Chapter 9 - Outsider

In the deep forest inhabited by magical creatures, two humans tirelessly hunt for a special small blue creature.

"There, I saw it again behind you!" Teresa exclaimed.

"They are fast! I couldn't even get close," Garner responded.

The two are chasing the teleportation frog, but they cannot touch any of them. These special creatures are small and fast, but most importantly, they can jump through space.

"That blue string only appears when the frogs teleport. I can't follow it through," Garner frustratedly remarked.

"Stop! If we keep doing this, we might run into a monster's home, and even Aunt Rosalia doesn't want to wake them," Teresa warned.

"If you could only see the blue string when they teleport, maybe that string is for space," she added.

"How am I supposed to know how to use or understand it if I don't even have the chance to take a closer look to study it?" Garner was annoyed.

"Hello? YOU are the law; maybe you can create one!" she excitedly replied.

"Naah. I tried, and it doesn't work for me."

"Did you?" Teresa pressed.

Garner thought for a second and shrugged it off. He remembered the day when he forcefully applied law into the floating essence, and he almost exploded.

The two were already far from Rose Village because they had been chasing all day. They had become great friends during the months they spent together, sharing a lot with each other.

Garner had learned how to control the weather using his Law, while Teresa became formidable and precise in her control. Every now and then, they sparred until they were exhausted.

Both of them were in awe when peculiar butterflies gathered and approached them.

As a thousand red glowing butterflies surrounded them, a thin, pale woman appeared where the butterflies gathered.

"Hi! What are you doing?" The woman tilted her head slightly, showing her curiosity.

"We are looking for—" Teresa's jaw dropped when she saw who she was talking to.

"Julienne!" she exclaimed before bowing.

"WHO?" Garner was confused.

Garner didn't know, but Julienne was part of the 12 Circles, number 10. Her power was a curse that materialized as butterflies. She was also one of the deadliest members of the 12.

"You are Garner! You are quite popular with others here," Julienne exclaimed.

"And you are both already in my territory," she added.

"Wait! Who's popular, and who are you?" Garner repeated again.

"Oh? Rosalia didn't tell him, did she?" Julienne glanced at Teresa with a questioning look.

"I am one of the 12 Circles, a secret organization of king's rank," she sweetly said.

"12 Circles? So there are more king's rank other than the 'King' and Rosalia?" Garner asked.

"Of course, we stand as pillars and oversee the kingdom's safety as well as our territory, and I am number 10. Rosalia is a bit lower; she is number 12.

Garner gulped down, realizing that this petite woman standing in front of him was even more powerful than his teacher. She didn't have any aura fluctuations that would indicate she was a taker.

"My power is a curse. Due to my high understanding of its nature, I managed to materialize it into butterflies," she added.

Garner's eyes widened in amazement. He had never encountered someone with such a unique and powerful ability.

"You may take a closer look. I've heard you can see strings based on the law of whatever it is?" Julienne was also a bit curious about Garner's power.

Garner leaned in to examine the closest butterfly to him. He activated what he called his "All-Seeing Eye." As he peered closer, he was shocked to see yet another new color of strings—red.

"The color of the strings on your power is red, and they're all coming from you? How is that possible?" Garner asked in astonishment.

""It's truly incredible," Julienne began, her tone tinged with both fascination and caution. "Yes, I am the one producing the curse. I can create it because I fully understand its nature. This may be too advanced for you given your current rank."

"No! I want to know more," Garner's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Alright. The best way to understand it is through an analogy. Imagine cooking a dish—you can create it if you have all the necessary ingredients and recipe. That's what happened to me. I acquired all the necessary knowledge and components to create a particular curse. But your power, Garner, is on a whole different level. You can create a dish from nothing," Julienne explained, trying to simplify the complex concept for Garner to grasp.

Garner's eyes widened in realization. All his speculations throughout these days were actually true.

"I think I need to go into seclusion after this. I've gained enlightenment from this knowledge," Garner said with determination, his smile reflecting the resolve in his words.

As Garner pondered over Julienne's explanation, her aura suddenly burst forth, manifesting into hundreds of thousands of butterflies that swarmed all over the area. A powerful force pushed against them, and a deafening explosion echoed above.

Teresa and Garner were both terrified by the sudden turn of events.

"They got in," Julienne announced gravely.

"Who?!" Garner and Teresa exclaimed simultaneously.

"Maybe it's time you both should know what awaits us outside of the kingdom," Julienne replied, her voice tinged with urgency.

"The 12 Circles' main duty is to ensure that no outsiders breach the kingdom's borders. They're called Overlords. They're also takers, but their powers stem from pure evil. To grow stronger, they need to absorb the stored essence within us, as they can't absorb essence in any other way. The concerning part is that they can become significantly stronger much faster than us. However, the downside is that this process corrupts their minds and bodies. They may start to look horrific, with lumps covering their bodies and a grayish skin tone. Since the appearance of the orbs, they've also become takers, which is why the war began—not out of greed. Currently, we've been able to hold our own against them because they haven't had a King's rank on their side. But with this attack, I'm afraid they may have gained one," Julienne explained soberly, her words carrying the weight of impending danger.

Garner's face paled as Julienne explained the gravity of the situation. His mind raced back to thoughts of his family. "Who will protect them if I remain this weak? And where even are they?" Frustration gnawed at him, imagining the worst-case scenarios.

As if to punctuate Julienne's words, a golden arrow of light streaked across the sky, exploding with a deafening roar. The shockwave knocked Garner and Teresa off their feet, sending them sprawling onto the forest floor.

"The others have already taken action. I must join them before it's too late," Julienne declared urgently. With a swift movement, the swarm of butterflies coalesced into a much larger form, allowing Julienne to mount it and soar into the heart of the explosion.

Garner's heart pounded in his chest, his muscles trembling with adrenaline. This was a level of conflict he had never encountered before, and the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him.

Amidst the swirling chaos, Teresa and Garner both caught sight of a radiant pink aura enveloping Rosalia, her presence a beacon of strength and resilience amidst the turmoil. Swirling petals of rose danced around her, lending an ethereal quality to her form.

"Aunt Rosalia is also taking action," Teresa announced, her voice tinged with a mix of concern and admiration.

"Why can't they defeat a single Overlord? Surely, they outnumber it," Garner exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice.

"I think they want to capture them alive to gather information," Teresa replied, her tone thoughtful.

Garner nodded, a newfound respect blossoming for their tactics. While his instinct might be to eliminate the Overlord on sight to quell the conflict, he realized that the Kings and Queens operated with a deeper wisdom. By capturing the Overlord alive, they could extract valuable intelligence and better prepare for future attacks.

However, the task was not without its challenges. Despite outnumbering the Overlord, they were locked in a fierce battle to the death. The Overlord's black aura and swirling miasma obscured its form, making it difficult for them to engage without risking harm or even death.