"Haha... don't worry I won't be eating them alone, you can take it... and we'll share the rank 3 core alright". Black spoke, chuckling, petting Zephyr who already ate her 3 normal cores.
...
Both Black and Zephyr had already reached level 59 after spending seven days doing nothing but hunting, killing and devouring other powerful rank 5 creature's to become stronger hence at present Black and Zephyr were teteering between the edge of level 59 and level 60.
Just a few more hunts and killing normal level 57 to level 59 creature's — Black and Zephyr would be able to reach rank 6 rather easily since they dodn't have any minor or major bottlenecks because of the virtue of being a proginetor and the first born.
During this time there mastery over there abilities have seen significant progress too.
Black could now resonate with the elements present in the nature with his [ Resonance ] trait Controlling them to a certain extent. Although he is only limited to the 5 basic elements right now, [ Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal ] Since his mastery was still at the biggner level more accurately, Black has increased it till 30 percent in this time frame.
Furthermore when his mastery over his trait reaches the second level — The Accomplished Level, Black would probably be able to resonate with atleast 10 elements. Maybe some abstract elements too and the extent and versatility of his manipulation would surely increase in range too including the strength of the elements.
Additionally, Black's [ Dissonance ] trait had also seen major improvement, as his [ Sensory Discordance ] ability have further evolved since — now it could even brake the bond between the more ethereal senses of an existence such as 'the sense of self' or 'the sense of space-time' compared to before where it could only brake the bond of the sensory system and the mind leaving the victims paralysed.
Meanwhile now Black could directly collapse his victims self-awareness by braking there 'sense of self' using his [ Sensory Discordance ] ability.
However Black is majorly unaware of the extent he could use his [ Sensory Discordance ] ability because he hadn't met any Rank 6 creature in these past 7 days since any rank 5 or lower creature would simply have there self-awareness collapsed the moment his ability hit them.
Nevertheless, after eating the magic core and the Ox meat that Black cooked on fire both of them were simply resting.
Besides as for how he created the fire — it was obviously by using his Resonance trait.
While his mastery at present only allowed him enough versatility to create small fire balls by resonating with the fire elemental present in the nature yet that was enough for his current use.
Since anymore and the [ Resonance ] would simply brake because of the resistance the elements themselves put against his 'will' or 'control' causeing the gathered fire element to simply disperse.
Moreover, He even got some salt by boiling the bioluminescent fungi attached on the giant tree roots sprawling all over the underground caverns, and since every root was tens of meters thick he even got the fresh water to boil the fungi just by cutting the side of a root slightly.
After boiling the fungi, Black just simply dried them up using fire again, making a powder of the fungi using wind elemental therefore he got his salt to enjoy with the Ox meat.
And of course he knew about how to make the salt using his Partial-Omniscint ability since the first time he cooked the beast meat after leaving the small cave, it was quiet bland, so he had just asked his Partial-Omniscint on a whim.
And he got this answer — That time he was really grateful to have such an amazing ability.
...
A few hours have passed...
Black and Zephyr were just resting near the fire After a good meal and the long hunt.
Furthermore in these massive underground caverns there was no sun-light or moon-light only the small illumination coming from the large, small or giant crystals embedded on the tree roots and the above ceiling of the middle-layers and the bioluminescent fungi.
Thus after every now and then, Black and Zephyr would simply lie down to rest there body and mind from the long hunt or to simply pass time as they had nothing to do.
Sometimes spending hours doing nothing, Sometime 1 or 2 hours as they had no way of telling how much time had passed in these caverns.
Just enjoying the light warmth of the fire and each other.
He created the fire, using a fragment of the large tree root he had cut and again cutting that fragment into smaller fragments, then extracting the moisture out of them using the water elemental, thus drying them.
Resulting in the good fire they enjoyed which provided them with both warmth and with another source of light in these caverns which was mostly surrounded in darkness.
"Just a few more days to go and we'll finally break-through to rank 6... After that you should be able to get your revenge too, Zephyr". Black looked at her, his voice gentle and calm, trying to hide his emotions, the fury even wrath.
He was totally beside himself when he learned about what had happened to Zephyr before she met him and even though 4 days had already passed since than his dark thoughts still hadn't calmed down even till now because he cared about Zephyr a lot more then he think he did.
Meanwhile, Black was leaning against the Giant Tree Root. Before him the small fire burned like flames dancing with frevent energy, the embers, like tiny stars, drift upwards, carried by the rising tendrils of smoke and the small breezes of wind. Casting a warmth and a light golden glow. The air shimmered with heat, by the wood burning in the gentle flames.
In the silence and quiet that followed after he finished — Black looked below at Zephyr who had already transformed into her serpent form again, coiled on his lap.
His golden gaze mirroring his voice — Calm and gentle.
Upon hearing his question, Zephyr looked up. Her Sscarlett orbs just as enchanting and beautiful as ever, she spoke.
"Umm... Just 1 or 2 more day and I'll finally be able to kill that Nether spirit... But before that I'll ask him why did he come and slaughter my family and turned them into those abominable undead. Not letting them rest in peace even after he slaughtered them, even in death.. " Zephyr finished, her voice heavy, crocked even broken.
Her eyes, a little moist reflecting her sorrow and grief even suffering. Zephyr still remembered the scene of her small family being slaughtered vividly.
She remembered how her small self trembled in despair and terror when the dead and empty eyes of her father, her brother even her other siblings who were also born with her, looked at her.
Even though dead. They moved, slithered towards her mother and herself who were the only one left alive, and How that Nether spirit crackled and laughed menacingly as he looked at them with enjoyment, like some sort of objects for his entertainment. And how her mother fought for there survival and how she died but managed to bought enough time for her to escape.
She remembered all of it like it happened just yesterday —
Seeing her unstable emotions, Black's eyes widened, 'sh*t how could I forget, she is still traumatized by that experience. Only 7 days had passed since that happened after all'. Black thought feeling guilty.
Apparently neither Black nor Zephyr could accurately judge time in these caverns, so even though Only 7 days had passed, it felt a lot longer to them. since they had experienced a lot of things in these past 7 days. And if his System didn't tell him his age he wouldn't even know how much time had passed or would've thaught more than a month had passed.
"I'm... I'm sorry Zephyr I shouldn't have said that because of me you had to remember those depressing memories again... I'm sorry!!" Black apologized in guilt and self-blame.
Seeing, how her earlier display had affected Black. Zephyr just smiled kindly and spoke..
"No you don't have to be sorry. These emotions are something I have to overcome. I can't live in these past traumas since I have a new family now, don't I!! ~ " trying to cheer him up.
When Black heard what Zephyr said about 'trying to overcome her past', he also smiled gentlely, his earlier guilt faded too.
"Haha.. You are right Zephyr, we are a family now and I would never let something like that happened to you again!!." Black spoke, his voice back to his calm and confident self.
He only looses control over his emotions whenever it's something related to Zephyr.
Changing the topic..
"Anyway, that Nether spirit you told me about..." Black asked, as he remembered something.
Seeing he had Zephyr's attention *umm..*
He continued..
"You said that he came from the ground layer right.. the one below the middle-layers!!." Black asked, he still remembered Zephyr talking about it briefly in there previous conversation.
"Umm... I had heard my mother saying something to my father when that Nether spirit had appeared in our den near the giant tree roots near the Dark-Fall lake, something like 'why would a nether spirit from the ground, come up' though at that time I didn't understand what she ment compared to now when I know there is a layer below us called ground-layer!!." Zephyr answered, her voice steady as she tried to remember anything of importance.
"And that nether spirit was also a Rank 6 existence but still managed to kill your parents who you said were also Rank 6.. can you tell me how Zephyr!!." Black asked as this was something he could not understand since he didn't know anything about Nether spirits in general or what type of creature's they were or just what were there abilities.
Apparently even Black's Partial-Omniscint ability also came blank when he asked it. even though that nether spirit was clearly a Rank 6 existence as Zephyr had told him. Meaning it was still in stage 2 under the limit of Black's Partial-Omniscint ability. And when he asked Double about it, he simply said Black had no karma with it or something and that only Zephyr had it.
Black couldn't comprehend what he ment so he directly asked Zephyr.
Zephyr replied, her voice disgusted, hateful even vindictive. She remembered everything she heard and saw that day as it was the memory that changed her very destiny..
"Nether spirit themselves aren't that strong. At least that's what I think since the one that killed my parents wasn't. He nearly died when my father went berserk as the undead that he commended killed all of my other siblings while crackling menacingly. I don't know much about what a nether spirit can or can't do. However the one who attacked and slaughtered my family had the ability to bring back the creature's he killed to life again as mindless Monsters using his nether energy. which he used to create an army of hundreds with creature's of different races and ranks or level in it!!."
Zephyr stopped to take a deep breath..
She Began..
"The undead of different ranks from 4 to 6 even though weak when they were alive and weaker then my parents stil became the bane of our family since no matter how they used it. My mother or father's poison just didn't work on the undead. Moreover since my father had went berserk disregarding all of his defence, uncaring about his life. He was eventually killed by the curreption of nether energy of those powerful rank 6 undead's and became one of them.. "
"My mother had to watch my father brutally get killed. She couldn't do anything to save him either since she was busy protecting me using all of her strength from the hord of undead.. "
"Even though wounded and broken at seeing her family get slaughtered she did everything she could to protect me.. " Zephyr chocked, her voice a little heavy.
However she just shook her head and sighed..
"Alas even she couldn't hold on for much longer just being on defensive and... And after a few more minutes she too succmed to her wounds. And became one of the undead all the while that maniac laughed menacingly. enjoying the feeling of destroying our home as though it was something normal!!." Zephyr finished, as she smiled at him. This time her voice was stable and calm no longer carring the previous tumultuous emotions.
Black simply nodded and closed his eyes, his mind heavy with many complicated emotions. Black couldn't understand how could a baby who wasn't even a day old suffer so much yet in just seven days still have such a beautiful smile.
Seeing that Black didn't have anything else to say or ask..
Zephyr also closed her eyes and coiled her body back on his lap.
...
4 hours later, suddenly Black opened his eyes from his sleep when he heard the sound of something approaching.
His golden gaze staring at the Darkness past there small fire, which crackled time and again..
Zephyr also opened her eyes then transformed into her humanoid self, her onyx slits narrowed as she looked at Black. Then at the pitch-black darkness on the right side..
"Zephyr come here..." Black said as he moved in front of Zephyr to protect her in case of any danger —
...