How They Met

" I . . . Nah, I can't tell you. Ask about Ren, he will answer whatever you ask him anyways" said Bunny as he point at Ren when Josh asked about how a white dragon like him be enslaved by a human like Daniel. The curious Josh looked at Ren.

". . .You're just embarrassed aren't you?" Ren glared at Bunny, Bunny guiltily looked away. " Alright, alright. But it's nothing interesting" he added as his eyes set at Josh while still facing Bunny.

" It's fine"

Ren smiled. " I WAS a bird from a tower, that tower has two hundred floors and birds my race is at the third floor, we kill players with hums, songs, and lullabies, we have this cursed voice that helps us live up to a certain day. I was born, raised, and cared for, but when I hit the age where I gained consciousness, everything became hell, I was always snorted at and ridiculed, not only my race but my own parents as well. I have a problem flying, my wings are attached backwards which made me a laughingstock -" Ren stopped when Josh raised his right hand.

The other creature looked at Josh, this is also their first time listening to Ren's background story.

" You said your wings are backwards, but in your bird form, you certainly have a graceful form, your feather wings are shiny and seemed like taken care of every day, it's not attached backwards either, why is that?" Josh asked and the other creatures nodded.

A blissful smile formed on Ren's handsome face.

" That's thanks to master" he stated which made Josh speechless. " Let's continue, shall we?" Ren said, Josh and the others nodded.

" Since I am a definite disgrace to my race, I was kicked out of the NEST and that's when I determinedly thought of a plan to kill as many hunters who are climbing the tower as I can. My first prey was someone who's sitting on the top of a tree who's humming, then, he suddenly started coughing blood, with the sight of his malnourished and pale body, I pridefully said that "This will be easy".

I climbed up the giant tree and approached him with a hypnotizing lullaby, I continued singing softly for minutes to make sure that he's going to be an easy kill, but when I sat on his lap to check, instead of an absentminded person from getting hypnotized, that guy complimented me with the words "Your song is a lot more beautiful than mine, I'm envious" he was wearing a beautiful and graceful smile that made me forget that he's the weak-looking boy for a moment.

He not only complimented my voice, but he also said "Your wings are attached backward, although it's unnatural, it looks cool" he leaned to the trunk and moved uncomfortably for seconds that I thought he was going to attack, surprisedly, he's just feeling uncomfortable then he fainted.

I watched him sleep peacefully, Hours has already passed and it's already nighttime, but I remained watching, I was spellbound.

He woked up and named me "Ren" . . . . Ahem!. . . He then freaking slipped from a small branch trying to get down and eventually die from falling off of the tree, he was so clumsy!!! He hit his head thrice and bled uncontrollably! he has so many broken bones that not even the most powerful healer could heal him!!!!!. After that, I was sent on a blank space with other hundred kinds of creatures!!! I was so amazed and was thinking about him as the new sun for my new journey but to think that he would die just like that is a freaking turn-off!!!!" Ren shouted!. ' And to think that I said I want to be like him is so. . . . !!!!!. May a God still bless my hopeless soul'

Josh was surprised from a sudden turn to 360°, from the collected and bossy Ren to a low tempered and vulnerable Ren.

" Buhahahaha!!! That's almost the same as ours!!!" The other creatures said as they laugh.

" Eh?" The twelve looked at each other. . .

" So does that mean that all of you are kicked out of your race and was picked up by Ace?" Josh asked.

The nine, excluding Ren and Shin stood up and look at him with disdain as they circled Josh.

" Are you looking down on us?!" The ten's tone is not asking, rather, threatening.

" Guys, if master saw y-" Ren and Shin shivered, Ren did not finish when he saw his master behind the eleven of them, Shin and Ren cold sweated. 'S-speak of the devil!!!' They screamed internally.

" I said protect him, not threaten him. . ." Daniel spoke, facepalming.

The ten gasped and flinched before slowly turning their heads towards Daniel.

"M-MASTER!!!!!"

They all kneeled on the ground which made Josh ask why he kneeled too.

" . . . Josh. . . What. . . are you doing?" Daniel asked confusedly, he didn't even order anyone to kneel so why are they kneeling before him? Moreover, he doesn't really hear what they said, he just saw the eleven summoned creatures cornering his pitifully sitting friend.

" Hahaha I don't know. . ." Josh laughed awkwardly and stood up.

" Everyone go" Daniel ordered the eleven to go back.

The thirteen remained kneeling as they vanish into thin air.

"Uh. . . . What did you choose?" Asked Josh.

" Birds and be-. . . That" Daniel pointed at the five bears walking towards them, still about two meters away.

[Your prey has spotted you]

The game notified them.

As the notification screen disappeared, the bears. dashed towards them.

Josh cold sweated, it's not a joke, it really is a bear, a bear with red fur on top of that! their claws are as sharp as knives and as long as one's foot.

" A-Ace. Why a bear?" Josh asked as he watch the bears get closer.

" I just picked up the least troublesome two" Daniel answered.

' Pardon! A bird who have wings to fly with who knows how big they are, and a bear that looks mutant and intimidating. . . . . The least troublesome ones. . . . How so?'

" Don't look at me like that, I'm telling the truth" said Daniel to Josh who's giving him a bewildered stare.

" Oh well, might as well go along with it" Josh grinned at Daniel, his remark implied a challenge.

The bears are two more steps near them when the time suddenly felt like stopping.

The bright forest turned dark as if closing the lights of a room at night.

[It's nighttime, good night everyone]

Just when the darkness covered the whole place, Josh emitted light about a meter radius from him.

"Ah! It's bright again!" Josh said. "...!!!" He got startled when the five big bears cornered him.

" A-Ace, you alright?" Josh called while backing away, but since the light is from him, he's easy to get spotted.

" Don't worry about me, I can see through the dark, just kick what's kickable" Said Daniel as he watch Josh.

" But I . . . I can't move. . ." Said Josh, since he was young, he's always been afraid of the dark, he thought passing that certain range of light he's emitting, he'll be dragged into the darkness forever.

" I'm drunk, I will certainly kill anything alive insight without hesitation, so you have no choice but to run" he joked but it's true that he's a little drunk.

". . . . Then kill me" said Josh as he watch three of the big bears getting killed ruthlessly by mere hands of Daniel, while the other two is confusedly looking left to right, cautious from the attack of an unseen enemy.

" . . .That would be a waste of money"