2070 Red Cloud Beas

After White Real departed, Han Sen and Lone Bamboo continued walking up Rainbow Cloud Peak.

“This is the highest point of Rainbow Cloud Peak. That Cloud Beast is a rare sight.” Lone Bamboo sat atop Rainbow Cloud Peak.

Han Sen sat next to Lone Bamboo on the plush cloud. He looked down the clouds below him.

A white cloud beast that looked like a unicorn was running around in the clouds below them. There was also a phoenix-like rainbow cloud beast flying around in the air. Han Sen could not tell which Cloud Beast Han Sen wanted to nab.

“When you see it, you will know it,” Lone Bamboo said.

“Can’t you just go to its den?” Han Sen asked.

“This Cloud Beast doesn’t have a home, as it wanders constantly. And it is too fast to run down. Even a Duke might not be able to catch up to it. That is why we must wait.” Lone Bamboo settled himself comfortably and placed his jade sword upon his lap.

“That jade sword is important to you.” Han Sen was curious why Lone Bamboo still used a jade sword that had been built only for practice. He could have used any sword he wished—even a King class one.

Lone Bamboo did not answer, and he looked over the sea of clouds before them.

Han Sen let the subject drop. But when he thought the conversation was over, Lone Bamboo spoke. “Do you believe there is a real god presiding over this world?”

“It depends on how you define what a real god is. Some people take deified elites for gods,” Han Sen said.

“Not like that. I am talking about a god that can grant people wishes,” Lone Bamboo said.

Han Sen was shocked. Gods like that, from what Han Sen had come to learn, were nothing but bad news. From the god encountered by the Seventh Team to the Sky god on Planet Eclipse, they were some real arseholes.

“Did Lone Bamboo make a wish with a god?” Han Sen looked at Lone Bamboo for a while before speaking. He said, “Maybe. But I don’t like that kind of god.”

“Why?” Lone Bamboo asked with a shift of his eyes.

“I once had friends who made a wish to a god like the ones you’re talking about. Each of their stories ended poorly.” Han Sen answered the question simply, but he did not elaborate on the specifics.

Lone Bamboo looked at Han Sen for a while, and then he turned back to the clouds. Very quietly, he said, “My sister made a wish to a god such as that.”

When Han Sen heard this, he couldn’t believe his ears. In shock, he said, “What? Your sister made a wish to a god? Who was that god? And what happened?”

Lone Bamboo looked at the clouds and calmly answered, “Something bad happened to me when I was young. Friends sold me out, and I was abandoned by my lover. I became a useless man. My sister prayed that I could pick myself up and be fine again. I don’t know which god she prayed to, but I saw him take my sister. And then, I was punished by the nightmares.”

“You saw him? What did he look like?” Han Sen immediately asked.

“I couldn’t see the man’s face. He grabbed my sister by her arm and pulled her into darkness. I tried to follow, but I failed. My sister was dragged into the black. She was so scared, and she kept yelling something, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying. I could see that she was telling me to save her, but I was useless and I could not do anything. All I could do was watch what happened.”

Lone Bamboo paused. When he spoke again, his voice was as slow and calm as ever.

“The man smiled at me, but I could not see his face. That smile has been scorched into my mind, and it has never warped or faded with the passage of time. I keep seeing it in my nightmares, and that is my only firm memory of him. If I ever find him, I’ll recognize him through that smile he left me with. I will never forget this.”

Han Sen’s chest ached as Lone Bamboo finished the story. He now understood why the man had been able to endure the nightmares. Perhaps his heart had already been irreparably damaged, and so he couldn’t get any worse.

Lone Bamboo continued. “Whether he is a real god or not, I have to find my sister. I will kill this god, even if it costs me my own life.”

“If it is possible, I would like to kill that god with you. I’d like to kill a lot of gods, actually,” Han Sen replied. He had stumbled across a common interest with Lone Bamboo.

Han Sen wanted to find a god, but he did not know if it was the same god that Lone Bamboo was searching for.

Lone Bamboo did not answer. He just looked out over the sea of clouds, seemingly unfazed. But suddenly, light began to shine over the edge of the clouds. It was bright and red, rising across the sky.

A red cloud was approaching them. It was so fast that it looked almost like a jet. It left a contrail of red smoke in its wake.

Now Han Sen understood why Lone Bamboo said he’d know the creature when he saw it. That Cloud Beast was a unique shade of bright red. It was shaped like an ordinary cloud, but its color made it unforgettable.

In a second, the Cloud Beast was next to the peak. When the other Cloud Beasts saw it, they backed off.

The creature began to circle the peak, leaving streams of red clouds behind it. It saw Lone Bamboo and Han Sen in its path, but it did not make an effort to avoid them. It wanted to play.

“Whoever claims it keeps it.” Lone Bamboo gripped his jade sword and stood up. He teleported toward the creature and swung his blade at the red cloud that was nearing the peak.

No matter how many times Han Sen saw it, Lone Bamboo’s strike was eye-catching. As simple as it was, it was profoundly beautiful. It was incredibly fast, as well.

Even with Han Sen’s speed, there was no guarantee he could avoid a swing such as that.

But that red cloud released red light like a rocket. The red mist was discharged behind the Cloud Beast like a propellant, and suddenly, the creature disappeared from Han Sen’s vision. And Lone Bamboo’s attack had missed.

“So fast!” Han Sen was shocked. The red cloud couldn’t teleport, but it moved fast enough that it seemed like it could.