49 || Chapter 46 || The Illusionist's Cave (Part 3)

It was been so long since he has been so amused. Back at the ranking test, he was admittedly annoyed by the young man's little show-off stunt and his oh so arrogant aura. Now, as he watched the young man lifting his chin high at him as if telling Moulin he could not escape while he brought down torture upon him, Moulin thought it was funny how childish it was for the young master to show off his supremacy to him.

It was utterly astonishing and shameless. Moulin managed to restrain the laugh itching to come out from his mouth. He forcefully clenched his jaw as he stared back at Callun with not a hint of fear in his silver pupils.

His firm reaction was like a needle pricking at Callun's temper. Why was he not afraid? Such a lowly Maeruthan dared to meet his eyes. Was he not afraid of death?!

His veins pulsed in his neck as he scowled at Moulin in intimidation.

"Lowly Maeruthan... " he spat out. "Not even my servants would dare to look me in the eye-"

"What does this young lord want? I'm quite busy at the moment. Can it wait?" Moulin threw him a smile before checking the time left with his bracelet. Seriously, he wanted to chat with the funny guy but time wasn't generous to him.

His interruption was like a slap on Callum's face. "I will wait for no man!" He seethed. "Submit your spirit pearls to me or else!"

This time Moulin frowned. He returned his attention to the babbling brat. Really, what a brat...

He was even more of a brat than Snow. At least Snow knew how to entertain him with his adorable eyes. This man was even less than a dog!

"Or else what?..."

Fury burned in Callun's eyes when Moulin's words finished. All his life, No one had dared to talk back to him! "I'll have my men beat you to the ground and pull out your womb! You despicable whore! Wait till I'm done with you! I'll kill your family to the last generation and I'll throw you to the brothels where you will spend your whorish life living off under a man's body!! Mongrel, bastard, son of a-"

The air chilled before he could even finish his words.

From above, the sky darkened even more than it had before.

Suddenly, a powerful aura oppressed them, immediately making them fall on the knees. The oppression was powerful and suffocating, they could hardly even breathe. The men circling instantly gasped for breath as they clawed on the ground, dirt digging deeper underneath their fingernails. They could not even care for the pain as they struggled to survive the aura enveloping them.

Only Callun was left standing yet he was barely able to stand on his own. Fortunately, his rank was greater than the rest of the men with him. He could not believe... It.

The last time someone had used their aura on him was before when his father had died. He was certain his father's aura was the most powerful of all maeruthans. Yet... why was he barely even able to hold on in front of... this youth before him?

His eyes who were unfocused began to concentrate on what would meet his gaze before him. And the moment he did, he was regretted.

Eyes of blazing silver glowered. His beauteous countenance hardly concealed the death-threatening expression he had on his face. A faint mist of frost hovered around him, encircling his slender frame.

Moulin was angry.

He could no longer hide it. The unruly mouth of this moronic fool was probing the ends of his patience. He wanted to rip his lips apart and shred the remains of his face. He cared none for mercy. Although he looked helpless and vulnerable he was no weak person who would stay quiet once someone would dare speak ill of his family.

"Why so silent?"

Moulin hissed as he began to step forward. A sheet of ice spreads out from his footprints on the ground. It reached out towards the kneeling men on the ground and froze every bit of their skin that they were too late to separate from the now frozen ground.

He could not even cry out in pain as their eyes bulged out from their sockets. Their mouths opened hopelessly trying to scream out their suffering.

Callun unconsciously stepped backwards. Sweat fell from his forehead and his body shook in fear as Moulin walked towards him. Strangling fear, terrifying him. It was as if Moulin wasn't just closing the distance between them but as already choking him to death instead. Wearing the eyes of the devil.

"S-stay back..."

He invoked his metal wielding ability, throwing out two hand-sized metal orbs. Shaping them into blades.

His stance turned threatening, defensively trying to protect himself.

However, Moulin didn't falter. He was a dominating presence, fury stirring deep inside him.

Callun felt that he was cornered by a group of menacing lions. His situation was indeed laughable. Moments ago, he had thought he had the upper hand but looking at him now, he appeared to be terrified enough to piss himself.

"Get Lost!" Callun snapped. He released the metal blades in the air. They surged forward in an imaginable speed, deadly spinning towards Moulin.

Moulin stopped.

He opened his palms. The surface of his hands was glowing white. In a split second, large ice crystals materialized around him. They encircled Moulin shortly before rushing towards the metal blades. They were pearly white. Not a hint of blue in them. Gleaming with a deadly glare.

The blades and crystals clashed. One would hear the sharp sound of metal and yet could not see how ice enveloped the blades the moments they touched the crystals. Not less than a second, they dissolved into a flurry of snow, scattering in the air.

"W-what... " Callun could not believe his eyes. Wasn't... wasn't he a low-ranked Maeruthan! The band... the band was clearly white! How was it possible!

An elemental ice ability could not possibly defeat his ability so easily! Yet he witnessed his blades destroyed so effortlessly.

Moulin once again moved towards him, this time he was pissed. Not longer, he was already two meters away from him.

"I-I yield!"

"This is not about your surrender. I do not care about whatever you beg for..." Moulin sneered. He yanked the man by the collar, pulling his face nearer. "If I hear you speak ill about my family again..." He forcefully pulled him to face his crippled men shaking in the ground. Moulin's eyes glowed and large spikes grew from beneath their kneeling frame, impaling them. Blood splattered out from their frozen wounds and their screams were no longer restrained. Their cries were loud, agonized, and bitter.

Callun paled. His fingers shook in fear. He instantly jerked his head to look away from the bloodstained scene. "I won't, I won't, I won't!" He could already feel the coldness from Moulin's hand radiating into his clothes. 

Moulin wasn't satisfied. In the beginning, he didn't want to be a tyrant but now he would gladly use his ability to be at up anyone who would provoke him. "Even being a thief, you're no good at it... " Moulin raised his leg and kicked him down on the ground. Callun grunted as he landed on his back. The dirt sticking on him but he didn't care. The pain in his stomach was twisting and overwhelming. He clutched his stomach as Moulin's shadow covered his sorry figure.

For a not so muscled young man, Moulin still had a very strong kick. His legs were more developed than his arms. Moulin walked over the man and expressionlessly grabbed the wrist with the gleaming band of deep gold. Without a thought, he tapped his band and Callum's band together creating a sweet clinking sound.

Moulin's band flashed and he threw away Callum's hand.

'100 spirit pearls obtained, none remaining.'

'Congratulations! Please proceed to the next test'

A corner of his lips turned up. His silver eyes looked down on Callun's astonished gaze. "This... is how you rob." He flashed his regular sweet smile as if the previous soul-eating scene hadn't happened.

Callun could not utter any words.

"Oh, don't look so surprised. That dumb look on your face makes you look even more foolish. THIS is the Trials. It is a competition for the top. Weren't you even using your fellow dogs over there to collect other's pearls? It wouldn't be fair If I don't steal some too. Get over it." Moulin's tone was no longer formal. The mocking words escaping his mouth were his true colors.

Callun swallowed. His gaze lowering. His thoughts were unknowable.

Moulin snorted. Honestly, what a child. He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he's rich. Moulin could now understand the troubles the original owner of this body has given to his family. He turned around and walked away.

Callum involuntarily reaches out his hand the moment Moulin turned his back on him. However, he couldn't reach anything but the faint touch of Moulin's uniform made his fingers tingle.

A portal appeared before Moulin when he was meters away from the group. He rolled his eyes as he passed by the kneeling men begging to be released.

"Tsk..." However, he could not help but pity. This kind self hidden inside him was way more powerful than he thought. He couldn't help but raised his hand and thaw away the ice.

The men were in tears as they thanked him despite their overly large wounds and bleeding figures. They lowered their head to the ground and Moulin looked away before he would bring himself to help them up. Ignoring them, his pace became faster. He walked to the portal and words came out from his bracelet.

Callun watched all this with unblinking eyes. His fingers were digging into his palms. Dirt and mud were sticking on his clothes but he didn't care.

'100 spirit pearls consumed for portal activation. Please enter'

Moulin wanted to look back but he changed his mind. Although, he has a few minutes left he didn't want to waste it all on pity and other foolish business. At least he spared Callun some spirit stones. That brat should hold on to it tight or anyone else would attempt to steal it from him. However, it wasn't his problem so he didn't care if whether the fool would be robbed again.

He shrugged his shoulders and entered the portal, his silver hair alluringly swayed as he walked. Leaving Callun a last memory of him before he left.

Moulin stepped into the swirling gateway of golden light, never once looking back.

The portal closed and disappeared.

The youth with silver eyes failed to witness the redness creeping into Callum's cheeks.

.........................

It was cold and dark. The floor beneath his soles was smooth as If he was stepping on cool glass.

Moulin breathes in, the cool air entered his nose. A cool breeze passed him and then an eerie silence envelope him.

When he opened his eyes all he could see was the darkness and the glow his body was emitting. Glow...

Moulin blinked...

He raised his arms and gasped. His body was really glowing. There was a hint of transparency for he could see through his limbs. And the floor was undoubtedly as clear as a mirror. He could see his reflection when he looked down.

His eyes grew hooded.

He was inside the exact dream he had for the first time he had transferred in the original body. Months had already passed and he had forgotten about it. Now he was back inside it. He felt complexed. It was as if he had gone back to his first day in this world. When he was scared and terrified of his situation. Only... the floor was no longer made of ice.

Moulin knitted his eyebrows as a thought entered his mind.

The second trial, The Mirror Realm.

Was he really in the mirror realm?

His brows knitted. How was he back here? The last time he was here he had shattered everything. He didn't know if it was his fault or not but it all felt unreal that he thought it was only a dream.

Was this really part of the trial? It couldn't be...

'Why are you denying it?'

Moulin flinched. There was someone behind him. He hastily turned around and froze.

Silver-white wavy hair, pale skin, and those seemingly striking pair of silver pupils. The young man grinned before Moulin. "Everything is real... "

Moulin swallowed hard.

He was facing a perfect copy of himself.