Chapter 0202

Tempest waited patiently for the laughter to die down. She got the feeling they were laughing at her expense but she can’t pinpoint the source.

Once Cardis finished laughing at the comedy he witnesses, he set up a barrier so they can talk.

The second Cardis finished setting up the barrier, Tempest pounced on him.

“Damn bastard, making me act like a fool!” Tempest tried punch Cardis but it came out as quick girly attacks that do absolutely no damage at all.

Cardis didn’t even bother to dodge as he retorted, “You already are a fool. Playing a clown is no different than how you would normally act.”

“I may be silly but I’m no fool. That was just bbbbaaaadddd.”

“Now you know the pains your teammates have to deal with.”

“Pfft. What pains? I’m all sweetness and light.”

“And the trouble with a capital T right behind you.”

“Puhlease.” Tempest rolled her eyes at Cardis. “Trouble does not follow me around.”

“It’s more like you invite trouble with your stupidity.”

Tempest glowered at Cardis, “How about I invite trouble right now by stupidly opening my blabbering mouth?”

Sensing the squabble was going in the wrong direction, Kain jumps in to mediate between the two. “Master, Big Sis Tempest, please don’t fight. If anyone is to blame, it is me.” Kain Gourd said with an aggrieved voice.

Tempest set aside her difference with Cardis to reassure Kain Gourd. “Nah, it isn’t your fault.”

“It is Big Sis Tempest. As they say, treasuring a jade ring becomes a crime. It is my fault you and master have to create the Spiritual Oath Contract and put out three precious treasures as collateral for my protection.” Big fat drops of tears slid down Kain Gourd’s face as he mourns the price they paid for his freedom.

“Hmph. If blame should be placed then it should be firmly placed on the shoulders of those greedy bastards. It isn’t your fault you are money.” Tempest pat Kain Gourd’s shoulders in consolation.

“Big Sis Tempest, thank you for all you have done. If it wasn’t for you, my safety could never be assured and I’d have to hide in the Emblemic Mountain Range for the rest of my life.” Faced with a teary-eyed little cherub staring adoringly at her with heartfelt sincerity, Tempest could only look away in shame for complaining over her part in securing the boy’s safety.

It was strange considering she never had any trouble with Starm and yet it was hard for her to refuse the innocent teen.

Given their appearance, with Starm looking like a five-year-old and Kain Gourd looking like a preteen, Tempest should have a stronger aversion to Kain Gourd except it was the opposite. Tempest had to actively stop herself from punting Starm every time he tries to get close to her yet she makes allowances when Kain Gourd hugs her.

It wasn’t their age either. Starm was a fake five-year-old boy. He’s five thousand years old, with all the experience of a five thousand years old monster to match. No matter how much Starm tries to fake it, there is no innocence in his eyes.

Kain Gourd’s estimated age was around eight thousand years old but he has the mind of a young child. He may be old but he spent most of his time in the Emblemic Mountain Range, not daring to take a step out of Cardis’ protection lest mages kidnap him for their nefarious purposes.

“Hmph. Although Cardis is a worthless human being and a horrible teacher, he has his uses. I’m sure he could have promoted you to a three elements natural element sooner or later.”

“It’s not the promotion that guaranteed my safety but the True Blessing you gave me last night. That is the biggest protection anyone could give a natural element.” Kain Gourd snuggled against Tempest. Despite him being physically bigger than Tempest, when he hugs her like that, it makes him look small.

Tempest was helpless against innocent gratitude, especially when she didn’t set out to cast the True Blessing in the first place. It was an accident, albeit a happy accident.

As to how it happened, one must know the events leading to it to get a better understanding of the conversation at hand and the gratitude Kain Gourd felt for Tempest.

______________________________________________________

Flashback to last night.

All of Tempest’s teammates know Tempest perfected qualities of a lazy slug mimicking a corpse. Once she goes to sleep, unless there was an imminent danger or the lure of food, Tempest would not wake up.

That wasn’t to say she slept like a stone rock. Okay, she generally sleeps like a stone rock, hence the lazy slug mimicking a dead corpse impression she gave her teammates. However, when Tempest sleeps with something other than a sound mind, she tossed and turned worse than a ship sailing through a category three hurricane.

It was easy for Cardis to sneak into her room, snatch his little Successor and tossed onto the ground three hundred kilometers away from the inn Tempest was staying at without alerting anyone.

Cardis knew the spirits were protecting Tempest while she slept but Tempest shouldn’t solely rely on the spirits for protection. The fact that he didn’t teach her how to protect herself while she slept escaped his mind.

Him throwing Tempest on the ground was to wake her up. Cardis is stronger than Li Ming and Fenix and can escape the damage inflicted by the spirits but that doesn’t mean he wants to suffer their pesky pranks.

Hence the throw.

Tempest wasn’t hurt by Cardis’ rough handling. She didn’t even felt it since Mizu protected Tempest from harm by creating a Water Sphere to cushion her.

The jostling did rouse Tempest from her fitful slumber.

“Hey, what’s going on? Where am I? This isn’t my comfortable bed.” Tempest said groggily.

“Would it be surprising if I expressed disbelief at my Successor’s survival ability until now?” Cardis asked the man next to him.

“My friend, you know even an idiot with the intelligence of Mavein Sea Slug born from a cracked shell would be able to thrive with the help of the spirits much less your Successor who has slightly higher intelligence, no doubt due to your hard work.” A masculine voice filled with testosterone and a bit of indulgence range out.

Tempest wants to melt into a pile of goo. That voice was deep and inviting and oh so sexy. It was like Peter Cullen doing the voice of Optimus Prime with a soft Russian accent.

Tempest plastered herself to Mr. Tall, and Handsome’s thigh because in her semi-lucid state she doesn’t realize she is a child. “Hello, handsome. Where did you come from?” Tempest said with a sweetly sensual voice as she gazes adoringly at the man.

The man froze at Tempest’s action as if he couldn’t believe a child would throw herself at him. Then he turned to ask Cardis for help but thought better of it since the man’s dark expression said he better handle the situation to his satisfaction quickly or he’d be killed in the most horrible fashion possible.

With hands trembling with fear, the man pried Tempest off his thighs and threw her to Cardis. He grabbed the preteen boy next to him and held him out like a protective amulet.

“Go away! I already have a lover!”