I saw the notification but thought it best to discard them at the moment.
However, I couldn't help but wonder the possibilities of Linda, with a power such as healing and being my shadow, earning a title that could be of immediate help.
Yet, the best way to differentiate a snake's egg from that of lizard's is by breaking them. I wouldn't clear my worry if I don't know what the title Linda earned is.
As I raised my right hand, with index finger stretch unsuspiciously, I made to tap on the notification.
That was when I heard the voice that cracked through the air, metallic and steady.
The words spoken by the voices were not of warmth as supposed by girl's voices, but was a sterile rhythm of programmed speech.
Simply, the voices were collective, and sounded mechanical.
I turned, and found out they belonged to the two girls who were now guarding the one sitting on the stone slab.
"Do you wish to join the demon clan?" Their two voices resonated around the dimension's hall.
"There are formalities." The voices resounded again, as if I had already agreed to their first request.
As they stood, their figures played out perfectly.
The girl who had wielded the iridescent wings of a dragon had glowing gold eyes, with flecks of crimson stripping diagonally across them like they burned. Her golden hair looked tattered to the eyes, but perfectly fitted her glamor.
Her skin looked moisturized, although faint blue scales glimmered light along her neck and arms. Except her short height, she was beauty forged in a seeming characteristics of flame.
By her right was the girl who had controlled the Water magic, the same height as hers.
Her eyes were narrow and gleaming, and her composure from the beginning was smooth, silent and dangerously captivating.
At strange intervals, she would tilt her head with short-lived smile tugging at her lips.
She too also had scales, greyish in colour, that patched on her forehead, and traced down on her hands from the wrist.
Except her former features, her silver hair strolled moderately long, blending her facial appearance into that of attraction.
Yes, count off the looks of their faces, all but the girl sitting on the stone slab had slender bodies, and nothing much to be proud of in their chests.
"Do our visitors wish to join us?"
"There must be formalities."
The voices of the girls woke me from my descriptive slumber, reminding me at the same time that 5-Star wolves were standing guards, and Muna was by my side.
"What are the formalities?" I asked, and waited for what seemed like a short, long while for no response.
It was totally strange as the two girls who had asked the question didn't even react in a way that could tell that they were contemplating on speaking up.
"If you refuse to explain, then I refuse..."
I still had words in my mouth — words of refusal — when a faint rattle and clatter sound caught my attention.
Raising my head to its direction, I saw that the metallic, circular wheels had begun to slowly spun before their motion turned fast and made whizzing sounds.
At that point, I felt pity for the well-being of the orbs and instinctively raised my hands, with palms cupped inwards, as if I would be able to catch them if they were to fall.
My actions were clearly unknowing, but they caused reactions with undoubted suspicions to drown on me.
"And you think we can easily let you have them?" A different voice, more human-like unlike the other girls', spoke.
The girl that had been sitting on the stone slab had released the wheel to float in air, and stepped down the rock.
"Thank you," I said with a smile, still looking up at the glowing orbs. "Cheap and easy things are mostly not precious."
"Big brother, you can understand their language?" Muna who had remained quiet since the conversation started, asked.
Of truth, I wouldn't deny not knowing that Muna wasn't able to understand what the girls spoke.
I had only replied normally, as I would if I were spoken to by Muna or any other mage... but to think even my words were sounding alien to Muna's ears was... nothing to think much about.
Ignoring Muna's question, I raised down my head and focused them on the petite girl that had remained the carrier of those orbs moments ago.
"Not easy to get doesn't make it impossible to have. I must thank you in advance for approving of my request signal."
The petite girl furrowed her brows at my words, and looked behind to attend to her human companions.
"You shouldn't have stepped down from the slab."
"..."
"We could have handled the situation."
"..."
"Without the barrier holding back the wolves, your life is in danger."
The two girls continued their role of speaking in unison.
"No, not my life. Our lives will be in danger," the carrier of the five orbs retorted.
While sitting, she looked petite. But now she stood, her height was approvingly 5'7" and her shape was accentuated to fitting perfection.
No too busty pumps in the chest, not too much checks at the ass. The type I did like — just moderate.
Her hair, tousled and dark, framed a face both fierce and hauntingly beautiful. But she didn't look friendly, her golden and sharp eyes gleamed with predatory light.
From their short discussion earlier, everything gradually made sense to me.
The 5-star wolves that surrounded them were not moving to attack I and Muna because they had their major preys to protect.
From what it seemed, they were already at the peaks of their demon ranks and needed to somehow get rid of the three girls to level up.
The girls on their own part, had also been protecting themselves.
The moment the dark-haired girl stepped down from the stone slab, a barrier seemed to have shattered.
Now, the other two girls were mentioning a barrier holding back the wolves from attacking their colleague.
And, to my shock, their voices no longer sounded mechanical but humanly.
I rubbed my hands on my eyes to be sure I wasn't hallucinating in broad day, and everything was just real.
I turned and saw how tired Muna looked.
"First was appearing in a second dimension. Now, I have to tolerate my big brother ignoring me and speaking foreign words with dangerous strangers," Muna murmured, rolling her eyes at me in anger.
Still showing no pity on her, I returned my gaze to the strange beings before me.
Whatever it was the situation between the trio and the wolves were was not my business anyway. That wouldn't make me to loose guard as well.
Putting the above scenarios aside, there was the second reaction that caused zero doubtful suspicion.
My system had identified me once again about the Mana Plants the moment I looked at the five glowing orbs.
Although it was a speculation, I didn't want to doubt it this time.
My suspicion must be the fact.
Those glowing orbs were the Mana Plants. The distance might be hiding their true forms.
"What is your name?" I asked the dark-haired girl, who gradually approached behind the wolves. "Who are you?"
Instead of words, she hummed and rubbed her thumb against her long, middle finger to produce a snap.
At that moment, another barrier that seemed to be holding the wolves off from attacking us shattered into glass crystal, and they lunged at me and Muna.
Supposedly, Muna readied her sword, and took her battle stance.
What I was about to do, was all hope placed on fate. Or, let me say my New Being title.
Not wielding any sword, I raised my hands in surrender and stepped forward.
Muna barked at my cowardice, the trio watched my stupidity, and the wolves rushed eagerly.
'It seemed she was in control of the wolves,' I thought, closing my eyes as the faster of the wolves in the front leapt with its claws bared at me.
At the last minute before it pounced on me, the air around quivered fiercely, and the wolf paused mid-air.
A demanding presence had surfaced, and it seemed to be wrapping around me.