Tigers
Inside the mansion of Elder Sugata Brahma...
Elder Sugata Brahma, also known as 'A Thousand Hands Warrior', because of his ability to generate a lots of hands during a fight, was the grandfather of Saka Wuni, the beauty who was in love with Arya Kamandhanu. Currently, he was scolding the granddaughter of his for her recklessness.
"Grandfather, I must go. I want to save Brother Dhanu. The North Forest is very dangerous. What if something happen to him?" Saka Wuni cried sadly, begging for the old warrior in front of her to let her go to the North Forest.
"Little Wuni, don't be careless. You also know that the North Forest is very dangerous. He is so much stronger than you, what can you do to help him? Instead, you're gonna be a burden for him." Elder Sugata Brahma berated her sternly.
"But... But, grandfather..." Saka Wuni looked at her grandfather sadly.
"No buts! Now, get back to your room and don't let me see you sneak out of this mansion again. Or else, grandfather would punish you and let you reflect your own mistake for one month inside your own room, and you're not gonna be going outside during that one month time." Elder Sugata Brahma was getting angrier when he remembered the action of his granddaughter. What if something happen to her while she was sneaking outside? What should he do by then? Thankfully, he caught her on time before she was going out of the gate.
"Yes, Wuni won't sneak around anymore. But, grandfather, could you please help Brother Dhanu? Please, grandpa. At least grandpa is already a Void Master expert. You will be able to help him, right? Wuni beg grandpa, please..." Saka Wuni plead while crying.
"Alright, alright. This old man will help him." Elder Sugata Brahma said helplessly. He knew that her granddaughter adored the young man so much. He also already had an intention to speak to Elder Hanggareksana to discuss whether Saka Wuni and Arya Kamandhanu could get married.
However, the current situation seemed to not in their favour. Whether Kamandhanu succeed or fail in his mission, it would give no different result for Saka Wuni. Arya Kamandhanu was rumored to already had a fianceé. If he failed the mission, he will be a slave for the Eldest Princess. If he instead got succeed, he had a fianceé waiting for him. So no matter which one is the result, Saka Wuni got no chance for. Nevertheless, for the sake of the pitiful girl in front of him, his own granddaughter, and also for his friendship with Elder Hanggareksana, he will try his best to help the young man.
"Thank you, grandfather." Saka Wuni bowed in gratitude.
"Aiyaahhh, silly girl. Go get some rest now. It's almost two in the morning. Go to sleep." Elder Sugata Brahma prevented Saka Wuni from bowing and asked her to go to sleep.
"Mm." Saka Wuni nodded her head and slowly walked to her own room.
Looking at the back view of his granddaughter that seemed lonely and sad, he shook his head and sighed helplessly. He then walked out of the room. It was unknown where he will go or what he will do.
...
Singhasari Academy, Thirteen Heroes's Quarter...
"Darn it, that old man was too much. What kind of ruler is he? Forcing people to marry his daughter and when his order got rejected, he punish him so heavily." Gundala threw the thing in his hand to the floor and stomped his foot angrily.
"Haissh, calm down you Gundala. What's got into you? Are you possessed by that brat, Wiro Sableng? Are you also itchy for a fight?" Jaka Tingkir, the popinjay-like hero, suddenly entered the room in a leisurely manner.
And as usual, there was a beauty in his arm, following him shyly. She wanted to get away, but her hand was held tightly by Jaka Tingkir while whispering a word, 'It's okay, baby.' The little maiden blushed and could only followed him obediently in an awkward manner because the room was full of famous, handsome, and powerful heroes.
"Brother Tingkir." Raden Wijaya, as usual, greeted everyone with a warm smile.
"Hmph! A popinjay just sit in the corner and eat banana." Gundala responded angrily.
"Aiyah, young men nowadays really have bad mouths and sharp tongues. They don't even know how respect their senior. Sigh." Jaka Tingkir sat at one of the tool while dragging another tool for the beauty to sit on. "Come, baby, sit down here with brother." He said with a charming smile as he patted the wooden tool as if he wanted to clean it's surface.
Everybody already used to the habit of Jaka Tingkir. To be precise, they already used to the habit of everyone in the cycle of the Thirteen Heroes. Although they liked to quarrel and bickered around like a little child, they were actually very closed to each other. After all, they could be said to already live in the same roof since they were small. They eat, sleep, learn, and study martial art for years together, so they already knew each of their habit. Although their teachers were different one with another, but the thirteen of them were living in the same quarter.
"What should we do? Brother Wijaya, you are the calmest and the wisest person here, please tell us what should we do to save Brother Dhanu." Gundala implored.
Raden Wijaya shook his head helplessly. He too, didn't know what to do. Although the thirteen of them were closed like real brothers, but their parents and elders were not. Each of them had their own factions and ambitions, so the thirteen of them couldn't just involve them casually to change the Emperor's mind. It would lead to a different path and even landed them into a bigger problem.
"I also want to help, but you already heard what the Second Elder said. Currently, we also have missions to finish. We couldn't go to the North Forest to help." Raden Wijaya said sadly.
"Then... Then, we just let it go just like that?" Gundala asked.
"For now, yes. Let's finish our mission first and then go to North Forest afterward. The faster we finish our task, the faster we could go there and help Brother Dhanu." Raden Wijaya said solemnly.
"Alright."
Everyone finally relented to their fate and could only do as what was said by Raden Wijaya.
...
Somewhere in front of the North Forest...
"Little monkey, could you sniff where did they go?" A handsome man asked the little grey monkey on his shoulder as he 'stared' at the dense and packed trees and bushes in front of him. He wore a white robe. His skin was pale white. He got a pointed nose and a sharp jaw. He was so handsome to the point he looked like an angel. It's a pity that he was blind. Nevertheless, he seemed to still capable to 'look' everything around him? How did he do it? And his blindness, instead of becoming his flaw, it actually capable to enhance his own charm? So strange!
"I'm not a dog. Don't ask me to sniff." The little monkey responded indignantly.
"Alright. Then, could you please divine where they went to?" The blind man asked again. This time, he changed the way he asked the monkey.
"Hmph! Fine. I'll divine. Please, wait a minute!" The little monkey shook it's long tail and shut it's eyes. It's expression while concentrating was so hilarious.
A moment later...
"There, they went to the west." The little monkey pointed it's claw in the west direction.
"Alright. Thank you. Let's go the east, then." As he said this, the blind man already flew to the air and he instantly moved at a high speed to the east after finishing his words.
"Hey hey hey! What do you mean? I said west. It's WEST, not EAST! Don't you hear what I say?" The little monkey roared angrily.
"Don't be noisy. I will be speeding up! You know your divination so well. The result will always end up to be the opposite one everytime you divine something." The blind man said as he prepared to speed up.
"Nonsense! I'm the heavenly... Wait, arghhhhhhh! Don't be so fast!!! You bad master! I curse you to be blind!" The little monkey put it's two claws around the neck of the blind man and held on to it's life while it's butt and tail were swaying gloriously in the wind because of their high speed.
"I'm already blind." A soft voice could be heard vaguely mixed with the sound of the hissing wind.
...
Inside the middle area of the North Forest, which was about forty thousand kilometers away from the entrance, a big fight was ensued.
A while ago, when Marissa's group arrived at their teleportation destination, they were shocked to hear a loud roar, echoing far and wide in the surrounding area. When a giant creature appeared and found out that it was a tiger, they were even more shock. Right after that, they heaved a sigh of relief when they found out that the tiger was only at the peak of Grand Master. It wasn't a threat at all, even the weak Marissa could cheat her way to beat up that 'fragile' tiger.
Just as they started to get relax, another roar was heard. They were so nervous to find out what it is. When they saw that it was a tiger with the cultivation in the middle level of Core Formation, they sighed in relief once again.
Three seconds later, a maddening roar could be heard again, it's so loud that Marissa had to cover her ears. When they saw it was an initial level of Nascent Soul tiger, they got relax once again. Nascent Soul was easy. Arya Kamandhanu only need to raise his hand, and it would be death.
Then, the fourth time, again, a thunderous roar was heard again!
Roarrrrrrr!!!
"Haish, what happened actually? What are they all doing here in this place? They came one after another and showing off their roar as if they want to compete. What is it again now? A Void Apprentice Tiger?" Marissa commented at that time when the fourth roar was heard.
Just then...
A gigantic creature suddenly appeared from the nearby bushes. It bare it's huge teeth and roared at Marissa's group in an intimidating way.
Sure enough, it's a Void Apprentice, initial level tiger!
But...
Behind the Void Apprentice Tiger, a more gigantic one came out appeared in a very imposing manner. Although it wasn't roaring, it still looked so fierce. It's tiger whiskers were swaying lightly to the side. It's fur which the mix of black and golden yellow looked so soft and beautiful. It's bones were strong and sturdy. It's pair of eyes were red in a glaring way as if it wanted to convey it's anger through it's scarlet eyes. And the most important thing of all was, it was a tiger with a cultivation on the advanced level of Void Master!!!
Bloody Hell!
Marissa's group was stunned. If the group of tigers were only at the Grand Master, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, or Void Apprentice, they still could defeat them easily, given that there was a peak level Void Apprentice expert in their group who was on the verge of breakthrough to the Void Connoisseur. But if it was a Void Master, and one in the advanced level at that? What they supposed to do?
That's right! Void Apprentice, Void Connoisseur, and Void Master or sometimes called as Void Transformation, were only three divisions in the seventh stage realm, which was the realm of Void. However, this three divisions were no different in term of strength compared to the main or great realm. So, although Arya Kamandhanu and that tiger were in the same realm, Void, but they were like differed by two whole great realms, because Kamandhanu was in the Void Apprentice and the tiger was in the Void Master.
Two hours ago, before Marissa's group could do anything, they had been attacked directly by the group of tigers, so Marissa and friends could only fight and defended themselves. Of course, although they didn't kill the tigers because those big cats didn't give off a killing intent for them, they could easily defeat the ones on the Grand Master, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul Tiger easily, but the Void Master was very troublesome. Up until now, the three of them couldn't do anything, and Kamandhanu even got hurt in the battle.
At this moment, Marissa suddenly remembered something. She had an idea. 'If this isn't working, I will eat my only
A Void Master spiritual creature or spiritual beast also called as Divine Beast in the Nusantara Continent. In this world, spiritual beast from Warrior to Grand Master were called as Common Level Beast or Low Level Beast, from Core Formation to Nascent Soul were called as High Level Beast. From Void to Emperor Realm, they were called as Superior Level Beast.
The Superior Level Beast, which consisted of Void, Monarch, and Emperor level beast also possessed other names. They were called as Divine Beast, Sacred Beast and Supreme Beast respectively.
...
As she finished making up her plan, Marissa suddenly saw a huge claw came approaching, intending to claw it's way to her. It was the Nascent Soul Tiger which was beaten badly a moment ago. Marissa was shocked and spontaneously shouted something.
"Opung, sodaro si Lotung do au. Mangido mohop ma au, Opung."
Putong!
The claw stopped in mid air. The eyes of the tiger that intended to claw her glazed with an unreadable emotion. It looked at it's companion, the Void Master Tiger, and suddenly both pair of tiger's eyes showed a shocked expression.
Looking at the pair of tigers who were stunned silly, the trio were also shocked and their mouth agape.
What was with this situation?
Were the human and tiger competing each other which one of their group who could show 'the most shocked expression'?
The heck!!!
~~~~~~
Quizz:
What kind of words Marissa said to make the tigers shocked silly and stopped the battle instantly?
A. It's an ancient spell
B. It's the langage of the tiger race
C. It's only some random words
D. It's a hereditary ability and spell that suddenly appeared in Marissa's mind
E. No one above are correct