-Origin Energy-

“What do you mean ‘standard monsters’, is there even a monster standard that I am not aware of?” Joy asked before looking in the same direction the creature fled to.

“That’s not it. This one, how do I say it… it’s a little different.” Kenshin’s eyes flashed as he remembered that brief moment of the fight. Especially that black tar-like substance growing out and stopping his elbow. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like the creature already knew he was going to hit there and thus already prepared in advance.

‘How is that possible? Did this monster too have something like ‘Dragon Sense’?’ this question bugged Kenshin very much. More importantly, why did it attack and then vanish after eating a single defeat? What was his objective? Kenshin again shook his head to rid his head of a quagmire of thoughts. Too many questions and too few clues, even if he thinks for a year, he wouldn’t be able to figure out the answer.

“Then where did it go?” Joy probed further.

“I don’t know.” Kenshin sighed again. The battle was too sudden and so fast-paced that he didn’t get the time to mark it with a marker. Once again he was shocked by the creature’s decisiveness which rose another question in his heart, ‘did this creature know I am a system user?’

After a second he smiled bitterly and shook his head, ‘that can't be possible.’ Kenshin thought he was being too paranoid just because of a few instances. Having reached such a height, what weirdness he hadn’t seen? How can he lose his shit just because of a unique monster like this?

After returning to the ghost-town turned village, Kenshin and Joy reunited with Chiba and recounted their adventures and the final showdown with Atub, the god. Well, the bulk of explanation was done by Joy while Kenshin added just bits and pieces when the former carried away with his story. And thus the group of three returned to Mito on a mixed note but a job well done nonetheless.

Most of the villagers left the village when strangeness started to occur. The remaining ones were killed by Atub, which was mentioned as the handiwork of a powerful monster and was recorded officially as such. Not everyone going to believe that its actually a freaking god that did everything and even more so, just two people stopped him, right?

The official quest’s rank was also updated to beyond A rank, and as an apology for providing wrong information, Kenshin and his little group were exempted from the compulsory task for this time around. This reward came as a much-needed relief to Kenshin and Joy who never wanted to bother with these low-level tasks.

Their enemies were ancient dimensional level creatures. How can they be countered if they engage in such low-level tasks? Their time will be well spent if they go and clear those level 10+ dungeons. By killing and mastering the fights, they can grow strong and proceed forwards. Kenshin or Joy, neither wanted to feel that helplessness they felt while facing that kid from Sylph race.

Back at Mito, everything was going on smoothly. After the whole attack fiasco, things had started to look for better. While the city itself was healing back to its previous form, Kenshin and others took a much-needed break. For a week straight, Kenshin spent all his time with Yuki, trying to make up for the times they had lost.

One more thing was that, since the battle with Atub, for some reason, Tar’el had gone silent. She had not shown herself for the whole week. Although it bothered Kenshin a lot, he didn’t allow it to show on his face. That didn’t last long, however.

After one such date with Yuki, when Kenshin was returning home, suddenly a small figure came out of his body and floated in front of him. This figure was none other than Tar’el in all her boney glory.

“You have been quiet for a long time, what happened?” Kenshin asked while hiding the relief he felt after seeing her again. Although they had formed a contract and bound to each other by it, their relationship never took a step forward. They couldn’t even be considered acquaintances, only people using each other.

However, if you see someone every day and then that person just vanishes one day, anyone would feel weird and somewhat worried about that person. Of course, Kenshin was worried about her.

“Hmm, what with that tone? Are you perhaps worried about me, hmm?” Tar’el joked, showing a coy face… that would have been the case had it not for her lack of ‘face’ that is.

“Who is worried about you? I was just thinking if you returned to that cave or something… it would have been bad to lose such a handy ability like infinite durability, you know!”

“Is that so!” Tar’el said in a tone that meant she didn’t buy it but didn’t delve on it further, she changed the subject, “say, isn’t there is some change on my body?”

“Change? You are still the same… wait a minute, you… how come you are no longer translucent?” Kenshin realized that Tar’el wasn’t that translucent boney fairy anymore. Rather, her body looked like she was made out of real bones.

“Hehe, I was doing this the whole time.” Tar’el answered smugly.

“This, how is this possible? How can you make a real body for you?” Kenshin was still confused so he continued to probe on the topic.

“Remember all those cuts you made on that god’s body?” seeing Kenshin’s nod she continued, “I absorbed all the golden blood that stuck to the sword. That blood, as expected of a god, filled with pure divine energy. Although that energy was minuscule, it was still enough to create this body of mine. I still had a handful of spare energy left to give myself a few skills.”

“Wait for a minute, absorb a god’s energy? Aren’t you undeads fear divine energy the most?”

“That is true for low-level undeads, but once we ascend to a higher realm, the nature of energy no longer matters to us. Be it divine energy or negative energy, we can absorb and utilize both for ourselves.” Tar’el explained patiently since she knew it will be helpful to her contractor to know about this. The speed at which this human before her grows, Ascension was just around the corner for him. Tar’el couldn’t help but be giddy about the kind of creature this human being would ascend into when that time comes.

“Then, what is this energy you are using? That Core, you or even that kid of Sylph race, what kind of energy you guys use? I have noticed it before, you guys are not using standard magic that I and others use. What’s up with that?” Kenshin asked remembering the heavy pressure he felt when Core opened the dimensional gate. Now that he thought about it, he felt a vague type of pressure from that kid and also during his contract forging with Tar’el.

“Of course, what we use isn’t some ordinary magic. Its called Origin Energy, a higher form of magic that you use. Purer and more concentrated.”