Apotheosis

After swallowing the red python, the huge ape closed its eyes.

That was the last they saw of it as its face naturally blended into the darkness and disappeared.

None of them knew what happened in the Dark Region. Was this huge ape perhaps reaching out its hand to them? Or was it actually preparing to smash them all into bits?

Dorothy grabbed Zen's hand in fear while Elvinia continued to look around nervously.

Suddenly, the giant, hairy hand appeared in front of them again! This time, it was curled up like a fist.

Its sudden appearance stressed out everyone present. Some warriors of the Oneness Sky Palace and the Nine Li race even trembled in fear.

Zen himself felt the domineering pressure that emanated from this giant fist.

To their surprise, however, the giant fist did not slam down to smash their fragile souls. Instead, it slowly descended, like it was dragging something in its hold.

They watched the fist unfurl and reveal to them a boy.

He looked like any other eight-year-old human boy, save for one unique feature.

A third eye, right in the middle of his forehead.

Zen couldn't help but stare.

The little boy was injured. Zen could see that both his shoulders were broken and the left side of his face was bleeding. However, he didn't seem to be in any pain.

"I was fighting with those black monkeys when I found that I caught the fish. You're such a bummer!" the three-eyed boy whined, stomping his foot and shaking his head.

"Fish?"

Zen's and Chaim's hearts both trembled in fear.

The light from the three huts had felt like a trap.

It was just so convenient: a shining road, a stable-looking bridge, and three lit huts.

There were times when clarity was only granted after experiencing a disaster. This situation right now seemed to be a fair example. None of them really knew anything about the Dark Region, after all.

"Excuse me. What do you mean by fish?" Hutton asked, respectfully cupping his hands to the boy.

A powerful ape was under this three-

d of the day, you will still have to serve me," the boy said with a shrug as another person's Soul of Light shrank and was sucked into the green light.

"You kill one more person and Elvinia and I will kill ourselves rather than serve you," Zen demanded, meeting eyes with Dorothy who stood not far away.

Dorothy stared blankly at Zen. His words touched her heart.

One more soul and it would be her turn to get sucked into the green light. Dorothy didn't really feel any fear in dying but she still appreciated his gesture. "Zen..."

Elvinia didn't really want to give up her life but she couldn't refute Thad's words. Hearing what Dorothy called him though stunned her.

"Zen?"

Elvinia repeated, staring at Thad with suspicion.

The three-eyed boy did not care for these Souls of Light which was why he was making quick work of exterminating all of them. That elaborate trap he had set up took a lot of time along with waiting for actual victims to show up. Now that he managed to fish up Zen and Elvinia, there was no way he was willing to let go of them. He had no way of knowing when the next group of creatures would break into the Grand Sky Temple and he might have to wait for another long while. Most importantly, Zen's body was extremely rare and valuable.

It was at that moment that the three-eyed boy finally hesitated.