NOVPUB"Everyone agrees to the plan, right? I'll only take Chloe and Audrey with me while the rest hide close by as backup?" Muku asked for confirmation.
The girls nodded in agreement. It was best to keep the infiltration team as compact as possible. The goal was to do the work without being discovered after all.
"Wait... What about Tilda?" Audrey suddenly asked Chloe. Tilda was once a very important person in Chloe's life after all.
"Umm, let's make my dad the primary target. If it's not inconvenient to take her along when the time comes. We'll do so. We shouldn't go out of our way to get her out though. It's not like she'd die if she stays there" Chloe replied in a slightly chilly voice.
"R... right" Audrey replied in an unsure tone. 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
She didn't know how to react to Chloe's chilliness toward Tilda. It was rather amazing how much Chloe liked Muku. To the point that she practically disowned her caretaker for being rude to Muku.
She was again reassured that Muku really couldn't give up on any of the girls in that life. Who knows what would happen...
"Anyway, let's move on. It's time to discuss something equally important and a lot closer to home. What's our game plan for the World Evolution?" Muku spoke. It was finally time to talk about the World's Evolution. He didn't care about the unrepentantly rude Tilda, so he just ignored her matter.
"It's simple really. We'll do what we've always done... Get stronger" Layla was the first one to speak. Her words were undeniable as well.
That was practically their only choice. They couldn't reason with beasts after all. Just like how humans couldn't reason with chickens. Even if beasts had the thinking capacity to reason, which chickens didn't have. They probably still wouldn't want to reason with their food.
So what if the food was smart? Food will forever be food. Especially when it could stab you in the back and eat you instead.
"Great plan. Let's start by having those that are R2 reach R3 and those that are R1 reach R2. It should be doable in less than twelve hours if you focus on that alone" Muku agreed with the plan. He proceeded to urge the others to get stronger.
"Oh, right, before you go. I learned from Iris that the voice we are always hearing is called The Messenger. As for whose messenger and stuff like that. She didn't say, she kept most of the details hidden like always. However, that's not what's important. What matters is that we know how to address it" Muku told them one more thing before some left to rank up.
As for why he didn't ask Iris to go deeper and tell them more about this Messenger she was talking about... Well, they had enough problems already. Knowing such things reeked of more problems. Which he didn't want...
After he spoke, Chloe, Hope, Emily, Elsa and Freya left to rank up. They were all close to it anyway. So, it shouldn't take too long.
"Can we talk for a bit?" Muku was about to go and practice his domain when a voice came from behind him. He felt a light tug on his shirt as well. Prompting him to stop in his tracks.
It was Layla who had called him from behind. It seemed the girl really had something to talk about based on her actions from earlier.
"I have to go see Jade" Emily spoke as she left. There was a somewhat gloating look in her eyes as she passed by Muku.
"I also have something to do" Audrey also excused herself. She practically flew out of the room like she was running away from something.
Muku found both their actions rather odd but he didn't think too much about it. After all, Layla was as reliable as Chloe if one didn't involve her fixation with winning.
For that reason, he didn't think too much about what she could want. He just turned back to her and began speaking.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" He asked curiously.
"Let's go talk outside..." Layla replied while walking toward the exit.
The way she did it, made it seem like Muku could do nothing but follow. She could be really pushy if she wanted to be.
While Muku felt a little uncomfortable with her actions, he just chalked it up to her weird personality. So, he quietly followed behind her.
The outside she talked about turned out to be outside the mansion property entirely.
She didn't even stop there. She kept walking until they were a whole kilometre away from the mansion.
"Umm..." Muku made a confused sound. He was completely lost to what was going on. It was kinda making him feel a little uncomfortable.
Was she planning to take him out to the woods and end him? No, she wouldn't do that, would she? She wasn't that type of person, nor did she have any reason to do it.
"Don't worry, we're already here. I brought you here because I want us to have a little spar. It's just to help me get used to my current abilities a bit more..." Layla finally told Muku what was going on.
"Oh! That's all? You scared me for a bit there. Sure, how do you want me to help you?" Muku spoke while sighing in relief in his mind. He was starting to suspect that Layla might have somehow found out about what he did with Audrey.
"Nothing much, just fight me with your metal element alone while I use my ice alone" Layla replied.
The moment her words fell, the ground below them started freezing up. Frost spread until half a kilometre was covered by it. Then it went up into the air. It reached a height of around forty meters and then closed off. Such was a simple feat for a Rank 3 like Layla. Even if she was a newly ascended one.
"Well... This is definitely impressive and quite beautiful. However, doesn't this tilt the battle too much into your favour?" Muku asked while looking around at the crystal-like dome.
It was a rather beautiful sight with the reflection of the sun's light which made it seem surreal. Layla's ice manipulation capabilities were so good that she could make her ice look like diamonds. Of course, it was still cold as hell.
"Maybe a little bit. But you have your physical capabilities and you're more used to this rank than me so..." Layla defended herself.
"Well, fine..." Muku agreed with her logic.
Of course, he could argue against it with some very logical points. However, he would rather not argue with a girl. He'd definitely lose the argument whether he's more logical or not.
"Thank you for understanding. We'll begin when this ice reaches the ground" Layla spoke with a little smile on her face. She then tossed the ice she had created into the sky.
Muku silently agreed and prepared to start fighting. His mana was already swirling around him. Layla was a pretty formidable opponent after after all.
"What do you think one should do when they feel conflicted between anger and happiness?... I said, vent" Just before the ice reached the ground. Layla took control of it.
She then asked Muku a question. Which she proceeded to answer before Muku could.
"What?... AHH!" Muku was about to ask what she was talking about when he was ambushed.
Not by an unexpected enemy like Ares or something like that. It was actually Layla who ambushed him.
Just when he began speaking. She stopped the ice to the ground. Encased her fist with ice then disappeared into the shadows. She appeared in front of the unsuspecting Muku within the next second and punched him in the gut as hard as she could.
If Muku was expecting it, it wouldn't have hurt too much since he could tense up his muscles. It even put on an armour. However, he was caught completely off guard.
Layla was also not supposed to use anything else but ice. So, her use of her Shadow Element added to the surprise. Not to mention that he wasn't expecting it.
No wonder the brat created a shadowy area. While the ice let light in, it was still a bit dark. Which wasn't significant to Evolvers like them with their improved senses. For that reason, Muku didn't suspect anything when he looked at the environment which was perfect for Layla's Shadow Element.
He was regretting it a lot. He should have known that something was up. There were so many signs that something bad was good to happen. Yet he ignored everything.
"What are you Ahh! Ahh!" Just as Muku was trying to ask Layla what she was doing. She attacked him again.
He was attacked two more times before he flew up to get away.
Bang! Boom!
Just when Muku thought that he was safe in the sky. An ice pillar descended from the sky and hit him hard on the back. He instantly plunged to the ground and broke through the ice.
"Ahhh!!!" His suffering wasn't over, however. The ice around him started constricting around him. It seemed like Layla was really trying to kill him.
Which confused him heavily. That's when he remembered the words she said. "What do you think one should do when they feel conflicted between anger and happiness". There could only be one explanation...
She had somehow found out about what he did with Audrey. Why tf was he getting caught by everyone in less than 24 hours?!...
