Death... and me

After Darian was finished talking, Phex then asked the next obvious question. "So, what happened inside the dimensional realm of the Spiritual Energy Field's core?"

Rean nodded in response and began to explain the events that passed inside that place. Sure enough, Darian and Phex were surprised that there really was another Divine Demon Beast in the world that they didn't know about. They were even more surprised after hearing how they prevented the core from being destroyed.

"That's quite the story," Phex could not help but say as he looked at the twins. "I wouldn't have thought about using the blood spilled during the battle to fix it. Well, I would probably kill him right after the battle was over, though. Anyway, where's the Golden Drohare?"

Rean smiled in response, saying, "Roan and I will take care of him. There's no need for senior Phex to worry."

Phex and Darian were taken aback. "What?! There's no way we would let him go after almost destroying our Spiritual Energy Field. Do you have any idea how bad things would have turned out if he had succeeded? I want nothing more than to skin him alive right now."

Roan nodded, responding, "That's exactly why we won't give him to you. We don't want him dead. Instead, we'll change his allegiance so that he won't try something like that again."

Darian and Phex then walked in front of Rean with dark faces. "We still won't allow you to bring him away." They even exerted some pressure, making sure that the twins understood their words.

However, it didn't have the scary effect that they expected. Instead, Rean put his arm around Darian and Phex's should in response. "Oh-ho...so, you're saying that you won't accept this little request of ours, huh? How could the Divine Demon Beasts be so ungrateful? They were about to lose the Spiritual Energy Field, have the Zasfins attack, and the war turned against them. However, the great me and Roan prevented such a calamity from happening. Now, instead of thanking us, we are being threatened. Such a disappointment, such a disappointment..."

Phex and Darian's mouths twitched in response to Rean's words as their expressions turned even uglier.

Kentucky then came to the twins' side as he said in response, "How can you say that, Rean? Senior Darian and Phex are obviously very grateful that you two saved the Demon Beast Alliance! I'm sure they'll accept this request of yours." Kentucky then looked at Darian and Phex before saying, "Am I right, seniors? Such great figures like you two couldn't possibly treat my friends' achievement that lightly."

If it was only Rean and Roan, Phex would probably give them a beating before taking Red from there. He wouldn't kill or cripple them, but he sure wouldn't leave it as it is. However, he truly didn't want to get on the bad side of the Minokawa. Not to mention that Rean and Kentucky's words really hurt his pride.

Darian was also displeased by that. Nevertheless, he couldn't find an excuse to ignore Rean and Roan's achievement. It's just that he didn't want to simply swallow it either. As he thought like that, an idea popped into his mind. "Alright! Phex and I will leave you with the Golden Drohare. However, you won't get any Merit Points. After you saved our Spiritual Energy Field, I could have given you not only a few hundred but a few thousand of them. Sadly, you two thought that the Golden Drohare is more important for you." Of course, he told Phex what he was trying to do through a Spiritual Sense Message, so Phex didn't say anything.

At the same time, Darian laughed in his mind. 'Hahaha! Let me see your reactions! Can you ignore several thousand Merit Points? I'm sure you're thinking about just how many things you can exchange for this amount. Go on, give me the Golden Drohare back.'

Unfortunately for him, Rean, Roan, and Kentucky's expressions didn't even flinch as Rean replied indifferently, "So, we get no Merit Points? Oh well, so be it. Now then, this topic is over. The Golden Drohare will stay under our care from now on."

Darian almost vomited blood after hearing their response! 'The hell? Do you even know what you could use all these Merit Points for? There's no lack of natural treasures in the reward list at all! How can you give it up so easily?!'

Phex had exactly the same thought in his mind. 'It doesn't make sense. Are they perhaps thinking of putting a slave collar on the Golden Drohare?'

Little did they know that the majority of things available there weren't of much help for the twins. Weapons? Rean could make them, and even better ones at that. Herbs and pills? Roan could make those as well. Another airship? They had no need for that. First of all, the airship was a thing they got for the Freedom Sect, not for themselves. There were, of course, many other treasures that Rean or Roan could make use of. However, they considered Red more important at the moment.

"Ahem...are you sure you prefer to keep the Golden Drohare? You might take many years to accumulate the same number of Merit Points again," Phex asked once more, wanting to make sure.

Rean, Roan, and Kentucky nodded almost instantly. "Yes, we'll keep Red with us. Seniors don't need to worry. We'll make sure he won't try such a thing again. After all, he was simply deceived."

Phex and Darian truly didn't want it. Red would be a very good contribution even if they used him only for his Divine Demon Beast blood. However, their pride simply didn't allow them to go back on their words either. They would probably die before doing that. "Fine! But if I find out that this Golden Drohare causes more problems to the Demon Beast Alliance, you'll be responsible for that."

Rean's group nodded as Rean responded, "Yes, Senior Phex, Senior Darian."

With that out of the way, Kentucky took the chance to ask something else. "By the way, Senior Phex, didn't you say Gulan was helping with the same kind of job? Isn't it possible that the other Spiritual Energy Fields are in danger as well?"

Phex was taken aback for a moment as he also noticed something weird. "Now that you say that, the other Divine Demon Beasts should have arrived already after this long."

As soon as Phex said that, a Spiritual Sense passed over everyone in the palace. It immediately made Phex, Darian, and the twins look in the same direction. "Here they come."

Phex and Darian looked at the twins right after. "Oh, right! You two. How were you able to tell that the Stage Nine Demon Beasts were coming?" Sure enough, that was another question they were very interested in.