12. Bond
Argenta Prime hadn't been this much disturbed since the last demon invasion almost a century ago.
The people around the hotel Hero Flux were all evacuating as the military arrived. There were heroes wearing black armour, covered from head to toe.
They surrounded the entire premises of the building, and at the front of it all stood a man with a calm gaze. His brown eyes were glued to the building, as if not wanting to miss a detail.
His silver armour didn't reflect the light of the radiant sun, and he stared at the tall building with dead calm.
All the soldiers there were on edge, wondering why an Inquisitor would summon 500 heroes all of a sudden to this place.
"Um, Master Leonard."
The Inquisitor looked behind him, hearing his name.
A soldier in black armour knelt in front of him on one knee.
"Sir, the soldiers are troubled. If you don't mind me asking, why did you summon us out here today? Did a demon infiltrate the capital?" the man asked, his voice hoarse through the helmet.
"No, we're hunting a thief," Leonard answered, looking back at the building.
"A thief..." the guard mumbled, taking a step back.
What could a person steal from the church that a small army was arranged just to capture them?
The soldier walked back to his team. Whoever is the one that they are after is one unlucky human being.
The air around suddenly started to get cold. The temperatures dropped at a rapid pace, making the soldiers look around in excitement.
"No way, it's the GI!"
"What? Is that why it's so cold?"
"Forget the cold, you should be glad that you'll be able to see him today."
All the soldiers kept looking around for the person.
Leonard smiled, looking to his side, far into the sky. There was a faint outline of a gigantic beast soaring towards them.
It came into view. A loud screech reached the soldiers, making them stagger. Some lost their footing, others fell from the sheer pressure.
The person arriving is the only General Inspector in the world. S-rank hero of the church, Killian. Codename... Frostseeker.
Leonard couldn't see the person on the creature clearly, but he could see the creature.
It was massive, a quarter the size of a plane. Its blue scales emitted a chilling cold and its golden eyes stared down at all the mortals below it.
Its two, wide, large wings had spikes on them, the span even wider than its entire body.
Whoosh!
The dragon landed in front of Leonard, its serpentine eyes staring at him intently.
A person jumped down from it. The man had long blonde hair that was let wild. His blue eyes surveyed the environment. A smile grazed his face as he saw Leonard in front of the soldiers.
"Is the premises secure?" The man's calm voice reached the ears of the soldiers.
Leonard smiled, looking at the man who seemed to have fallen out of a perfect painting.
"Yes, General Inquisitor," Leo answered, making Killian smile.
"You've worked hard. I hope to work with you soon," Killian said, nodding at the Inquisitor.
He stepped forward, putting energy into his legs.
Boom!
Killian shot off the ground, arriving on the floor window instantly and breaking into it.
He frowned, looking around the room. There was no one in there. The bedsheet was stained with blood and a black cloak lay nearby.
He could sense traces of the item they're looking for on the coat.
Bang!
The door of the room flew open. Black-armoured soldiers stormed into the room, surrounding the premises.
"He's not here. Search the entire building!" Killian ordered.
The soldiers immediately responded, scattering around and searching every floor.
Killian's eyes glowed a bright golden. The entire world blurred out, turning into a different world of yellow and red.
Killian could see every floor, every activity.
"He's not here?" he mumbled.
No one has ever escaped from his gaze. It was clear that the egg was here a moment ago, judging by the presence in the room. But to escape so fast...
"Only an S-rank hero can pull this off," he gritted his teeth.
The temperature in the room dropped drastically. Spreading to the hallways, snowflakes began to form in the air, and the running water close by froze in place.
Killian let out a sigh. His calm blue eyes radiated a deep coldness.
This was his first failed mission.
...
Inside the danger zone where dungeon sanctum number 9 was located, two individuals were sprawled on the ground, out of energy.
Veyra got up, her white hair dirty with dust. Her eyes scanned Santiaga and she confirmed that he was okay.
"What the hell did you do?" Santiaga's voice reached her ears and she flinched, jumping back.
"No, no, no. I was just trying to save us," she answered, waving her hand at him.
She remembered the time he put a knife to her throat and was about to cut her if she didn't yield.
Santiaga sat up, letting out a sigh.
He just wanted a good sleep after he came back from a hunt. But it seemed like he wasn't getting any rest soon.
He stood up, walking past Veyra. The woman looked confused at his actions, frowning.
"Where are you going?" she asked, furrowing her brows.
Santiaga looked back at her, a confused expression on his face.
"I'm going to find another place to stay the night. I'm tired." He turned around, waving at her.
Now that he saw that it was a creature that was trapped in the egg, who was also a woman, he didn't exactly want to bother himself with her.
If they can track her, then he'll be in danger.
Veyra watched him go, words stuck in her throat as she held her words.
"Wait! Please wait!"
Hurried footsteps ran close to Santiaga and he felt a tug on his arm.
He looked back to see Veyra standing behind him. She looked up at him with a pained expression.
"I'm currently very weak. Please, take me with you," she mumbled, falling on her knees.
Santiaga shook his head, looking outside.
It was dark and it was raining. The sounds of thunder reached his ears, making him feel nostalgic.
"They can track you. I can't help you," he answered, looking down at her.
It would be amazing if he could have a divine beast by his side, but she said she's weak. Which means she can't use her powers, which meant she's useless...
'Although she did save me. I can't be caught when I haven't started growing,' he thought, walking away from her.
Veyra stared at the ground. She looked hesitant, as if she wanted to say something. She looked scared.
"W–wait. Santiaga..." she mumbled his name.
For some reason, he heard her voice and he turned around.
"There is a way. If we... If we're bonded, we can't be found," she said, looking up to him with a tired smirk.
'Bonding?' Santiaga frowned.
In that moment, the system screen came up in front of him, displaying a message.
[Veyra, servant of ???, wants to form a master-servant contract with you.]
[When the contract is formed, she won't act without your permission, and her aura would be hidden in yours.]
[The system recommends you accept, as she's a servant of ???, father of the Devourer Ruin.]
[Do you accept?]
A smile came upon Santiaga's face. If it meant that he could grow stronger, then so be it.
"I accept. Now how do we do this?" he asked, and Veyra got up, walking towards him with her head down.
She got in front of him and turned around, removing the shirt she wore.
Santiaga was surprised. She knew she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Her perfectly white skin had a few red spots on it and her butt poked out towards him, almost touching him.
He looked back at her face. She was staring into his eyes. For some reason, his heart raced.
[Place your hand on her back to complete the process.]
Santiaga let out a sigh, placing his hand on her back.
'She's soft.' That was the only thought that came to his mind.
After the whole process, Veyra transformed into a small black puppy and climbed on his neck.
Tomorrow was the day he goes to the academy for the entrance exam. He hadn't lost sight of the system quest and his goal.
[Main Quest Issued]
Objective:
Track and confront Jefferson Pierce, Head of Discipline in the Hero Academy and ex-war general, known as The Iron Hand.
Sub-Objectives (optional but rewarding):
Uncover Pierce's past crimes (0/3 discovered)
Figure out his weakness (0/1)
Exploit his weaknesses during combat (0/2 used)
Leave a public mark (witness count: 0)
Make him bleed
Rewards:
+100 Random Attribute Points
Parasite Growth +30%
Reputation Shift: [Feared] in Noble Circles
Unlock [Memory Fragment – The Burning Door]
Random SSS Ranked Skill
Failure Consequences:
Authority crackdown
Disciplinary Trials
[Side Quests]
[Become a hero.]
[Objective: Join the hero ranks and enter the Hero Academy.]
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