Emperor's Reckoning

The woman gulped. Her mind was shut blank whilst her lower lip trembled. Her fingers fidgeted against the hard soil. Her eyes shrunk in disbelief as she saw the giant beast lying on the ground.

Its eyes were gazing at the void and its stomach didn't heave. One of the giant wings bent over from the evident direct fall.

The woman's trembling eyes darted over the man standing straight with a smirk on his face. He was holding a hovering sphere of translucent energy in his hand.

"Maybe it was an overkill," said Lyon before he shrugged his shoulder. He looked at the energy in his hand before he pressed the sphere against his other hand. He closed his eyes and took the most shallow breath he could pull through his nose.

( He is forcing the conversion of the raw mana, with his bare hands!? ) the woman said inwardly.

Lyon opened his eyes before his hands trembled. The sphere suddenly exploded with a pop. "Fuck!"

"Eh?" the woman muttered.

"I failed, hahahaha!" Lyon laughed at the sky.

The woman had her lips twitching as blacklines covered her forehead. ( This guy... is half stupid ).

"Hm??" Lyon raised one of his brows before he noticed a woman whose face was covered but the eyes came to approach him.

The woman raised her brows. ( He doesn't know me? Wait, that's a good thing! ). "I'm just a passing hunter."

"You're name," said Lyon. "I was asking your name."

"My name is Sakya."

"Hmm, it's pretty weird that you need to cover your face but leave that Flame Guild brooch on your garb for everyone to see," Lyon chuckled. "But, I promise not to meddle with someone else's business if I can help it."

"I appreciate your thought," said Sarya. ( Good, he had no intention to pry my identity ).

"Oh, you don't happen to see a hare here, do you?" asked Lyon.

"Pardon me? A hare?" Sakya raised one of her brows.

"Hahaha, yeah, it's kinda weird, but that's what I'm looking for," said Lyon as he scratched the back of his head.

"Didn't you look for your mother?"

"Ah? Did you hear that? Hahaha, well it's complicated," Lyon laughed.

( This guy is laughing a lot, what's with him? ) Sakya thought before she asked, "Can I ask you what guild you belong to? I don't see any insignia on your cloak."

"Well yes, you can," said Lyon. "I belong to none."

"You're a vagrant?"

"Does it look like I belong to any guild?" asked Lyon with a smile. "Nevermind, I'm here to find my mother."

"But you said it was a hare?"

"My mother is a hare," said Lyon as he left the woman speechless.

Sakya blinked like a fool, "What...?" before her mind started to get dizzy. The more she asked the more she was detached from reality. She had seen someone shooing a great wyrm before killing it midair, now the slayer said that his mother was a hare. ( Did I eat the wrong mushroom?! ) she immediately turned over to the great wyrm and touched its hide. It was tough and more importantly real to her touch.

Sakya gulped before she inspect the rest of the body with a glance. ( How frightening, this one is dead without any blood spilled out ). She glanced over her shoulder to see Lyon searching for something. ( I won't say that it's impossible, but for a vagrant adventurer to have this much power is too unprecedented, furthermore, he did say that he was a True God level, that's gotta be a lie, look's like I have to be careful not to offend him somehow ).

Sakya stood up, "Are you looking for something? Mind if I help?"

"Huh?" Lyon turned around and smiled, "You sure? Don't you have something to do here?"

"Well..." Sakya smiled.

"Oh, you were after that great wyrm? Sorry, looks like I spoiled it, but you can take the rest of the carcasses though."

"What? It was you who killed it, you can take it, I don't mind at all," Sakya shook her head. ( It's not just carcasses, it's a complete corpse! I still have a title as a guild leader to uphold here! )

"Nah, I don't need it, it's just a great wyrm, there are plenty of them," said Lyon before he returned to her search through the bushes.

Sakya squinted his eyes. A vagrant adventurer just refused the valuable hide of a great wyrm, and took it to any guild or merchant they would sure buy it with a great price.

"Are you sure?" Sakya replied.

"Yup, their hide didn't make a great armor anyway, unless he got teeth for Heaven's Prism, I might consider it," said Lyon.

Sakya's lips twitched as she heard what he just said. ( He is quite obnoxious ).

"Hmm, that's odd..." Lyon pondered. "She should be here."

"Is she though?" Sakya raised her brows. "I've been here for a week, all I've seen was the great wyrm being vigilant in her lair."

"Ah is that so?" Lyon let out a sigh as he slouched his shoulder. He found his back leaning against a big solid rock before he rested his elbows on his folded knees.

"What are you planning to do now?" asked Sakya.

"To wait till the next midnight," said Lyon casually. "How about you? Want to accompany me?"

"I-I'll pass on that, thank you," said Sakya as her brows twitched.

Lyon shrugged in response before he closed his eyes and rested the back of his head.

"Hey, are you sure you're going to rest there?

Lyon opened one of his eyes, "I am, you changed your mind?"

"What? NO! I-I didn't mean that! I meant that there are powerful beasts around, especially after you take down the great wyrm," said Sakya. "They would take you by surprise, even experts die to the weakest beast if they let their guard down."

"So I'm an expert then, hahaha," Lyon laughed.

Sakya sighed and muttered, "I give up."

"Hey, since you're here, do you know Abaddon and Justdy?" asked Lyon.

"Hmm?" Sakya furrowed her brows. "Yes, Abaddon is fairly well known but, who is Justdy?"

"Wait, isn't he like the second-in-command in your guild?" asked Lyon.

".... what?" Sakya tilted her head as the tick of seconds passed by, then her brain snapped. "His name is Di!"

"Yeah, what I said was the full name," said Lyon as he shrugged.

"No, it's not! His name is not Justdy, his name is Di," she started to grow impatient.

"Ok, ok, alright," said Lyon as he closed his eyes.

( Kh! He is not listening! ) thought Sakya as she showed her fist when he was not looking.

"Oh right," Lyon opened his eyes. "Do you need an escort?"

"No, I don't, I can take care of myself," said Sakya. ( He really has no clue of who I am, is he? ).

"Oh, that's so? Alright, be careful there," Lyon closed his eyes.

Sakya furrowed her brows. ( I can't tell if he is mocking me, or not ). She pondered as she watched Lyon closely.

"OH!" Lyon snapped open.

"WHAT?!"

"I forgot to drink my Mana Essence, hahaha," Lyon laughed. "Damn, almost went a sleep without it."

( This son of a bitch! ) Sakya was pressing her lips together to hold her trembling rage.

Lyon put his hand inside his pocket before taking out the vial. He looked at the vial with a solemn look before he unplugged the cork and drink it in one go. "Tasteless as always, how boring."

( I'm not surprised that he is capable of owning a vial of Mana Essence, given his nightmarish ability ) thought Sakya before she said, "Hey, Lyon, may I ask you something?"

"Huh?" Lyon raised his brows before crossing his legs and crossing his arms after. "How did you know my name? You know me?"

"No, I don't, you said your name when you were calling for your mother," said Sakya.

"Fuck," Lyon cursed to the side. "Alright, but can you promise me something."

"But I was the one who want to ask you something?"

"Can you keep my name a secret? Hahaha, I prefer to be called Sein, well, my wife prefers it, to be exact."

( Interesting, his identity is being kept a secret ) thought Sakya before she nodded, "Alright, I want to invite you to join Flame Guild."

Lyon let out a heavy sigh.

"Hey, what's wrong? Flame Guild is really famous you know," said Sakya.

Lyon shook his head, "I'm sorry but I have to refuse your offer."

Sakya was stunned. She had never experienced her invite being rejected before, "Are you sane?"

"What? Of course, I am!" said Lyon.

"I-I..." Sakya closed her lips. ( This story never happened, this story never happened, nope, I never invited him ). "Alright, then," she turned around.

"Thank you for understanding, but if you're adamant, you can look for my wife and ask her about it," said Lyon.

Sakya suddenly brimmed before she turned around whilst opening her mouth. She was petrified.

Lyon was consuming his nap innocently.

"GAH!" Sakya snapped before her livid-fueled fist burn the already dead great wyrm.