge with my maids and enjoyed the evenings."
Aurora looked sad when she said that, but she didn't show it on her face because she didn't want Zach to worry. However, she was terrible at hiding her emotions.
"We can reminisce as much as we want when we are done with this, but for now, let's focus on what we must do," Zach asserted.
"Yeah…" Aurora nodded with a smile on her face and hugged Zach's arms.
"I think we should go to Xavier." Zach turned to Aria and said, "Because it's the farthest."
"Uhh… you are not making any sense…" Aurora and Aria said in unison.
"Basically, most of the players will be thinking the same. So they all will go to RIbel because it's the closest. So if we go to Xavier first, we can at least get our hands on one task," Zach asserted with a proud face.
"But what about the other task? We will need to complete both tasks to get the scroll," Aurora asked with a confused look on her face.
"I don't know… but there is no guarantee that we won't be able to do the second task on time. Who knows, maybe the second task can only be completed when the first task has been completed?"
"I mean… sure?" Aria shrugged her shoulders and said, "I think it's worth taking that risk."
Zach turned to Aurora to hear her answer, and she said, "As you said, at least we will get our hands on one task."
"Nice!"
Zach, Aurora, and Aria made their way to the gate of the palace. There they saw a bunch of players getting into the carriages that were being driven by the sea horse.
"...."
'I guess the carriage has a spell cast on it that won't allow the water to enter to come near it, and the players will be able to breathe normally.'
"Let's go." Zach was about to get into the carriage with Aurora and Aria, but they were stopped by a voice.
"Stop!"
It was Aquitius.
"What? Do we need to pay to use the carriage or what?!" Zach asked from a distance.
Aquitius pointed his finger at a carriage parked on the other side and said, "You shall go in my carriage."
It was Aquitius' carriage, and it was different from all the other carriages. It was driven by royal sea horses, and the carriage itself was grand and luxurious looking.
Zach, Aurora, and Aria glanced at each other and said, "What's with this special treatment?"
They accepted Aquitius' offer and took his carriage to travel to Xavier.
***
Total players in the game 404004.
0 new players logged in.
125 players died.
===
Author's Note- Merry Christmas to all my readers! Stay happy! Stay safe!
Thanks, @Atrax, for the gift!
103 CHAPTER 102- TWO TASKS
The sea carriage— on which, Zach, Aurora, and Aria were traveling, stopped in front of the gates of Xavier kingdom.
Soon after, many guards gathered at the great, and the king himself— Aquitius the 5th arrived to greet the carriage.
However, they had a major misunderstanding.
After seeing the royal carriage that belonged to none other than the king of Atlantis— Aquitius the seventh, they all thought the king (Aquitius the seventh) had arrived. But their mood and expectations were shattered soon after seeing Zach, Aurora, and Aria come out of the carriage.
The elder guard took out his sword from the sheath and aimed at Zach before saying, "Why is an outsider here?!"
'Judging by their reaction, it seems that no other player has arrived here yet,' Zach uttered to himself.
Zach ignored the guard and looked into the king's eyes without any reluctance.
"Aquitius the seventh had sent us here to complete the task. And in return, you will undo your part of the seal on the scroll," Zach asserted nonchalantly.
Another guard took out his sword and said, "How dare you talk to the king like that!"
The king raised his hand and asked the guards to stop.
"Quiet!" he yelled. "They are our guests."
Aquitius the fifth nodded at Zach and said, "Please, follow us. I will take you to my palace."
Zach, Aurora, and Aria followed the king and went into the palace.
After reading to the lounge, they were given various types of fruits, juices, and desserts to eat.
"What would you like to eat?" the king asked.
"Just tell us the tasks. We will finish this as soon as possible," Zach responded in a calm voice.
The king was treating them kindly because they had arrived in Aquitius' carriage.
'If my little brother sent them in his carriage, that must mean this person is very important and holds a value for the sea realm. I must treat him with all respect and kindness.'
Aquitius the seventh sent Zach in his carriage to pass the signal to Aquitius the fifth. Even though Aquitius the seventh was the youngest brother of all three, he was feared by both Aquitius the fifth and sixth.
He was more powerful and of a higher standard than them, and they couldn't afford to make him angry.
"Very well…" Aquitius the fifth nodded his head and signaled his guards to leave them alone.
"I will tell you my task."
After 1 minute.
"Can't you change the task?" Zach groaned with an annoyed look on his face.
Aquitius the fifth asked Zach to bring back his wife—Rilu, who was kidnapped by his brother, Aquitius the sixth.
Aquitius the fifth raised his brows at Zach and asked him with a judging look on his face: "Does that mean you can't do it?"
"Listen…" Zach let out a weary sigh and said, "If you want your wife so much, then why don't you just go and bring her back by yourself?"
"Unfortunately, when the three sea kingdoms were formed, there was a rule that the kind of a lower level kingdom can't enter the higher level kingdom," he asserted. "The same for my guards or anyone that belongs to the army. I can't send them to other kingdoms."
"Great…" Zach groaned and face-palmed himself. "What am I going to do once I get there?"
Zach wasn't worried that he wouldn't be able to complete his first task, but he was worried about not finishing his second quest. If Zach somehow managed to bring Aquitius the fifth's wife back, Zach knew for sure that Aquitius the sixth would be angry, and he would give a challenging task to Zach that he might not be able to complete.
"Is there any other task?" Zach asked the same question he asked a while ago.
"I don't think there is anything else I want. I just want my wife back," he replied with a sad look on his face.
"Alright. I will bring your wife back," Zach uttered.
"Thank you—" the king tried to thank Zach with a smile on his face, but he stopped after looking at Zach's face.
Zach furrowed his brows at the king and said, "However, if your wife doesn't want to come back to you, I won't force her to."
"..."
"And in such a case, my task would be considered as complete, and you would have to undo the seal on your part," Zach asserted. "Do you agree with my condition?"
Aquitius the fifth pondered for a while and said with a nod: "I agree on your terms."
"Good." Zach grabbed Aurora's hand and said, "We are leaving for the Ribel kingdom."
It hadn't even been 10 minutes since they arrived at the Xavier kingdom, and now they were leaving for the Ribel kingdom to complete not one, but two tasks.
Zach, Aurora, and Aria got into the carriage and made their way to the Ribel kingdom.
However, when they arrived there, as expected, all the other 48 players were present there.
The Ribel kingdom was different from Xavier and Atlantis. Unlike there, where the main gate of the kingdom and the palace were secured by the guards and creatures. The Ribel kingdom had no security whatsoever. In fact, there were no guards in sight.
When the royal carriage arrived there, it automatically landed on the open lounge of the palace where some players, citizens, and creatures were enjoying themselves.
'Why are there no guards here?' Zach asked himself.
"Why are there no guards here?" Aurora asked Zach.
"..." Zach shrugged his shoulders and said, "Don't ask me."
"It's so weird that there are no guards. And even the citizens are roaming without a care," Aria uttered. "When I looked from the window, I could see how well developed this kingdom is."
"And a weird one too…" Zach sneered.
***
Total players in the game 403907.
0 new players logged in.
97 players died.
===
Author's Note- UwU Who likes fish?
Thanks, @DragonSouler21, for the gift!
Once again, Merry Christmas, ya all!
104 CHAPTER 103- DECEIVED
Zach, Aurora, and Aria made their way into the palace. But Aurora was walking as though she owned the place.
"Why do you look so excited and disappointed at the same time?" Zach asked with a curious look on his face.
"I grew up in a palace, so I know at what spots there should be guards and how powerful one," Aurora asserted. "At the main gate of the palace, there should be at least eight elite or elder guards and 20 normal guards. After that, the power level of the guards should increase the further we go in. But this palace… is defenseless."
Zach let out a soft chuckle after hearing Aurora.
Aurora puffed her cheeks and muttered, "Why are you laughing?"
"You told me the defense system of your palace…" Zach kissed Aurora on the cheek and said, "Now, if your father ever tried to oppose our relationship, I can easily infiltrate the palace and abduct you from there."
Aurora's face flushed after hearing that.
"I will wait for you," she said in a low voice.
Aria sighed in disbelief after seeing Zach and Aurora and remarked, "But first, try to beat the game."
'This is my limit. I can't see them acting like this anymore. It's making me feel annoyed and frustrated,' Aria uttered to herself. 'My heart feels tight, and… it hurts…'
They made their way to the palace's hall to look for the king, but they couldn't find one.
Zach was growing impatient because he hadn't done anything yet, and the time was passing. He didn't want the other players to complete the task before him.
After walking for a while, his gaze fell on a man who was decorating the flowers in the pot. He was wearing ragged clothes, and he looked like he had no awareness of his surroundings.
"Excuse me." Zach called out to the man and said, "Do you know where I can find the king?"
"Yes?"
"Where is he?" Zach asked with a curious yet calm look on his face.
The man placed the last flower in the pot and replied, "I am the king."
"Uhh… you don't look like one…"
"Heh." the man chuckled softly and clapped his hands. Suddenly, his ragged clothes changed into a luxurious golden attire with fur around the neck. And a crown appeared on his head.
"How about now?" he asked with a grin.
'... he is certainly Aquitius' the seventh brother…' Zach sighed. 'The oldest brother, Aquitius the fifth, is by far the most mature.'
"So, you were looking for me?" the king asked.
"I am here to complete a task for you and in return—"
"I will have to undo the sea," the king added. "I am aware of it."
"So, what's your task?" Zach asked with a curious yet calm look on his face.
Zach was worried that if he somehow managed to bring Aquitius the fifth's wife back, Aquitius the sixth would give a challenging task to Zach that he might not be able to complete. That's why he came up with a simple solution: to complete the second task first.
"My task is simple," the king uttered. "The one who fights the strongest warrior of my kingdom, and wins, will complete the task. The event will start at night, so you can rest well until then."
Zach sighed in relief and muttered, 'Now this is simple.'
The king squinted his eyes at Zach and said, "You went to the Xavier kingdom first, right?"
Zach didn't want to lie in case the king had proof, so he asked, "What makes you think that?"
"The water in Xavier is different from here, and you reek of that smell," the king responded. "However, that's not the only reason."
"..."
"You came in the royal carriage, which should be three times faster than the normal carriages. Yet, you came in last. Unless... You went somewhere else first."
"...!" Zach was amazed by the king's perception ability, but he wasn't surprised. But, there was one thing he couldn't understand.
'We are currently in the inner area of the palace, and we didn't see anyone coming this way. So how does he know that we came in the royal carriage?'
'This man is more dangerous than he looks…'
"Now, tell me…" the king looked into Zach's eyes and asked, "What task did my older brother give you?"
Zach's simple solution flopped.
"He asked me to bring Rilu back to him," Zach answered,
The stare in the king's eyes turned into a glare as he yelled with a frowned face, "How dare you!"
Before Zach could even realize it, he, along with Aurora and Aria, were surrounded by hundreds of guards, and they all were pointing their spears at them.
"Well… shit."
Zach thought that the older brother was calm and mature, but it was the opposite.
The truth was the fifth never had a wife named Rilu. He wasn't even married.
Rilu was the sixth's wife. They have been married for 20 years and have a beautiful daughter, the princess of Ribel's kingdom.
The fifth lied about Rilu being his wife and asked Zach to bring her back. He basically asked Zach to kidnap the sixth's wife and bring her to him.
Not only that, but he also lied about the rule of the kingdoms where a low-rank king wasn't allowed to enter a high-ranking kingdom. Furthermore, he had sent many of his elite guards to kidnap Ruli, but all of his attempts failed.
The sixth had once invited the fifth and the seventh to celebrate his daughter's 18th birthday. That was fifth's first time meeting Ruli, and he fell in love with her at first sight.
He tried to woo her, but he failed. Then, he forcefully tried to kidnap her, but the sixth caught him and banished him from stepping foot into his kingdom.
It was completely natural for the sixth to get angry at Zach, because according to him, Zach was with the fifth.
Both the sixth and Zach were deceived by the fifth, and it had caused a misunderstanding between them.
***
Total players in the game 403869.
0 new players logged in.
38 players died.
===
Author's Note- The names were getting confusing, so I switched to 'fifth' and 'sixth.'
105 CHAPTER 104- SEA GOD'S POWERS
'I hate to admit it, but I did not expect this to happen. Especially when I never saw a guard in the palace,' Zach thought to himself.
There were hundreds of guards, and they had surrounded Zach, Aurora, and Aria from all sides. All the guards were carrying a spear that had the tip of the golden gem.
The guards were in their human form, but they didn't have legs. Instead, they had a pointy tail that was glowing from the tip.
'They somewhat remind me of scorpions,' Zach chuckled.
Aurora and Aria stared at him in disbelief after seeing Zach laugh in such a dire situation.
Aquitius, the sixth, furrowed his brows and said, "My little brother sent you in his favorite carriage. That was the message that you are an important person. Even though I have a higher army than him, I don't want to anger him. He is not only the sea king, but he is a sea god too."
"I am furious right now, but I can't do anything to you. So take your concubines and leave!" he said in a loud voice.
After hearing that, Aurora and Aria yelled, "We are not his concubines!"
Even though they said the same thing, their feelings were different.
Aurora was embarrassed after hearing that, and her face flushed when she said that. While Aria was angry after hearing that. And her face twitched when she said that.
"Oh... I apologize for the misunderstanding," the sixth apologized. "But if you are with him, then you must leave too."
"Daddy!" a girl's voice rang in the hall.
Everyone's attention was diverted to the voice after hearing that. They saw a beautiful blue-haired maiden standing at the entrance of the hall.
"What are you doing here, Aquarius?" the sixth asked in a calm voice.
It was none other than the sixth's daughter, and her beauty certainly defined her as a princess. She had blue hair and blue eyes, and she was a mermaid.
Aurora frowned her face when she noticed Zach was looking at her. So she puffed her cheeks and pulled Zach's sleeve. She nudged him and hugged his arms to get Zach's attention.
"So there is an event in the evening, right?" Aquarius asked.
"Yes, indeed," the sixth nodded.
Aquarius showed him a couple of dresses and asked with a cheerful smile on her face: "Which one do you think looks better on me?"
"I am doing something important, so go ask your mother," the sixth replied.
"But mama told me to ask you!" she groaned.
"You look beautiful in everything you wear, my princess, "the sixth responded in a hurry.
Aquarius puffed her cheeks and yelled, "You are an idiot! I hate you, daddy!"
After saying that, Aquarius ran away, leaving the hall dead silent.
The sixth turned to Zach and said, "I apologize for causing a scene."
"Don't worry about it. I can know how you feel," Zach replied with a sigh.
Watching Aquitius and Aquarius reminded Zach of his little sister Zoe, who also acted like that every time she wore clothes.
"Now, please leave."
"I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding," Zach asserted. "The fifth told us that Rilu was his wife and you had kidnapped her. But after seeing your daughter, I am certain that's not the case."
"That son of a—!" the sixth cursed the fifth and raised his hands.
The guards lowered their spears and left.
"I apologize for such a trivial misunderstanding. I should have known better," the sixth said with a sigh. "And please, don't call my wife by her name. She is the Queen."
"I understand," Zach nodded.
'Now, the sixth seems to be the most mature out of the three brothers. And he doesn't have an ego like a king. He even apologized to me even though he wasn't at fault for the misunderstanding.'
"You all can stay at my palace. And as an apology, I will give you the best room in the palace," the sixth asserted. "Follow me.
He took them to a big room with a pool, a grand-sized bed, a magnificent chandelier on the ceiling, and a soft, furry carpet on the floor.
There were no open windows in the room as it was underwater, but there was a huge glass window which was actually a side of the wall. The window was transparent, and they could see the beautiful scenery underwater. Not only that, but half of the ceiling was also transparent.
"It's so beautiful~!" Aurora awed in amazement.
"More beautiful than your palace?" Zach asked with a grin on his face.
Aurora puckered her lips and said, "Of course not."
"Do you like this room?" the sixth asked in a calm voice.
Zach raised his brows with a curious look on his face and asked, "Can I ask why we are getting special treatment?"
"Because of my brother and as a token of my apology…?" the sixth replied with a slightly confused look on his face.
"I meant to ask, why are we getting special treatment from your brother?" Zach rephrased his question.
"Oh!" the sixth exclaimed and said, "How would I know that? I can never understand what goes in his mind."
"However, I think it's because he likes you," the sixth added. "Did you do something for him that could have made him happy?"
"Uhh...well… I nearly slashed his neck…" Zach replied with an awkward smile on his face.
"What in the… how in the world are you still alive?!" he asked with a baffled expression on his face.
"No one in the realms of the sea, men, women, land, sky, and even Netherrealm, dares to look him in the eyes, and you are saying that you are still in one piece after nearly slashing his neck?"
Zach forced a smile and nodded.
"Do you know why no one dares to look him in the eyes?" the sixth asked.
"Why?"
"Because the moment someone looks him in the eyes, they incinerate into ashes," he asserted.
***
Total players in the game 403826.
0 new players logged in.
43 players died.
===
Author's Note- Bla bla bla.
Thanks, @UniversalGoat, and @devlincross, for the gifts.
106 CHAPTER 105- JEALOUS ARIA
The sixth left the room after saying, "The event will start after three hours. You can do whatever you want, but I would suggest taking a rest because my strongest champion is… strong."
'His vocabulary is also broken.' Nero thought of the seventh and nodded, 'Definitely brothers.'
Aurora walked to the glass window and touched the glass before saying, "This is otherworldly."
"Well, we 'are' in another world," Zach commented.
"I feel like I can see this scenery all day." Aurora turned to Aria and said, "Don't you think so, Ameria?"
However, Aria was lost in her own thoughts.
"Ameria?" Aurora called out to her.
"Huh… yeah?"
"What's wrong? You have been acting strange since last night," Aurora asked with a concerned look on her face.
"Nothing. I am just… missing the real world…' she said with a sad look on her face.
'Wow. I forgot that she is great at acting,' Zach uttered to himself. 'It's like she suddenly changes her persona.'
Aurora hugged Aria and said, "I miss it too."
Zach also thought about his house and wondered, 'I hope mother and Zoe are doing good. Mother might be trying to bring me back to the real world somehow, but she lost her powers a long time ago.'
'I just hope she doesn't do anything reckless and harm herself,' Zach sighed. Then, he looked at Aria and thought, 'And she is my aunt. I still can't believe it.'
Zach face-palmed himself as he remembered how he once ordered Aria to call him daddy. ANd how he had his finger sucked from which he got excited.'
'Should I tell her the truth?' Zach asked himself.
After pondering for a while, Zach decided, 'I will tell her once we are back to the first realm.'
"You were saying something?" Aria asked Aurora.
"Yes." Aurora pointed her gaze at the scenery and said, "I said, I can look at this scenery all day. What about you?"
"Yeah," Aria nodded. "I can too."
Zach raised his brows after seeing Aurora and Aria getting touchy-touchy. So he hugged Aurora from behind and said, "If you can stare at it all day, then what about at night?"
Aurora turned around and wrapped her arms around Zach's neck. She looked him into the eyes with an alluring gaze and said with a mischievous smile on her face: "I will spend the night staring at you."
Zach asked Aurora as a joke to tease her, but it backfired and hit Zach deep into his heart.
"I… did not expect that comeback…" Zach said with a shocked expression on his face
'She is getting good at these lines. I need to get better too.'
Aurora closed her eyes and puckered her lips as she moved her face closer to Zach.
Zach stared at her for a while before kissing her on the lips.
'I feel like punching them in the face!' Aria's face twitched after seeing them kiss.
SIGH!
She walked to the bed and jumped on top of it to get some rest.
'I should get used to it because I will be seeing this every day now.' Aria bit her lips and thought, 'They will be doing much more than kissing in the future. I might hear their moans at night after a few days.'
Aria fell asleep while thinking that. She was tired, not because of what happened today, but because she couldn't sleep last night after Zach left her room.
Whenever she closed her eyes, Zach's face flashed before her. She couldn't stop thinking about him, no matter how hard she tried to sleep.
When she woke up three hours later, she saw Zach and Aurora sleeping beside her. They were hugging each other while sleeping.
Aria immediately frowned her face and muttered, "This is enough."
She moved her hand towards Aurora and placed it on her neck.
"What are you doing?" Zach asked with his eyes closed.
"Her hair is around her neck, so I was fixing them," Aria replied. "And if you are awake, then don't pretend to be asleep."
"I have been awake the whole time."
"Huh?"
"There is no way I can fall asleep when she is sleeping like that," Zach said with a soft scoff.
Aurora was sleeping while pressing her soft body against Zach. Sure, Zach and Aurora have been sleeping together in the same bed, but they don't sleep while hugging or touching each other like Aurora currently was.
"Hey…"
"Hmm?"
After a brief pause, Aria stared into Zach's eyes and asked, "Do you love her?"
"Is that even a question?" Zach scoffed out loud. "Of course, I do."
"What… what do you like about her?" Aria asked reluctantly.
Zach licked his lips and replied, "Her juicy lips and soft marshmallow-like breasts."
Aria stared at Zach in disbelief with a deadpan expression on her face.
"Come on~ That was obviously a joke," Zach sighed with a groan.
"I am not in the mood for jokes," Aria frowned.
"You know, you should honestly stop getting all serious about everything. Enjoy your life. You have been living the same boring life for tens of thousands of years. So change it," Zach asserted in a solemn voice.
"It's easy for you to say," Aria muttered under her breath.
"You look cute when you smile," Zach added nonchalantly.
Aria's face instantly flushed after hearing that. She averted her gaze and said, "Get up now. The vent is about to start."
"Yeah…"
Zach woke up Aurora, and they all went to the arena after getting ready.
On their way, they ran into the sixth: "Oh, you are here! I was about to come or send someone to check on you."
"Has the event started yet?" Zach asked with a curious yet calm look on his face. "I hope we are not late."
"Yes. It started 10 minutes ago," the sixth replied. "Just wait for your turn."
Zach looked in the arena and saw a player fighting with a guard.
However, the guard looked different. He was a merman, but his tail was pointy like a scorpion. He had the benefit of the speed and hardness of the scorpion.
"When is my turn?" Zach asked.
"In the end." the sixth shrugged his shoulders and replied, "The order has been set by first come, first serve. You came to this kingdom in the end, so you will get to fight in the end."
"That is… if other players don't defeat my champion first," he added.
***
Total players in the game 403744.
0 new players logged in.
82 players died.
===
107 CHAPTER 106- STARLORD- THE ULTIMATE SEA WARRIOR
The match had already started, and all the players were sitting in the front seat of the arena. Seemingly, they were waiting for their turn to fight the champion.
However, Zach. Aurora, and Aria, were sitting on the skene beside Aquitius' the sixth.
The rules of the duel battle were simple: get the opponent to surrender or immobilize them; killing the opponent wasn't an option.
So far, ten players had already fought with the champion, and only 20 minutes had passed since the event started.
The champion was making the player surrender within one to two minutes.
It wasn't as though the players were weak or low level, but the champion was simply more robust than them.
"Hehe!" the sixth laughed. "My champion is the best."
Zach scoffed inwardly and thought, 'If the champion defeats everyone within minutes, then I will have my turn in no time.'
The sixth was sitting in the middle, on a big throne that had shark's heads around the edges. The sixth's wife, Rilu, was sitting on the left, and Aria and Aurora were seated beside her. On the right, the sixth's daughter— Aquarius, was seated, and Zach was sitting beside her.
The champion defeated yet another player as the people watching the battle applauded for the champion.
"Yay!" Aquarius clapped and jumped on the throne.
Zach was surprised to see that, but he didn't care to ask why she was happy.
After the champion won a few more battles, the sixth glanced at Aquarius and asked, "What do you think?
"Yes! I want to marry him!" Aquarius asserted. "He is so strong!"
"..." Zach was speechless, not because of the conversation, but because of seeing Aquarius agreeing to marry the champion just because he was strong.
'So typical…' Zach thought to himself.
In the next 30 minutes, the champion had defeated 12 more players. Making the number 28 wins and 0 loses.
Then, a player wearing shining armor and a glowing sword walked into the arena. Zach couldn't see the player's nickname or level because he was far away.
'I know they say, don't judge a player by their equipment, but he seems to be a high-level player.' Zach sneered and thought, 'Although it's not like— Don't judge a player by their level, since I already fought a level 69 player once, and it was easy as… fuck…'
Zach stopped on his word when he saw the player's fighting style. It was as though the player had a lot of experience with swords. However, that wasn't the only thing he was surprised about.
The sword art the player was using looked awfully familiar to Zach for some reason, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it before.
'Uhh… I think… I have seen Aurora use a similar sword art style…'
Zach glanced at Aurora and noticed she was as shocked as he was.
'Is it someone from her kingdom?' Zach wondered. 'Or perhaps, they were taught by the same masters?'
Zach stopped thinking when he heard a loud clunk noise from the arena.
The player had tried to stab the champion, but the player's sword broke.
'The champion's body is harder than I thought…'
The player retreated as the viewers applauded the champion.
Zach turned to Aquaris and asked, "What's the name of your champion?"
"Uhh…" Aquarius turned to Aquitius and asked, "Daddy, what's his name?"
'She doesn't even know his name, and yet, she wants to marry him?!' Zach exclaimed inwardly.
"His name is… uhh…" Aquitius stroked his beard and tried to remember the champion's name.
"..." Zach face-palmed himself and muttered, "What's wrong with these people?"
"Ah. I remember now!" Aquarius turned to Aquarius and Zach and said, "His name is Starlord."
'He is a sea creature, right? So why the fuck is his name Starlord? I would get it if he was a starfish or something, but he is a mix of merman and a scorpion!'
Zach stopped thinking and caring about the champion and the battles. He quietly watched all the matches and learned as many moves of the champion as he could.
Sure, he was going to fight him in the last, but that also came with an advantage. One of the major advantages was that Starlord would be exhausted by the time he fought Zach. And another was Zach would be familiar with most of the Starlord's attacks.
However, that was if Zach got a chance to fight Starlord.
In the next 30 minutes, Starlord had defeated yet another ten players.
'Starlord's speed is getting slow. Most likely, he is running out of stamina. But there are still nine players left…'
"So…" Aquitius turned to Zach and asked, "Have you decided which one of you three is fighting my champion?"
"Hmm?" Zach was confused as to what Aquiius was trying to say.
"You three are in a party, so only one of you is allowed to take part in the event," Aquitius stated.
"But others…"
"Yeah. There were a total of 48 players excluding you three, and some of them were in a party of two or three members." Aquitius looked in the arena and said, "This is the last player. After that, any of you three shall go and fight my champion."
'Well… that's actually good.' Zach stood up and cracked his fingers as though he was warming up for the battle.
'Now, I won't have to worry about Aurora getting hurt.'
Zach was happy. However, his smile vanished when he glanced at his left and saw Aurora staring at him with a knowing look on her face.
"..."
"I will go," Aurora demanded.
"There is no need to. I will handle this in no time," Zach reassured.
"I will win in 1 second!" Aurora asserted. "I will use my skill Lyda strike and kill him in…"
Aurora covered her mouth as her face turned pale when she realized what she had just said.
Up until now, Aurora has only been fighting the monsters and killing them mercilessly. However, Starlord was a living creature.
She realized that killing Starlord would mean killing a life. And besides, in this event, killing was against the rules.
***
Total players in the game 403621.
0 new players logged in.
123 players died.
===
Author's Note- Harsh reality of surviving is to kill or be killed!