2 The Ultimate Failure, Chase.

"This spot should be good."

After running for while, Chase sat beside an old tree. Chase inhaled the fresh air, took out the 2 Stone Essence and started to meditate while holding the stones with one in each hands. Inhaling through his nose, exhaling through his mouth, as Chase repeated the breathing, he felt a warm feeling on his hands.

This feeling, this is the same as that time back then.

While feeling the Spirit Energy that's entering his body, he started to guide it to his Spirit Nerve but as he do that, pain, extreme pain is felt by Chase. It was in middle of his chest that he felt pain, writhing to the ground, Chase has never felt this kind of pain, it feels like his bones are being shattered to pieces.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

The same time Chase started to cultivate, not far away from Chase, 3 male children that looks the same age as Chase are walking.

"Hey Aries, what does it feel to get rejected by your fiancee?"

"You shouldn't ask him that kind of question, Nash, he's already hurt."

Two of the boys converse as they walk, they were talking about their friend named Aries, being rejected by a girl. This kind of talks is not rare between boys their age, after all, they are in their puberty.

"I know that, but I want to know how painful it is, hehehe."

"Hey Nash, can you please shut up? I don't care about that whore, I just want to pass time with her."

"But you were still rejected though, hahaha"

As Nash said that, Aries grabbed his colar and lifted him up, his strength is obviously abnormal. Also the way he grabbed Nash's colar was so fast, Nash couldn't react at all.

"I already said that it was just to pass time, right? Maybe I'll just use you instead, I'll pass time by breaking your bone one by one, then leave you here in the forest."

Aries glared at Nash, he's in a bad mood and Nash just added fuel to the fire.

"I was just joking, I was just joking."

Nash face turned pale as Aries threatened him, knowing Aries, he will really do those things without second thought, after all he is from a reputable family.

"He's right, Aries. Nash is just joking, you know that his mind is just that of a dumb animal, right?"

Drake, calmed Aries by insulting Nash. Of course, as a member of a reputable family, Aries didn't want to soil his reputation thus releasing Nash's colar.

"Try talking again and I'll cripple your Spirit Nerve."

Aries continued walking again, they have gone deeper to the forest but despite the tress surrounding them, sun rays still pass through the leaves illuminating the surrounding.

"Ahhhhhhh!!"

As they walk, the three heard a scream. It was just near them, they looked around and saw a boy seemingly convulsing.

"Hey, isn't that Chase? Why is he here?"

Drake, recognized the boy that's writhing in pain. The three got closed to the boy and observed him.

"It really is that Failure, ugh, looking at his face makes me sick."

Aries spit to the ground, he made a grossed out face.

"This half beast piece of dirt, what the hell is he doing here?"

Aries said as he look at the Horn of Chase.

It hurts, Chased thought. His body started to weaken, his conciousness started to blur, his eye lids started closing but suddenly felt a presence near him. He endured the pain and kept his eyes open, there in front of him was three person, he couldn't recognize one of them because his eyes has become blurry. Giving up, he couldn't endure the pain anymore and let go of the Stones in his hands, as he let go he felt his conciousness going back to him.

"What? Isn't this a Stone Essence?"

Nash saw the stone that Chase released from both his hands. He picked up one of them, and confirmed that it is a Stone Essence.

"Where the hell did he get this? Even I have a hard time buying this, and Chase has two of them?"

Stone Essence is very rare, there can only be a small amount of it in the market and it's price is pretty high, not something Aries couldn't afford but he has a hard time looking for some. And here he learn that someone as poor as Chase having two Stone Essence. I can smell something fishy, thought Aries.

Chase strength gradually came back after he let go of the Stone Essence. He sat up slowly to avoid stressing his body, he looked at the three person in front of him, as his vision clear he started to recognize the three.

"Aries!?"

He almost jump up as Chase recognize the three. Why is Aries here? As Chase tries to guess the reason why Aries is here, he saw the Stone Essence Aries is holding. He tries to feel his hands, the Stones weren't there that means-

"Aries, is that Stone Essence your holding maybe mine?"

Chase ask in a little and fearful voice, this is because back then when Chase wasn't able to Cultivate spiritual energy, he was bullied by these guys. He was isolated and they hurt him physically, this caused a trauma to Chase despite having a brave heart.

"Chase, I wanna ask you something."

Aries looked at Chase eye to eye, he glared at him and emitted evil intent using spiritual energy, Chase can't feel the spiritual energy but he knew, with his instinct that Aries is having evil thought in this head.

"Wh- What is it?"

Chase averted his eyes, and said while stuttering, his body is trembling.

"This Stone Essence, where did you steal it?"

Aries asked, still emitting an evil intent, his words felt like something that came from a mouth of a demon.

"N- no, I bought it."

Trembling, Chase answered.

"I see. So you bought it."

Aries nodded, then suddenly he swing his arm with all his might, his palm hit the face of the still weak Chase. Thud, a sound of an impact echoed, Chase was thrown to the side.

"How dare you lie to me, you shitty animal!?"

Aries shouted, how could he believe that someone as poor as a rat like Chase bought something so expensive. He must be dreaming, Aries thought. Even he will have to spend his monthly allowance to buy two of these valuable stones and he will be considered lucky if some stones is still available, after all there are so much family eyeing for this stone essence.

"You think someone like you can buy this Stone?! How dare you daydream in front of me!? It's okay to dream but do it in your shitty hole, you rat!"

Chase slowly pushed himself up, blood was leaking from the cut on his lips, he faced Aries again.

"It's the truth, I didn't stole it. I saved up by working, and selling herbs I got from this forest."

Chase tried to convince Aries by telling him how he saved up such money. He told him the legal way of earning money, of course, he didn't tell that he stole some money because that would cause some trouble in the family. Aries would never guess that he stole some money, that's because Chase hasn't done anything wrong ever since they met.

"Hahaha working and selling herbs, you say? That's laughable, do you think a measly earnings from those will be sufficient to buy these stones? Even if you work yourself to death, there is no chance you will be able to save up such amount of money."

Aries laugh at the words Chase said. A stone essence is something that could cost you a Gold Coin, a farmer like Chase's father annual income is as much as a gold coin. If you think so, his father could buy this stone for Chase but that's impossible too, if you deduct the cost of the food of two people in a whole year, there would be hardly any copper left. Such thoughts crossed Aries mind, then he thought of something.

"Oh, I know now how you got these. A farmer's annual income is a gold coin, that is if you paid the right amount of tax. If supposedly, your father didn't pay, then he could hogged all the earning which could sum up to 3 Gold coins. Hahaha, your father is indeed wise and at the same time, foolish."

"What?"

Chase couldn't believe what Aries thought of. Chase knew more than anyone the state their farm is in, it was in a bad condition, therefore his father wasn't been able to pay the tax, he was assaulted as a result. Now, these people say that his father didn't pay, and his father hogged all the earning? Chase felt something within him.

"Your father, what was his name again? Shitty old man? No, that's not it. Drolm, was it? Your father, Drolm, must've expected that no one will learn about this, hahaha, now I got these stones as evidence."

Aries laughed as he explain his great deduction, he never noticed that Chase has never made a sound for a while now.

"Hey, that should be enough now Aries, you will traumatize Chase if you keep this up, look at him, he must be scared that he couldn't say anything."

Nash said mockingly.

"Well, I must be correct if he fell silent. Hey, Chase, I'll take these stones with me and I won't tell anyone about your father's foolishness, okay?"

Aries held the stones and put them in a small sack that was lying on the ground. It must've been what Chase used to carry these stones. Aries decided not to expose Chase's father and just take the Stones, this is not mercy, but pure greediness. Chase knows what's going on inside this trash's head, he knew that Aries will not tell anyone about his foolish deduction about Chase's father, this is because if he did so, the Stone Essence will be taken by the knights as evidence and after the issue, it will be sold again at the same price. If that's the case, Aries will just hold onto these stones and silence those who knew the shitty truth that Aries came up with, and he will be the only one who will benefit.

"Oh man, I'm so kind, aren't I Chase? I will hold onto these evidence and won't tell anyone about your father."

Aries said while smiling, trying to disguise his greediness with white lies. Aries know that Chase is traumatized because of them, so he expected Chase to just obediently agree.

"No."

Chase muttered in a low voice.

"What? "

Aries heard Chase muttered something but he never heard it clearly.

"No."

Chase then again muttered but now it can be heard clearly.

"You-"

Aries heard what Chase said, he never expected that a failure like Chase would defy him. He swung his fist, and punched Chase right in the face. Aries has been cultivating his Spirit Nerve since he was 10 years old until this day, cultivating his Spirit Nerve strengthened his body, thus the punch he swung is no joke.

"Why don't you say that again, Shitty Chase?"

Aries swung his fist again, but this time he covered his fist with spirit energy. For the second time, his fist connected with Chase's face, or so Aries expected.

With blood leaking from his lips, Chase looked at Aries.

It was not a normal look, it couldn't be a glare either, it was a cold look that came from Death himself.

"I said...

...No"