Age of Beast Tamers and Exorcists
Chapter 75: A Request

Chapter 75: A Request

The hard way was to go for the cheat. The other wasn’t easy either, but there is really a difference.

Zmey opened his eyes, a gray wall greeting his face. He grunted in a low tune when he got to his feet. He paced closer to the window, pushing it wide open.

A gentle to no breeze swept to his face. He could tell right away that the air had neutralised the scent of incense that lingered in the room earlier.

As he placed his palms on the window frame, he bent his back and stared at the silver, big moon.

He sighed. "Greatness requires hardship. The hard way..."

The next morning, Zmey appeared right before a wooden door. Other rooms stood beside the one he was infront. As a matter of fact, some more others stood opposite to it.

The surroundings was so silent the sound of paper being paged by someone so clear to the ears.

Zmey said to himself, holding his throat firm, "Let’s do this."

He adjusted the collars of his black jacket, his boot blending with both the jacket and the pants.

Then he knocked. He did again, and then again... till he heard a voice asking him to come inside. That was almost immediately.

He entered, standing just inches from the door which he had nuzzled to a close. He straightened his back, correcting his posture. He knew he wasn’t someone that would have been pressured by meeting someone. But maybe that was until he joined an Elite team.

Anyways, he needed his confidence back. He would need it now.

"Good morning, Captain Xero," he said, then bowed. He raised himself up the next second.

Luca’s pen raised from the page he wrote on. He then returned the pen back to a larger case that contained many more of it. Zmey wondered if he was writing an important report. Or maybe he was just being ignored.

Luca then raised his sight at Zmey. He asked, "Don’t you have a training session to attend?"

"Yes, I do, Captain," Zmey responded. "But I have something very important to discuss with you. It’s more like a deal."

Luca raised his brows. "Say it then."

"Yes," he said that, bowing at the end. He didn’t only have to be authentic with his request but also be respectful while he did it. He began, "I would like you to assign me with a team of Warlords!"

Zmey maintained a firm eye contact with him. Luca held it for long as well. He didn’t say anything to what the recruit demanded. But it seemed more as though he was concerned with who would get unnerved to look away.

No one did after a few seconds.

Luca then asked Zmey, still staring at him, "Do you have an idea how strong the warlords are?"

"I can’t make a precise assumption. But for one, I know their skills have been honed at strength, resilience and strategies. They can encounter evil creatures when on patrols in the city after all."

Luca nodded. "Excellent," he acknowledged. "Recruit Zmey Ashbane, what can you offer to the team if you have a strong determination to join one?"

Zmey smiled so slight only him could probably notice he did. ’That’s the captain! I like people as intelligent as him...’

Then he said without delay, "I know my mage class not only make me deserving of a warlord’s title. But I have all it takes ready in order to raise my level. They say Abnormal Mages can’t be predicted..."

Right then, he noticed Luca shifting his stare away. In the next second, he saw him striding towards him, arms crossed behind.

’I shouldn’t stop talking! I must convince him...’

Zmey continued right away, "... There are moments when the body of an Abnormal Mage shifts towards a particular level in order to favour the possessor..."

"Such as raising the mage body of a possessor in order to gain from a cycle..." Luca cut in, striding slowly. He nodded. Then gestured towards Zmey, "Continue."

Zmey smiled.

"The shift is temporary. But, I have found a way to make use of it! I could use it to ascend faster in ranks, even if it doesn’t mean make the mage body it once shifted to permanent."

Luca raised his brows, then held his stare on Zmey. ’Taking advantage of the power of uncertainty? Tch...’

Zmey could hear Silvan’s voice in his ears that moment. After he had told him his choice - the hard way - Silvan had urged him to join the Warlord Unit on the Elite Team. His statement after was,

"To get the cheat, you must be in so much struggles and challenges. But you must not die. Survive against challenges and be ready to make a breakthrough. And there’s no other way around it than the hot battlefield."

Luca’s sudden movement jotted him back to his senses. But instead of staying before him, he moved to his side. For the first time, Zmey saw the man’s face twisting into a smile. But in the end, it was a smirk. A tight one at that.

"To think there’s a fool like me who overestimates their potential... How absurb," Luca scoffed.

’What?’ Zmey wondered in his mind, his brows creasing. But Luca exited the door the moment he glanced to his side.

He turned immediately and stomped out of the door.

Luca had already turned leftwards, moving down the walkway. Zmey said out loud, "Captain Luca! If you could just allow me to explain things really well..."

Luca stopped at that moment. He then said, "Did I tell you I wasn’t listening?"

Zmey gaped both in astonishment and curiousity.

Luca glanced over his shoulder, looking at Zmey. He ordered, "Follow me."

---

Luca and Zmey rode horses out of the gate of the castle. Zmey was getting inkling on their destination, looking at the path they were taking.

In the end, they actually stopped. It was at the ivy-woven exit of Glorious Wilds. He glanced left at Luca in wonder.

Luca said, "There actually was a fool who thought they could tamper with the Inheritance Cycle like you..."

Zmey raised his brows.

"... I would like to hear how you would be able to do so after you get out of this blood bath forest."

Zmey wanted to make a protest. Despite the tightening he felt in his chest, he knew this was a test. A test through impossibility to explain the impossible!

"... A pack of Flame Tigers is enough to end your amateur life. Now, think of hundreds of packs after no one else than you," Luca explained to heighten the pressure. Then he glanced at Zmey, "Do you still want to do it? Joining a Warlord Team more important than your life?"