Chapter Six

"So." Lucas dragged his words. "There was a reason after all and it wasn't because he wanted your puppet."

Lucas, who particularly felt guilty after cursing out someone: "Huh."

Watching the guilty look on his friend face, Darius couldn't help but want to tease. "I think he'd be ecstatic if you unblock his lightbrain contact sooner."

"S-shut up!" Lucas shout while making an angry expression with a red face but it definitely doesn't scare people to shut up.

Both Liam and Adriel who are also there to join in the fun couldn't help but laugh.

Lucas and Kaiden's relationship was actually a surprise. Both of them met on a vacation and didn't know the other identity. Nor that the fact their family and friend are actually close.

At that time, the only thing Kaiden knew about his lover was that he is a young mercenary who was out for a long vacation and would sometimes go missing for a small task to 'exercise'. The carefree, lively and slightly tsundere young man had completely capture his heart.

For Lucas, what he knew of Kaiden was that he has a son about a thousand years old who was already married, has grandchildren and that he was forced to take a vacation because he was too much of a workaholic. For him, the gentle adult but would be childish to get him his way with him was the cute side that got him.

For the Zorains, who could live for thousands of years, age really doesn't matter much when deciding their partner.

It was only after two years of relationship did they decide to introduce their partner to the family members. And it was all a big surprise.

After all, when Lucas saw Darius came in to the restaurant, someone who he didn't call because Lucas wanted to introduce his lover to his friends later. Got the shock of his life when his dear friend smiled like a devil with schadenfreude at them, lifted up his hand in a greeting and said, "Grandpa, Lucas."

There was definitely thunder rumbling with shock for the two petrified people.

Well, one.

Kaiden got his bearing back fast but Lucas, took a while and after he recovered, there's a huge feeling of wanting to be an ostrich.

After all the family member of the couple met, both of them got the blessing of the family. And now, it's been more than fifty years since they got married and they still act like newlyweds.

Lucas mumbled something and went to the corner with his lightbrain lit. It didn't take long for the lightbrain screen to be filled up with a handsome face.

Watching them both being greasy in the corner, Darius lost interest and continued with his work. After all, he doesn't want to eat dog food.

It will take one week to arrive at the planet and he needs to prepare for everything to make a perfect stage for the audience.

In a room filled with all kinds of bottles and apparatus for potion making, some are neatly stacked in one corner of the room while some are messily placed with broken parts. Near the patio, there are all kinds of potion making plants, weird looking plants moving in their pots and normal plants basking in the sun , ready for use. A glass cabinet was full of potion bottles with all kinds of colours.

A girl in a white dress, her blond hair shines brightly from the sun coming through the open window, was mumbling something while holding the potion bottle up to the sun. An appraisal rune on her left eye was constantly contracting and and expanding as she evaluate the potion. Finally she smiled and her eyes sparkled.

A cork was manifested and sealed the potion up in the bottle. Xavius hopped around the room with a laugh and beaming face. "A 100% level 9 Dangerous potion! Wheeeeeeee!!!"

There are three categories of potion. Arferol, Dhexe and lastly, Gerfaarlik.

There are different levels for each category, along with success rate to evaluate the value of the potion.

Potions in the Arferol are usually used as a practice hand for the beginners. Not too hard to make and there are five levels. Only after getting an evaluation of 100% success rate can they start brewing with the next categoy potion.

Potions in Dhexe category are what the magicians sell on the counter. The higher the levels are, the better the potions and the higher the price. It's even higher if the success rate is 100% because the potion wont have any weird side effect even if you consume it.

Gerfaarlik though, are potions in their own league. Not only the ration success rate is low, they are even more dngerous to brew as a single mistake can blow up the potion and lose your life in the midst of it. The less dangerous consequences would be wasting the whole pecious ingredients. The higher the level and success rate, the more dangerous it is.

The failed experiment that made Xavius lose his life was probably a failed Gerfaarlik level 10 potion.

**********

Back to the present.

Xavius carefully put the potion in a potion case specially made by her own hands. The wood was full of runes and array formation. Ones that she made for emergency and there are also for space expansion, safety formation and runes to defend against attack. Although she doesn't think there's anyone who could break in the manor but just for in case there is an emergencies when she is outside.

Fiddling with the bottle of potions and humming with a smile, she paused. Glancing at the sky, Xavius could hear that there was something tearing the atmosphere of the planet.

Xavius teleported to the roof of the manor and stared up at the sky. Her pupils dilated as she focused on the small spot of black that oh so slowly descends to the ground. From the silvery metal plate and round-ish shape of the thing that is coming down, becoming bigger and bigger, it's definitely not a living creature but a vehicle of some sort!

Her eyes lit up. Putting down the things in her hand. She locked the potion board case and set out.

Casting a swift wind spell, invisible spell, dissolve air spell as well as erasing one's presence breath spell. After all, Xavius himself is not sure whether it is an enemy or a friend. Jumping from one tree to another and looking up at the sky from time to time. Xavius heart beats in anticipation but also, in fear. Fear that what she thought is false.

As she searched through this planet that had no trace of her kind except the manor, her hope was diminishing little by little. If that small flame of hope is gone, only the stars know what Xavius would do then.

Not long just after Xavius left, a 2.7 meter Zoranian in an all black skin tight military suit, his black hair was covered with black military cap, a few strands of hair protruded under the brim of the cap and the sun cast shadows that obscured his eyes as he scans the traces around the manor. He stopped at the gate of the manor and frowned.

Somehing is different. This was his intuitive feeling and it became even stronger the moment he stepped inside the gate of the manor, bypassing the countless runes that protects the land of manor from outside view and danger.

The manor that shoud be lifeless because of the lack of zoranian living in actually had a breath of life.

As he walked into the manor, many changes could be seen. Although it wasn't messy, it certainly wasn't tidy either. Especially the room where he put the puppet in the sleeping cabin. The empty cabin was glaring to his eyes. The bed next to it was messy, there was even a cup on the nightstand.

Pinching the communicator that was connected with the warship, "Danger class 7S puppet is on the loose. Alert the others for any long golden haired, blue eyes with diamond pupils. Do not engage upon sight. Do not engage. Report to me upon sight."

"Received."

As he turned to leave, the backyard that was supposed to be a training ground caught his eyes. Darius stepped towards the balcony, his eyebrows raised seeing his training ground had become a miniature jungle. But he could see that most of the greens planted had medicinal and poison attributes and some was of unknown purpose.

To verify his guess, he checked the other rooms and had to stop thinking for a while.

Taking a deep breath, Darius decided to take things with an open mind, lest his brain would go overload. He is not a magician but a sword caster. He'll let those magicians figure things out for him as usual.

The magicians in question felt a cold shiver runs down their spine.

After considering how abnormal the situation is now, he said, "Control room, send two reconaisence camera."

Seeing as how things are out of his control, he can no longer do things by himself.

The communicator buzzed. "Sending the cameras to the located positioning. Sent."

A blue light formation lit a few meters in front of him and a small metal case bag slowly materialised in the air. He grabbed the bag before it fell and opened, revealing two finger wide metal ball case with runes inscribed. Imbuing mana to the cameras, the runes lit up and hovered around Darius. Five seconds later, the whole camera was invisible as it absorbs light to constantly powered on.

Now, it's time to search for the runaway puppet that seems to have it's own conciousness.