Beast horde

Back on earth, Leona was currently still in the medical bay with her newborn child named ash. She had suffered some minor injuries during her child bearing process, so she'd been asked to stay some few more days to rest, and get proper treatment.

"Sigh.. it's been two days since he left now." Leona sighed deeply staring out the window. 'Why does he always have to leave on such circumstances? I know the world needs him, but I need him more!' She shook her head in frustration, biting her lips a bit as her face contorted into anger.

"You know.. sometimes I wish he wouldn't leave, and just stay with us forever. Wouldn't that be nice little ash?" She asked, gazing at her little child wrapped in a brown cloth clutched in her arms. The innocent child of just a week and some days old cooed softly, staring in her direction. but in reality he couldn't see yet, as everything was still blurry. Though what he lost in sight he made up for it in hearing, as he could clearly hear the voice speaking to him.

This was the only voice the adorable one mostly heard, and he soon recognized this person to be his mother. So he could always trace and recognize her voice, haven gotten used to it.

"Ahh!! what am I doing? you probably don't understand me my love." Leona let out a bitter smile shaking her head. Sighing in denial she lowered her head downcast, but soon felt a hand holding her index finger.

"Coo! Coo!!" The little boy softly cooed, blinking his eyes several times.

"Y-you do understand me." Leona's eye lit up, staring at her baby with glistening eyes. Overjoyed she hugged her little ash tightly, yet careful not to squish him with too much joy. Her protective mother instinct on high alert, clutching her baby like he could be stolen from her arms if she let her guard down.

"At least you're here to keep me company." She softly whispered, using her fingers to tickle baby ash face earning several low pitched coos. Hearing footsteps she turned around to see who it was, as she could see two figures approaching.

"Master gore! elder Chang!" She bowed slightly to the two figures, making their way towards her.

"Leona, what are you doing out of bed? you should be resting." Elder Chang frowned seeing she was already up on her feet, as he'd expected her to still be in bed resting and recovering.

"Am truly grateful for your care, but am much stronger than you think. Besides.. am almost ok to soon be discharged from here." She smiled thankful, for elder chang's caring attitude.

"Ehhm!" Chang nudged master gore's shoulder a bit hard, seeing he just stood there staring at the baby.

"Ouch!" Master gore grunted, caressing his hand. He could see elder chang's eyes gesturing he said something nice, to Leona and her child.

"You shouldn't force your body Leona. Even if you have a high cultivation energy, your body is still human." Master gore calmly spoke, making elder changed slap his head in frustration.

"O-of course master gore, I'll take your advice to heart." Leona softly uttered with a light smile. She didn't blame master gore at all, infact she was happy at what he said. Knowing his personality, she knew he was a strict no nonsense grumpy old man who rarely smiled or talked much. As to how she knew all these, well he had trained her husband a couple of times.

"What's his name?" Master gore calmly asked, staring at the little bundle of joy in her arms.

"Oh, it's ash."

"Ash? As in ashes from burnt coal? Now that's a weird name." Elder Chang raised a brow, surprised they'd decided to name the boy a strange name like ash.

"And I thought I was the only weird one." Master gore muttered in an inaudible tone, rolling his eyes.

"Not ash as in ashes from coal, but ash as in free." Leona smiled giggling a bit. She then placed the baby in elder chang's arms, as he'd requested.

"Coo coo coo?"

"Why of course young ash, am the wisest in this village." Elder chang declared, puffing his chest a bit earning a scoff from master gore to which he ignored, continuing his playful side with young baby ash.

"Coo coo.." the little child cooed softly, stretching his tiny arms towards the direction of none other than the grumpy old man in black.

"W-what.. you want to go to him?" Elder Chang asked surprised, seeing baby ash stretching towards master gore. Even Leona was a bit surprised, but she simply smiled observing the scene.

"Coo coo."

"Are you sure?" Elder Chang asked again, hoping young ash would change his mind but the latter was bent on his decision.

"Well I guess I can't stop you." Sighing elder Chang stood up, walking over to master gore whom frowned a bit.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it looks like? The baby wants you, so stop being such a grumpy pants and smile a bit. Or else~" elder Chang threatened, placing the cild in master gore's arm. The moment the child entered master gore's arm, he could feel his heart beating faster against his chest.

'Just sad. He chose to spend his life training and cultivating, he wasted the times he could've started a family. Now he's just a broken grumpy old man.' Elder Chang thought, seeing how clueless master gore was in handling a child.

'Master gore doesn't have a family, so he doesn't know how to handle a child. Sad.. I wish there was someway he could find happiness.' Leona thought with pity in her eyes, staring at master gore.

"Coo coo?" Baby ash could feel the old man's beating heart too, staring at master gore with his big puppy eyes.

'W-what's happening to me. Am I freaking out because of a child?' Master gore thought glancing at little ash. He could see the latters big puppy eyes staring at him with anticipation, which further melted his heart.

'I-iv'e never been this close in contact with a newborn child. I must admit their really small and fragile.' Master gore thought, not feeling any weight lifting baby ash seemingly lightless.

'And not to mention their frail cultivation essence.' A soft smile escaped his lips. 'Maybe this isn't all that bad.' He thought giving happiness a chance, as he played with baby ash.

"I-is he-?" Elder Chang stuttered in shock, vividly seeing a frown on master gore's face. Leona simply smiled, excited to see master gore smiling for the first time in forever.

"You know little one, I was the one who trained and helped your father cultivate when valine wasn't around. So that means you should address me as teacher." Master gore said, to which baby ash blinked severally staring at him.

"I said you should refer to me as-" master gore was cut short, as a familiar yellow liquid shoot out like a tap directly aimed at his face.

"I-i apologize master gore." Leona bowed, hastingly walking over to master gore and taking little ash from his arms, afraid the grumpy old man might make a desert out of him.

"Pfft.. hahaha!! You got pissed in the face by a baby!" Elder Chang pointed to master gore, laughing without a care in the world. Master gore seemingly remained silent, as the yellow liquid streamed down his face. Leona brought out a napkin to wipe his face, but he gestured with his hand not too.

"Even though this young one looks innocent, he's a troublemaker like his father." Master gore slowly said wiping his face. "And he sure doesn't miss just like his dad." Master gore said, and the next moment he started chuckling which then led to a frenzy of laughter.

"I-impossible! the old man does laugh." Elder Chang joked with wide eyes, to which the trio then laughed off.

"Hey! What's with all the laughing?" A voice pulled them from their laugh, as they could see babayaga and darling had now entered the bay.

"Aren't you two meant to be preparing for the stuff." Master gore frowned, his before attitude returning.

"Well you-"

"Who are you two to question us huh? Sure we should be preparing, but we couldn't resist coming to see the little bundle of joy!" Babayaga shouted cutting darling short. Her hands were placed to her hips, pushing her chest forward a bit.

"And besides.. shouldn't you two also be preparing? What are you both even doing here anyways?" Babayaga frowned, glaring especially at master gore who snarled at her. "Please, elder Chang and master gore just wanted to meet little ash. It was a pleasure having their company around." Leona said.

They then gisted each other about general stuff and master gore's predicament, to which they all laughed.

"What about head elder valine?" Leona suddenly asked, seeing no traces of valine.

"Oh! she was with Kodak last, but she should be on her way here." Babayaga said to which Leona nodded, continuing on with their gist.

....

Head elder valine could be seen currently on her way to the medical bay. Taking a few steps more she stopped, sensing the ground was vibrating.

"What's that?" She wondered turning round. Looking closer, that's when she could clearly see it approaching in the distance.

"B-beast horde!" She muttered under her breath.