Yeshua’s last stand benefitted a squadron’s captain. The warrior displayed extreme courage, strength, and tenacity as he battled against Denuchi, Rao Wu, and their soul pets. Rao Wu was in awe as Yeshua unleashed one terrible attack after another, forcing them back on several occasions. These weren’t soul techniques either, but something different. These attacks originated from Yeshua’s energy and sword, something the youth was yet to experience.

Unfortunately, Yeshua’s struggle only prolonged the inevitable. Rao Wu and Denuchi increasingly pressurized him as he fatigued, until Yeshua eventually slipped up, allowing Lu Lin to bind him tightly, preventing any chance of escaping.

*cough* *cough* Yeshua vomited clumps of blood as he laid on the ground. The captain weakly stared at the clouds above, replaying the events that led to his loss. Should he have gotten rid of Denuchi earlier? No, he had always known about Denuchi’s treacherous intentions, but the wolf-hybrid never had the means to carry out his ambitions until now.

If there was one thing that changed, one thing he did not account for, and thus did not plan against—

“Wow, you’re still alive?”

“…Brat.” Yeshua’s muffled, pained voice let out a weak chuckle as he looked at the child whose face blocked the sky. “I should have done everything to kill you when I first saw you.”

Rao Wu did not take offense to that statement. Instead, he gently removed Yeshua’s helmet and then tossed it aside. “Whoa, you’re younger than I thought.” Rao Wu was shocked to find a handsome twenty-something-year-old youth underneath the helmet. All this time, he worked on the assumption that Yeshua was a middle-aged-man.

“Heh. Of course, I’m a genius, after all.”

Rao Wu skeptically looked at Yeshua. Where did this guy’s confidence come from? How could he wear a confident smile even at death’s door?

As if reading Rao Wu’s mind, Yeshua chuckled and declared with fierce, burning eyes, “I may have lost this battle, but humanity will undoubtedly win the war. Your time is numbered. Eventually, all you mutts will be brought to heel. For the Glory of Humanity!”

Yeshua’s final embers died out after his chant. He then shut his eyes and finally gave up the ghost, still with a confident smirk on his lips. Yeshua’s demeanor shook Rao Wu’s confidence. This was the first time he came across a man whose faith superseded his desire to live. Such men had an unbreakable conviction in their belief that made them more threatening than even the fiercest warrior on the battlefield.

Rao Wu swallowed hard but then looked up when he felt a pat on his shoulder.

Denuchi revealed an exhausted smile as he patted Rao Wu’s shoulder. “Don’t let it get to you. There are many men like him on all sides of the war. Their conviction is bravery when on your side, and tyranny or madness when on the other side. You can’t let yourself get swayed by their emotions no matter how powerful they might be.” The seasoned warrior then glanced at his teammates. “Find something you believe in, and strive to achieve that. Then you’ll never break, no matter how many ideologies they throw your way.”

Denuchi chuckled as he pulled out the Shaman’s Orb from his bag. “With that said, this is yours, as we agreed. What are you going to do with it?”

Rao Wu looked at the Shaman’s Orb with a complicated expression. He then looked at Rubik and the beastkin, Ramy and the hybrids, and then at Yeshua’s corpse. The child took a deep breath as he came to a decision and then looked at Denuchi. “You said you wanted to save the other hybrids, right? I might have one way, but you have to what I say.”

‘I didn’t judge him wrongly.’ Denuchi’s lips parted to reveal a wide grin. “Sure. What would you like me to do?”

Rubik hated fighting with the hybrids, but he had to admit they made the battle a lot easier than it should have been. The hybrids and the soul pets seriously relieved the pressure when the humans’ soul pets went berserk after their masters died. Thanks to that, the beastkin-hybrid coalition slaughtered the remaining soul pets without losing a single member.

However, things became awkward after the battle ended. Without the human threat serving as a buffer, the hybrids and beastkin were not sure how to interact with each other, leading to both sides awkwardly facing off against each other.

Just as Rubik was about to give the order to attack, a gargantuan pillar of light suddenly appeared in the nearby Fort Drakon.

Rubik squinted as he stared at the pillar in shock, “What is that?”

Meanwhile, in Fort Drakon, Rao Wu balked as he stared at the enormous light pillar. In fact, due to being so close, it looked much more like a light wall to him. Fortunately, the phenomenon did not last long. The pillar of light slowly shrunk until it took the shape of a man and then dispersed to reveal a strange beastkin.

The giant lycan, standing at nearly three meters, was naked save for leather armor worn around the waist to cover his privates. The lycan’s midnight-black fur and silver eyes glistened under the moonlight.

However, his most striking features were the series of chains bound to a collar and several bands around his hands and legs. The chains hovered in the air as if bound to some invisible entity and emitted a pressure that choked the little Rao Wu.

The lycan’s silver eyes glanced down at Rao Wu. Then, he held out his hand after seeing the Shaman’s Orb in the youth’s. “Give it here.” The lycan’s voice was gruff, cold, and ancient. It was strong enough to make the ground tremble, let alone Rao Wu, who forced down the fear in his heart.

Rao Wu didn’t know who the lycan was, but he had an inkling this mission was different from the start. It was strange he did not start in a room like the previous mission. Using that and the mission format, Rao Wu always suspected the method of completion would be very different from the last few stages.

Rao Wu forced a loose smile on his lips as he juggled the Shaman’s Orb. “The mission was to steal the Shaman’s Orb and bring it here, right?”

The lycan frowned but then nodded. “Right. Now, hand it over.”

Rao Wu, however, shook his head and said, “I brought the Shaman’s Orb. I want to hear that I passed the mission before I hand it over.”

“Are you doubting my integrity?” The strange lycan seemed to have taken great offense at Rao Wu’s words. A formless pressure suddenly pressed down on the youth, threatening to break his bones to pieces.

Rao Wu was about to give in, but then he recalled Yeshua’s confident smirk even in death. Then, recalling Denuchi’s advice, he gritted his teeth and said, “It’s not about doubt or not. Just confirm I completed the mission first. The mission said to bring the Shaman’s Orb here. And I’ve done that, haven’t I?”

The lycan frowned. His countless millennia's worth of wisdom easily picked up on the youth’s intentions. “Indeed, the specific warning states you only have to bring the Shaman’s Orb. It says nothing about handing it over. But, have you thought this over? Are they worth incurring the administrator’s wrath?”

Rao Wu’s eyes trembled. “You are the administrator?” The lycan’s silent gaze answered the youth’s question.

Rao Wu remembered the bonus ‘Administrator’s Favor.’ That bonus gave almost as much Chaos Points as all the points he acquired. The fastest way to facilitate his and his soul pets’ growth was by using the Administrator’s Favor’s bonus points. Common sense dictated he did all he could to secure the Admin’s favor.

However, despite Rao Wu’s brain saying one thing, his heart would never forget Yeshua’s confident smirk as he died. That unshakeable conviction. Rao Wu wanted that for himself. Denuchi, to an extent, had a similar resolve, but it towards the betterment of the hybrids and himself.

What was Rao Wu’s conviction?

“To be honest, I don’t want to piss you off.” Rao Wu started in a low voice as he gazed at the Shaman’s Orb. “I want strength. Strength to protect my family from greedy people who want to steal from us and harm us. I want the strength to make sure my family never ends up like the hybrids in this world, caged without the ability to make their own decisions.”

The administrator smiled as he held out his hand, “Then you know what to do—”

“But, more importantly, I want to be the Emperor of Soul Pets!” Rao Wu’s eyes blazed with flames as he looked up and met the administrator’s eyes. “I’ve always said this since I was small, but it’s only now I know what I mean.”

‘You’re still plenty small.’ The administrator kept this thought to himself. Hybrids mentally developed slightly faster than regular humans. It was a trait picked up from beastkin, who usually matured to adulthood (both physically and mentally) in four to five years. “And what does that mean?”

Rao Wu clenched his fists as he replied, “Soul Pets affect the lives of everyone in the world, whether it’s beastkin, hybrids or humans. I can only truly be the Emperor of Soul Pets when I’m the Emperor of all living beings.” Rao Wu’s gaze burned with enthusiasm as he started talking faster. “What’s the point of being an Emperor if my subjects are always fighting and killing each other? Whether it’s humans, hybrids, or beastkin, everyone has their reason for fighting. I’ve seen for myself that there’s no good or bad side.”

“And what are you going to do about it?”

“I will unite them under me one day.” Rao Wu raised the Shaman’s Orb. “But first, I’ll start with this to prove peace is possible.”

The administrator shook his head. “What makes you think they want peace? There are many who profit from war on all sides. Do you think they’ll let you have your way?”

“Hmph!” Rao Wu snorted with the naivete only a child could have. “So what if they disagree? The Emperor of Soul Pets is always the strongest person alive. If they don’t agree, I’ll keep crushing them until they do. Isn’t that what it means to be the Emperor?”

“Pfft—” The administrator burst out laughing and then said to Rao Wu. “Do you know what you’re saying? Do you have any idea how many people you’ll have to kill to get what you want? Rivers of blood accompany every paradigm shift—not only the guilty but the innocents’ too. Are you capable of carrying that burden?”

“Dunno.” Rao Wu nonchalantly shrugged. “That’s for the older me to find out. For now, I’ll do all I can to reach my goal. That is my conviction.”

“Conviction?” The administrator snorted. “We’ll see how long that lasts.” Despite his words, he waved his hand, causing a chair to fly out of the building and land behind him. He then sat down and said, “You have fulfilled the mission parameters, so I declare this mission passed. Now, you have twenty-four hours until I’ll forcefully take you back to the test chamber. If you’re not back here by then, I’ll dock fifty-percent of your final points as transportation fee.”

“Fifty-percent!?” Rao Wu’s eyes opened wide, but he then scratched the back of his head and asked, “How much is that?”

“Ah.” The administrator stared at Rao Wu with disbelief. “What are they teaching kids these days. You don’t even understand basic math? Half! Fifty-percent is half.”

“Half!?” Rao Wu screamed in horror. “What kind of money-grubber are you!? Half is way too much!”

The administrator snorted. “Want to see the rate go up to seventy-percent?”

“Seventy-percent is more than half, right?” Rao Wu swallowed hard and then quickly shook his head. “No, no. It’s fine. Fifty-percent is more than fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, dear, great Admin.”

“Go. I’ll be here when you return.” The administrator lazily waved his hand to dismiss Rao Wu. A small smile cracked at the edge of his lips as the youth ran out of the fort. “Emperor of Soul Pets, huh. Many have had that dream over the years, but none have truly accomplished it. Do you have the heart to embrace the chaos needed for such an achievement?”

The administrator raised his left hand, and then watched as a black ball began forming on his palm.

CLANG!

However, the chain tied to his hand suddenly yanked back, causing his left arm to pop out of its shoulder socket with a nasty crack.

The administrator did not seem shocked by the phenomenon. He glanced at the chain and then looked over his shoulder at some distant sight no one else could see. “Relax, Natsu. I just felt like stretching a little.”

The administrator’s words seemed to have worked as the chains relaxed a moment later. “Hm.” The administrator smiled and then ‘looked’ beyond the fort’s walls at the running youth. “Interesting.”

Rao Wu, oblivious to the administrator’s gaze, ran back to Denuchi, Lu Lin, and Xian Da. He’d left the latter two behind to assure Denuchi he wasn’t planning on fleeing with the Shaman’s Orb,

When he returned, Rao Wu patted Xian Da, and he praised the two soul monsters, “Thanks, guys. I couldn’t have done this without you. You can go rest now.”

Xian Da and Lu Lin briefly acknowledged Rao Wu’s gratitude, then returned to their respective soul spaces.

After recalling the soul pets, Rao Wu glanced at Denuchi. The older man’s curiosity was evident, but Denuchi chose to bury his questions. The experienced warrior could tell when an issue was above his paygrade.

“Alright, let’s do this.” Rao Wu nodded at Denuchi and then walked to the beastkin and hybrids.

Rubik’s eyes widened when he saw the Shaman’s Orb in Rao Wu’s hand. “You actually got it? Quick, bring it so that we can return.”

To Rubik’s surprise, Rao Wu shook his head. “No. I will only give it to you in exchange for the hybrids you took prisoner.”

“What!?” Rubik’s eyes burned with fury, but he did not dare attack when he saw Denuchi and the other hybrids standing behind Rao Wu. His men were already exhausted from the consecutive battles at home and then here. Even if they won a potential battle, it would be a terrible pyrrhic victory. Rubik did not want to lose more beastkin if he could help it. “Are you siding with the hybrids?”

“No,” replied Rao Wu. “I’m siding with common sense. The hybrids aren’t our enemy. They’re just as much victims of the war as we are. I told you the humans slaughtered my village. What I didn’t mention is that there were many good and kind hybrids amongst those killed. I’ve already seen enough death. I don’t want to see any more than I have to.”

Rao Wu continued lying without pause, “Mr. Denuchi agreed to hand over the Shaman’s Orb if we promise to free the captured hybrids. We’ve already fought enough. There’s no point in more fighting.”

Rubik snorted. “And if I refuse?”

Rao Wu calmly juggled the Shaman’s Orb. “Nothing to it. I’ll just toss the orb in the moat since you like death so much. You can then kill each other for nothing.”

Rubik’s brows immediately bunched up. If they were anywhere else, Rao Wu’s threat wouldn’t hold any water. But, everyone knew how terrifying the soul monsters in that moat were. It was impossible to retrieve anything that fell into that moat.

Rubik was enraged! He was sure that Rao Wu planned everything, but without any proof, he could only grit his teeth and say, “I cannot make that decision. Only the chief can.”

Rao Wu nodded. “Then go meet the chief. But you only have twelve hours. If you’re not back by sunrise, I’ll assume you chose not to come and toss the orb in the moat before leaving.” A stroke of inspiration hit Rao Wu as he hastily added, “Yeshua said there’ll be reinforcements arriving tomorrow. I don’t intend to wait long enough for them to get here.”

“The human said that!?” Rubik’s heart trembled. Reinforcements, he said? The beastkin could not fight another battle so soon, especially on this open ground. Gritting his teeth, Rubik said, “Fine! I’ll speak to the chief. But you must accompany me as an assurance the rest won’t run away.”

Rao Wu opened his mouth to speak, but Denuchi interrupted him.

“I’ll go,” Denuchi stated as he placed a firm hand on Rao Wu’s shoulder. He smiled and then said before the child could retort, “You’ve already done more than enough, child. Let me handle this much, or I might just kill myself from shame.”

Rao Wu hesitated, but then eventually agreed.

Denuchi walked over to Rubrik and then said, “Let’s go. You heard the child. We don’t have much time.”

Rubrik snorted. He was angry but had nowhere to vent his rage, so he just waved his hand, “The rest of you stay and make sure they don’t run with the Orb. We’ll be faster with just the two of us.”

Denuchi nodded. “My sentiments, exactly.”

Rubrik let out a low grunt and then ran off, calling over his shoulder as he did, “Keep up, hybrid!”

Denuchi waved goodbye to the crew and Rao Wu and then quickly chased after Rubrik.

Rao Wu returned the wave until Denuchi and Rubrik disappeared from view. He then turned to look at the tense hybrids and beastkin.

Grruuuu~

Everyone turned to look at Rao Wu, who nervously chuckled and rubbed his belly. “Anyone hungry?”