Chapter 22: Everything is Getting Complicated

Jasper returned to the television room; Raven was still sleeping. He picked her up in his arms and teleported to a room with a bed.

As a result of the teleportation, Raven woke up and slowly opened her eyes and saw Jasper's face. He was indeed a very handsome man.

*Thumb, thumb* Her heart was pounding...

She blushed slightly but didn't have the courage to talk to him in this position. She closed her eyes again, rested her head on his chest, and pretended to be asleep.

After Jasper placed her on the bed, he went back to the television and started thinking,

'How can I fix this magical device? Hmm... I guess I can't figure it out without examining it.'

Jasper created a knife with his blood in his hand and cut the television open from top to bottom.

He stared blankly inside the television, "Ehm... I have no idea what I'm looking at. I guess I'll need to find someone from that human's world"

Jasper took a potion from the Alchemy room and said, "While I'm there, let's test this one too."

Jasper went to the castle entrance, performed the ritual, opened the portal, and stepped inside.

-----

**Meanwhile in Elf Forest**

Sylvaine carefully put down the golem and knelt in front of it, studying its expressionless face. "Do you have mana?" she asked, her tone curious. The golem blinked and replied, "Aba."

Sylvaine raised an eyebrow. "If you have mana, can you release it to scare humans?"

"Aba."

"Do you even understand me?"

"Aba."

Frustration crept into her voice as she continued to ask questions, but the golem's responses were always the same. Then, without warning, the golem began to shift and change. Sylvaine watched in awe as it transformed into a towering figure, standing over seven feet tall, with a muscular build that exuded strength and power. It even got clothes on this time...

"Wow!" Sylvaine exclaimed, taking a step back. "That's incredible!"

The golem, now in its powerful new form, gave her a reassuring smile, thumbs up and said, "Aba."

As they walked through the forest, the towering golem beside her, they suddenly encountered Prince Edwin of the human kingdom. His eyes narrowed as he saw Sylvaine, and a sneer formed on his lips.

"Well, well, if it isn't the elf who can't control her temper," Edwin said mockingly. His gaze shifted to the golem. "And who is this oversized oaf?"

"Aba!" the golem replied, its voice deep and resonant.

Sylvaine maintained her composure. "His name is Aba."

Edwin scoffed. "Aba? What kind of name is that for such a brute? Do you have him here to make yourself feel safer, Sylvaine? How pathetic."

Sylvaine clenched her fists, trying to remain calm. "He's here to protect our people."

"From what? Your own incompetence?" Edwin retorted, stepping closer. "You're just a pathetic elf trying to play at being important."

Sylvaine's resolve began to waver as Edwin's insults hit closer to home. The prince smirked, seeing her falter, and raised his hand.

"It's time for you to pay back for beating me up!"

Before Sylvaine could react, he slapped her hard across the face, the sound echoing through the forest.

The golem's eyes flared with an inner light, and it moved with lightning speed. It grabbed Edwin by the neck, lifting him off the ground. Edwin struggled, his face turning red as the golem's grip tightened.

"No, Aba! Let him go!" Sylvaine pleaded, trying to pull the golem's arm away. But the golem didn't respond to her commands. The prince's guards attacked, but their weapons bounced off the golem's skin, leaving no marks.

With a final, crushing squeeze, the golem broke Edwin's neck and dropped his lifeless body to the ground. The guards, now terrified, fell to their knees, begging for mercy. The golem looked at them, its expression confused, and said, "Aba?"

The guards, seeing their prince dead and the golem unmoved, scrambled to carry Edwin's body away. Sylvaine turned to the golem, her face a mixture of anger and frustration.

"Do you understand what you've just done?" she demanded. "You've killed the prince! This will start a war!"

The golem tilted its head, seemingly oblivious to her distress. "Aba," it said, as if trying to reassure her.

Sylvaine sighed, realizing the golem didn't understand the consequences of its actions.

Sylvaine and the golem made their way to her home, a large, intricately carved wooden house nestled deep in the forest. Inside, King Aelthar, Sylvaine's father, was lounging in a plush chair, his chubby form relaxed and content.

As soon as he saw her, he hurriedly got up and waddled over, his face lighting up with joy. "Welcome back, Sylvaine!" he exclaimed, wrapping her in a warm embrace. His eyes then shifted to the golem towering beside her. "And who is this?"

Sylvaine took a deep breath. "This is Aba."

King Aelthar looked confused. "Aba? Why did you bring him here?"

"Prince Edwin took it personally when I beat him up," Sylvaine started.

"You beat the prince?" her father interrupted, astonished.

"Yes," she confirmed. "And he's planning to use it as an excuse to start a war."

King Aelthar's eyes widened in alarm. "A war? This is serious, Sylvaine."

"That's why I went to Jasper's castle to get help," she continued. "He gave me this golem to protect us."

Sylvaine paused, her expression growing sad as she struggled to find the right words. King Aelthar sensed something was off. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" he asked gently, his concern evident.

Sylvaine clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly as she continued. "After I left the castle, we encountered Prince Edwin again. He started provoking me, saying awful things. And when he slapped me, Aba reacted... he killed the prince."

Her father's eyes widened in panic. "What have you done, Sylvaine? What have you done?" he cried, rolling around in distress. His fat body jiggled as he moved, adding an almost comical element to the seriousness of the situation.

Sylvaine, trying to maintain her composure, snapped, "It was about time you got in shape and started fighting for yourself! How long are you going to just eat and sleep?"

King Aelthar stopped his frantic rolling and looked at her sadly. "Even if we start working now, we won't be ready, my sweet daughter. We're not prepared for a war."

Sylvaine's resolve wavered, and she realized he was right. She sighed deeply, accepting the gravity of their predicament. At that moment, the golem smiled warmly and said, "Aba!"

Sylvaine looked at the golem and thought, 'Was Jasper right? Can this thing really protect us?' She was filled with uncertainty but also a glimmer of hope as she considered the golem's potential.

----

**Meanwhile in Castle**

Velrith was pacing around the castle, her senses sharp. She felt someone's presence in one of the rooms and thought, "Another intruder, huh?" She was about to walk away when she caught Jasper's scent on them. Anger flared up inside her.

With her submissive nature taking a backseat, she marched to the room and threw the door open. Raven, startled, immediately got into a defensive stance.

"Who are you?" Raven asked, eyeing Velrith, who was clearly a succubus.

Velrith, fuming, ignored the question. "Why do you have his beautiful scent on you?" she demanded.

Raven looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Playing dumb, huh?" Velrith snapped. Her bloodlust was palpable, filling the room with a tense energy.

Without warning, Velrith lunged at Raven, her claws extended and aimed at Raven's throat. Being a succubus, Velrith could siphon life force and manipulate emotions, but right now, she was too angry for any finesse.

Raven was an experienced assassin, reacted quickly. She dodged Velrith's attack and countered with a swift move, using Velrith's momentum to flip her onto the floor. Raven pulled out a hidden blade, its edge gleaming.

"I don't know who you are," Raven said coldly, "but you're gonna regret attacking me."

Velrith growled, even more enraged by Raven's resistance. She got back on her feet, ready for round two, realizing this fight wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.