Sorry, You Can't Have This Shell (Independence Day Special Release!)

Chomper was very overwhelmed with the warm reception by Hana's soothing and amiable attitude towards him. Her voice and her graceful nuance reminded Chomper of the Grand Elder's elegant and noble demeanor. He finally understood why the little princess liked her mistress so much.

Contrary to the Exalted One's intimidating disposition, this creature was so sweet, soft and compassionate, akin to the legendary goddess of water. This occurred without her even knowing who he was. It meant that this goddess had this kind of temperament all the time to any creature she encountered. Although Chomper was not sure what species this 'Hana' was, he was unperturbed by her. There were tens and thousands of higher-ordered spiritual beasts in the world; he was just a frog in a well, ignorant with the expansiveness of the world.

He nodded in a humble manner and waited.

He saw the creature positioned herself well before she started to fall in a trance. When her ruby-red eyes opened, Chomper was startled but quickly calmed himself as he could perceive the sudden change in the air density, but could not grasp what it was.

After a while, the creature nodded, with a blooming smile on her lips. Her relieved expression gave a deep impression on Chomper, as he wondered what could've happened for this goddess to be worried over before. As her body finally relaxed, she then opened her closed eyes to reveal deep dark brown irises behind the pieces of glass shard on her face.

"Sorry for the wait, little one." Hana had returned to her senses and elegantly faced the snakehead fish in front of her with a smile. The fish was as thick as her thigh, and as long as her leg; it was quite a large fish. Of course, when comparing the snakehead in front of her with two of Ara's gigantic elders, it was considered as nothing. However, he has the cutest looking eyes; large limpid black. Hana adored these kinds of anime-like eyes in animals the most; championed by her beloved Kuro. Like always, the aunty had a tendency to find the best out of a person or a creature and focused on it. She somehow ignored the highly developed serrated row of sharp teeth within Chomper's mouth which rather looked like a shark.

"This humble one's name is Chomper. I'm here by the will of the Young Miss, Aranyella Waterwave, Your Grace's disciple." Remembering the blank look by Shiro, he added, "Your Grace called her Ara."

Suppressing the laughter threatening to spill out as Shiro relayed the snakehead's down-to-earth introduction with strings of flattering words in between, she nodded with a warm smile.

What 'Your Grace'? What disciple?

She treated Ara as slightly better than and a business partner only, albeit a rather 'good' business partner. Besides, while she peeked a little at the row of teeth, she inwardly agreed with his namesake; his parents surely know how to name their son. Hana cleared her throat in an attempt to clear away unnecessary stray thoughts and nodded gently, "I missed Ara a lot. Will she not come to play anymore?"

"She wants to! She misses Your Grace too much until it prevented her from focusing to cultivate well. Hence, even until now she isn't able to consolidate her new core." Chomper hastily replied.

Hana was quite stunned with Chomper's reply. She wasn't that close to Ara actually. For her to feel that way was truly unfathomable. She was asking just for the sake of it and didn't really mean anything.

"It's alright. Let her cultivate. Tell her if she can't consolidate her core properly, she shall forget to come over here anymore. I won't welcome her. Only this way, she'll be serious." Hana chuckled mirthfully. Although it sounded like a joke, Hana was being serious. From how the little girl used to speak about her great grandfather, Hana knew that the taukeh(1) was very concerned with the girl's progress in cultivation. She had been too wishy-washy all this time, invoking his wrath. If the aunty gave her the green light, it meant she was supportive of the little girl's attitude. It will only sour the relationship between her and Ara's great grandfather, which was not her intention.

Chomper gratefully bowed and humbly spoke, "I shall relay your thoughts, Your Grace."

"Awww, this cute one, stop calling me 'Your Grace', 'Your Grace'. Geli-lah. Just call me Aunty." Hana laughed out loud. She can't stand Chomper's super servile attitude anymore. Shiro scrunched his brow at the side. He wasn't entirely supportive of Hana's way of making every creature felt she was the intimate elder of theirs. She should exert some dominance to exhibit her superiority, not the other way around.

"I can't do that! The Grand Elder will cut my tongue! Please let me call Your Grace as 'Your Grace'. After all, you're our Young Miss' Master. A Master for one day is a father for a lifetime. Since Your Grace is the Young Miss' master, we need to treat you with a higher level of respect than her. Comparing our statuses with her is akin to the light of the full moon to the tiny embers at night." Chomper prostrated rigidly with his head touching the cave floor while his whole body shook in fear.

Hana was extremely perplexed with the snakehead's extreme response. Even fishes nowadays knew how to use proverbs to flatter someone. It must've read a lot. She scrunched her brow in befuddlement and nodded lightly. "Alright, it's up to you, Chomper. Please stop that and straightened up now. I don't like it when you do that."

At the side, Shiro nodded with contentment within. This was how it should be! A slave was still a slave even if the slave was a princess! Hence, the slave's attendant should be a double-leveled slave. He was glad that the little fish knew his place.

Only Lord Tittua and Grand Elder Watershade knew Ara's true status within Hana's group. To the others, their clan's princess was able to obtain the acknowledgment of a master as a disciple through a series of fruitatious events. It further fueled their envy at multiple levels. Only the Clan Head was extremely worried day and night about Ara's new 'master'. Truly, his doted great-granddaughter was just a lowly slave; without a choice but to die upon the death of her master.

Only with the incessant pleas from the Grand Elder did he finally forced himself to enter seclusion again. Both of them knew he needed to cure himself from the previous grave injuries from the failed breakthrough. Only after that could he try again with the help of Ara's medication. To Lord Tittua, it was a race against time; maybe, just maybe, he will be strong enough to release Hana's bind on his doted great-granddaughter once he becomes stronger.

Chomper swam upwards helplessly within the bubble encasing him. It was best not to offend their princess' Mistress. He immediately spat out a tiny white shell the size of a thumb from his mouth. It floated within Chomper's water bubble. " May this lowly servant offer this to you, Your Grace."

Listening to Shiro's translation in her mind, the aunty nodded her head and inserted her right hand into Chomper's water bubble to fetch the tiny bi-valve white shell. It was the most common kind where one could find strewn about on a beach, except that a tiny purplish gem was embedded on its back.

"Is this from Ara?" Hana happily took the cute little shell. It didn't matter how common or how cheap it was, what matters was the remembrance of the sender attached to the gifting article. "Thank you, so sorry to trouble you to send it over." Hana thanked the young snakehead sincerely.

"Err, no no… Sorry, you can't have this shell. It is not from the Young Miss. You still need to return it afterward." Chomper said awkwardly. "The Young Miss' gifts are inside, on the first level. This shell is the Grand Elder's." Chomper respectfully informed the aunty.

Hana blanked for a moment. What first level? She couldn't comprehend what was spoken by the fish. So stingy to be this calculative with a single pretty shell! Feeling slightly wronged, she scrutinized the closed white shell and tried to pry it open with her nails. It was so tiny, she wondered what could fit within. A mini bead-sized pearl maybe? Obviously, even after the aunty struggled for a full five minutes, nothing happened.

Looking at Hana's look filled with distress, Chomper didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. He helpfully added, "Your Grace just need to press the purple gem at the back of the shell while flooding a little spiritual energy within."

Hana whispered to Shiro inside her mind. [Eh, Shi-chan, how to pull spiritual energy to this little shell? Helpppp, I don't know how!]

Shiro nearly fell down.

Suddenly Kuro's voice resounded inside their heads. [Mommy, use your soul power. Just will your soul power to be directed to the finger you wish to use. Soul power is the primogenitor of self-generated spiritual energy within a beast. It has the same effect as spiritual energy but is purer in a sense.] Kuro had been keeping tabs of their conversation from the very beginning. Although the little minnow couldn't pose a threat to their Mommy with the presence of the fox nearby, he still felt quite wary.

[Thanks, Ku-chan. Come home first, sweetie. Mommy will cook something for you.]

[On my way, Mommy. Ten minutes tops.]

[Bro, get something on the way. Unless you want to eat the same thing again.] Shiro added.

[Yeah, yeah. You just take care of Mommy and don't be careless.]

Hana returned to her senses and directed her soul energy to her finger through visualization where she simultaneously pressed the gem at the back of the tiny white shell.

The shell opened up automatically as it spat out a beautiful luminous pearl which was bigger than the shell itself! Hana was so shocked as her eyes turned round! She hesitantly turned the shell around to see any mechanism, as the scene before her eyes had defied the law of physics!

After the shell spat out the first pearl, as if a dam was broken, it spat multiple pearls the size of ping-pong balls nonstop. The pearls even nearly enter Hana's agape mouth!!!

...

Author's Note

(1) taukeh = as a reminder, it means 'big boss'