Chapter 44

Davida turned on her flashlight, illuminating the previous dark laboratory. They exclaimed in shock as the blood marks and corpses from the laboratory are missing. Davida observed the laboratory with a more detailed eye. She found that a lot has changed since they were there previously.

Davida then found a button hanging on a wall. She pressed the button, and a light bulb above the room lit up, lighting up the whole room. Davida turned off her flashlight, putting it away to her pouch. Davida was finally able to clearly saw the inside of the laboratory. A lot of devices were unfamiliar to her, and her eyes begin to sparkle. With her research mode on, Davida forgot about her and her team's objective and examined the unknown devices.

Diane shook her head while Duncan facepalmed himself. Diane giggled, "Let her unwind for a while. Although our body heals faster here, our mind does not." Duncan agreed with Diane as he nodded towards her. Duncan picked a corner somewhere, crouching down and closing his eyes while Diane took three chairs, joining them together before laying down on them.

A few minutes later, Davida panted, satisfied as she managed to figure out most of the devices that were in the laboratory. Davida let go of a telescope before she, alongside Duncan and Diane, felt the metal door was shaking. They then heard a roar from outside as the creature outside was banging down the door. Duncan immediately stood up; holding his greatsword, he remained vigilant. Diane, too, followed Duncan example, but with her staff glowing green, she fortified the metal door with her magic.

Davida was flustered. She felt so dumb; how can she forgot herself when they're not in a good situation. Davida then goes up near Diane, holding her staff across Diane's staff; she helps Diane reinforce the metal door. After a while, the banging stopped, and the trio breathes a sigh of relief. Davida bowed, wanting to apologize to her friends, but Diane put her hand on Davida's head, "Don't apologize, young miss. It's not your fault" Diane smile warmly at her young miss. Duncan nodded at Davida, expressing his agreement with Diane.

Davida recollects herself before focusing on the task at hand. Davida took out the three orbs from her pouch before looking around the laboratory. She walked near the laboratory sink, turning it on then plugging it so the water float. With the sink now full, she turns the sink off then washed the three orbs with the water. After washing the orbs, the pattern on their surface brightens up, as do Davida's face. 'I knew something was missing about this orb' Davida felt happy. When she explored the laboratory earlier, although she forgot herself, she did not forget to check the orbs. As she checked the orbs, she felt that the orbs had a visible pattern on them but were seemingly blocked by something. Davida tried to bring the pattern out; however, nothing works.

Seeing as nothing she tried didn't work, Davida put away the orbs. As she explored the laboratory, she found a sink, then turned on the sink and felt the water flowing; she thought the water felt strange as it prickled her skin. Davida ignored it but still kept it in the back of her mind.

Now that the orbs' pattern was revealed, the three-round slot near the whiteboard lit up, each representing one of the orbs. Davida inserted the orbs one by one and felt that each one fits perfectly on the hole. Once the orbs were inserted, the platform sunk in as the wall ate up the orbs. Then, a podium emerged from the ground with an orb slot on it. Davida leaned in while Diane and Duncan walked near the podium to look.

Their expression turned pale, the room turned awkwardly silent for a minute. "Don't tell me we miss one orb?" Diane asked the question that Duncan and Davida dreaded to ask. They looked towards each other before sighing heavily. "We had no choice, do we?" Duncan smiled wryly. Davida and Diane shook their head in resignation then resolution flashed in their eyes.

"Well, if we're going to do this, then we need a plan", Duncan stated. Davida frowned, "Yes, we do, but all the previous information we had about the giant lizard would not be used, seeing that it purposedly baited us outside by feigning its weaknesses." Diane tilted her head, "Then, we just had to think about our teamwork; adapting to everything that the lizard might throw at us should be doable for us", she suggested. The trio nodded towards each other and proceeded to create a plan.

===

Anthony, the lion-headed giant lizard, was a proud being. He a was tough, mighty and powerful lizard. His enemy trembles before his presence as his appearance alone were frightening, not to mention his prowess. However, although the giant lizard appearance was frightening, Anthony's true power comes from his abilities to utilize mana like mage and his cunning that he learned from the Demon King.

The lion-headed giant lizard liked to play with his enemy as he found joy seeing his opponent fell into despair. Now, however, Anthony wasn't offered the satisfaction of torturing his enemy. Before the giant lizard was glad, after years of boredom, finally someone appears to cure his boredom. So, Anthony made a plan. He knew that he was trapped inside this castle as Anthony's father surrender himself to guide future Fate Master.

Without hesitation, Anthony followed his father, but few of his fellow brothers and sister did not do what he did, which Anthony resents them for it. After a while, he was tasked to guard the castle prison and laboratory by his father. His task was to provide trials for the Fate Master. Anthony gladly took this role as it satisfied his craving to play with his opponents. Then, all of a sudden, challengers disappeared, and he had to wait in boredom for who knows how long.

When Davida, Diane and Duncan come around, Anthony felt elated. 'Finally, I can cure my boredom', Anthony thought, licking his lips. His father commanded him not to kill anyone, but apart from that, Anthony could do anything. He was planning on how he could savour this moment to the best of his abilities. Alas, fate has not been so kind to Anthony.

His older sister, the strongest among the Demon King's children, appears out of nowhere. Anthony only feared two people in his entire life, one was his father, and another one was his eldest sister. Worse of all, his eldest sister was fond of Davida and the others and did not let Anthony toyed around with them. Frustrated, he could only curse Davida, Diane and Duncan in his mind.

Now, he hung around the ceiling, waiting for them to comes out of the laboratory. Anthony waited around half an hour, but Davida and her friends hadn't come out yet. Feeling vexed, Anthony couldn't help himself to ram his body towards the metal door. He bangs on the metal door for a hot minute before stopping and going back to hang on the ceiling. After he got back, Anthony felt something on his head. A cute little bunny look down on Anthony's face, "Impatient, aren't you?" she said with a smile.

Anthony grumbles, "What's taking them so long? Just go out already…." The giant lizard shook his lion head. The little bunny pat her little brother head, "Just be patient. They needed another orb to get through, right? Thankfully, you hid the final orb just as soon the Dullahan was defeated", the little bunny stated. Anthony clicked his tongue, "It wouldn't be fun if I did not hide it, sis", he said nervously. The little bunny giggled, sensing her little brother nervousness, "Don't worry. I would allow you to have fun a little bit, not too much, though."

The giant lizard flinched, "Ha… ha… ha… Surely you jest sis…." Anthony stutteringly said. The little bunny chuckled at Anthony's reaction. She knew full well that all her little brother and sister was afraid of her. Because of that, the little bunny developed a habit to frightened her younger siblings for her own benefit, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't love them.

The little bunny raised her eyebrow and glanced towards her little brother, "You remember the deal, right?" The giant lizard hurriedly nodded, "Of course, sis. I will not use my abilities nor my cunning to fight against your friends…." Anthony somberly said. The little bunny nodded, "Good. You said it yourself; you, a mighty and powerful lizard, could beat them without using your mind and abilities", she smirked at Anthony. The giant lizard puffed up his chest, "Of course, sister, I'll prove it to you", although he said that, deep down, Anthony regretted opening his big fat mouth.

The little bunny patted her little brother, "Good, that's what I expect from my little brother. A man of his words", she praised Anthony sarcastically with a smile. Then, both the little bunny and the giant lizard sensed that the metal door was opening. The little bunny hopped away, "Good luck, little brother", she said before suddenly disappearing somewhere.