Chapter 64: You got lucky (2)

"I got lucky? As far as I am concerned luck isn't the right word to use for what went down between us. It was a one-sided beat down!" Zero sneered while struggling to get on his feet.

For some reason, he felt as light as feather and so weak that even a mild breeze can knock him off his feet. His eyes and body lacked the usual flare and only after he attempted to fix it did he realize that his spirit energy reserves were low.

He had run out of spirit energy!

"One-sided beat down you say? Stand and say that to my face, only then will I believe your words!" Shi Jia chuckled.

He could easily understand Zero's current condition so he had no reason to hold back.

"To be honest, you are even in a worse condition than me… are you sure you won the fight?" Shi Jia continued as he watched Zero sluggishly try to get on his feet.

Zero on the other hand chose to ignore Shi Jia for a while and run a complete check on his body. The same way he's able to sense the spirit energy and aura of those around, he could also sense the spirit energy in his body as well. At this point, he noticed his body had replenished a small portion of his lost spirit energy but his body hasn't completely recovered from the injuries he sustained from the previous fight. That probably explains why his body is still shaky.

{Considering how bad my condition is, I have to say I'm lucky to be alive. Who would have thought letting the dusk demon remove my limiters would end this way… the consequences are way more than what I expected…. How long will it take for me to return to my peak condition?} Zero's thoughts ran wild.

He soon gave up on getting up and simply laid down on his bed, ignoring Shi Jia's taunts and considering all that has happened lately. In his opinion, the outcome of his battle with Shi Jia was the best he could hope for, after this he was sure no one would dare belittle the Oscuro group or its members. As much as this was a good thing, the downside was that the world would expect more from him from now on. After revealing that much strength and fighting toe to toe with someone who is considered a disaster realm candidate, the Liberation union and the sovereign federation definitely had their eyes on Zero now. At this point, he wouldn't be able to lay back and relax anymore since the world would keep comparing him with Shi Jia!

In a bid to retain the good name of the Oscuro group, he has to keep up with Shi Jia's growth speed or even surpass him!

"How am I going to keep up with that monster without proper resources" Zero complained as he rubbed his temple.

Even then, that wasn't the main problem Zero had to face. The main problem resided within his team, the power he displayed in that fight was something Akila, Dan, and Kira were not aware of. All these years they haven't hidden their strength from each other, that way they could tell when a member is in need of help or not.

The fact that Zero suddenly pulls out an almighty move on Shi Jia in that fight may have broken their trust in him. In their opinion, he must have been hiding his true strength from them all these while, and if he could hide this from them, what stops him from hiding other things?

"I have to tell them the truth about everything" Zero muttered.

{You are not allowed to tell anyone about me! For my safety and yours!} The dusk demon's voice suddenly resonated loudly in his head. Loud enough to make him jump on his sit up and rub his head repeatedly.

"What do you mean I can't tell anyone about you? Why shouldn't I? they are my family" Zero whispered.

{There are lots of things you are yet to understand about this world, that's why I am asking you to keep this little secret relationship of ours from the ears of every other person… In time I promise, you will understand but for now, just trust me!} The dusk demon replied.

Hearing this, Zero had no choice but to consider the dusk demons request. The dusk demon is probably the only reason why he can utilize the reinforce special ability and why he could fight Shi Jia head-on. He couldn't just ignore the magic beast's contribution to his life and after giving the matter some thought, Zero agreed.

"Okay, I will keep this secret but what do I tell the gang… how I got so powerful? How I was able to win against Shi Jia?" Zero asked.

{You didn't get any stronger kid, you just pushed yourself to your limit and beyond… the doctor's report should be enough explanation for them… So you have no reason to bother yourself with issues like this, I bet they are going to be looking at you with love and admiration when you return} The dusk demon replied with a slight chuckle. The urgency in its tone had reduced since Zero had agreed to its request.

Thinking about what the dusk demon said Zero could only find it reasonable. It's not like he pulled off any fancy new move, his power output simply increased because he was burning more spirit energy to make them stronger. His current condition also proved that he had burn up his spirit energy and pushed even beyond that just to claim the victory. As for replicating the aura materialization technique, Zero didn't even bother much about it. If he could successfully replicate Akila's reinforcement technique, he should be able to replicate that as well.

"Hehehe… the three of them, gazing at me with love and admiration? I would love to see that but I don't think that will ever happen…" Zero chuckled at the dusk demons words.

Bam!

Before Zero could react, a pillow crashed into his face. Even though it lacked enough power to actually hurt him, it was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. Quickly, Zero knocked the pillow away and turned his attention to Shi Jia who was looking at him with a weird expression on his face.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Zero complained.

"Shut the fuck up freak! It's bad enough I have to sit here and watch you ignore my insults… But speaking to yourself for over a minute now? Are you retarded or just crazy? Last time it was a pillow, the next one will be my fist!" Shi Jia cried out with a clenched fist.

Hearing this, Zero's pale face turned red in embarrassment! He had been so lost in thought that he forgot about his surroundings and people watching. He quickly turned his attention towards the cameras positioned in every corner of the room and once again turned red in embarrassment!.

...............................

"He was definitely talking to someone else but who? There is no one else there and Shi Jia's reaction also proves that he was talking to himself…. The question is who?" The man in white said with furrowed eyebrows.

"Or what… We will never know unless we ask politely!" The lady in black responded but this time she wasn't going through the files anymore. Her eyes were fixed on Zero, making it look as if she was trying to figure out something about him.

"No! no! no! no! we are not allowed to harm those we are supposed to protect…" The man in white outrightly rejected the ladies' intentions. As much as he loved working with her, she was always hot-headed and violent. Normally such behaviors are more visible in men but this time it was the other way round. As high-ranking guardians in the country, only a few people could hold them down. At this current moment, the mysterious man in white seemed to be the only person capable of calming her down.

"Okay" The lady muttered but her eyes never left Zero's image on the screen.