Chapter 69: Something's Brewing I
The Next Day
Training Field
Due to everyone still being asleep, Nathan and Allen had the field all to themselves. They adjusted their gym clothes before taking off their shirt and tossing it aside
"You really said some big words yesterday" Allen said while stretching
"You went along with it. Didn't you?" Nathan asked and Allen went silent "The fact that you're talking big to me this morning....have you finally figured out what to do about my attacks?" he asked before making a slight movement with his leg
When Allen noticed the movement, he instantly started running towards Nathan at full speed. He made a jump and readied a punch but before he could even hit Nathan, Nathan jumped at him and diverted his punch away before elbowing him in the chest.
"Shit" Allen let out as he felt his ribs crack and his body was sent flying 'First punch into the fight and he's already got me on edge' he thought as he flipped midair and landed on the ground. Steam released from his body as his chest began to heal 'I've got to think of a counter for his attacks'
While Allen was still thinking, he felt a tap on his side. He looked down and noticed Mackenzie was standing next to him
"Kenzie, it's dangerous to stand so close to the field when men are training" Nathan said while walking over
"It's time for breakfast. Head inside" Mackenzie said but to Nathan, it sounded more like an order
"How are you even up so early?" Allen asked
"I was studying" Mackenzie said
"That book Sloane gave you...can I see it?" Nathan asked and she stared at him for a while before placing her hand in front of her and her eyes turned yellow as the air seemed to shift and half of her hand disappeared. Nathan's eyes widened as he stared at her until she was holding a book in hand and the distortion in the air disappeared
"Here's the book" Mackenzie said
"Where and When, did you learn how to use spatial magic?" Allen asked
"From the book. I just said I was studying" Mackenzie said as though talking to an idiot. Nathan took the book from her and opened it. After flipping through some pages, he gave up
"What language is this book written in?" Nathan asked
"Dad, what language are you talking in?" Mackenzie asked
"English" Nathan said
"Then what type of question is that?" Mackenzie asked with a raised brow
"This is pointless. Do you really think I'd ask you said question without reason?" Nathan asked as he gave the book to Allen "Flip through each page and tell us what you see"
Allen took the book from him and did just that "There's nothing to read here. The pages are empty"
"I'm a demon with a higher rank than Allen, because of the demon seed.That's why, for me, I can only see encrypted writing" Nathan said "Sloane is a tribrid with the spirit seed, so she can read it properly. Priya is human, surely she should be able to read it but not understand. Someone like Allen and the others...in exception to Dante and his wives, won't even be able to see any of the words on this book"
"When you put it that way, it makes sense" Allen said as he gave her back the book "It's a book specially made for dragon keepers"
"I really wonder where Sloane got such a book" Nathan said while standing tall "Well, forget it. Let's head inside and have...." his voice faded as he caught the smell of roses and sea breeze. His head shot towards the library tower and he took in a deep breath but the smell only lasted for a minute before disappearing completely. 'She ran away again' he thought with a frown
"Is something the matter?" Mackenzie asked after putting the book away
"Nope. It's nothing" Nathan said "Let's head inside"
******
Beginning And End Library
"Why did you have to head to the surface?" Priya asked while moving some books
"You know, unlike the rest of us, the real reason you're here is for research" Sloane said "I found a good book on magical herbs while you were sleeping. And you'll have to head back to the surface to test with the ingredients at the tower library"
"You know, this is practically cheating" Priya said and Sloane shut her head towards her before they both started laughing
"Out of everyone on the group, me, you and Kenzie, are the only ones behind" Sloane said "Timothy's father is a researcher for the northern tribe, Nathan and the others are royals and nobles who have been trained by elites, and then, there's us. You're a human who got dragged into this a few days ago, Kenzie never knew anything about her bloodline and didn't even get to be taught anything. And then, there's me; a queen who just found out what she was some days back, and keeps entering trouble" she looked away from Priya "When you think about it properly, we aren't cheating"
"Good point" Priya said as she sat next to Sloane and dropped the books she was holding on the table. She picked up a fork and knife "Anyways, let's eat"
"You seem motivated today. What happened?" Sloane asked while picking up a fork and knife
"It's what you said" Priya said as she took a bite out of breakfast "I've already started working on a plan for our day to day duties based on what we did yesterday"
"Interesting"
"After breakfast in the morning, we have hand to hand combat up until lunch in the afternoon. In the afternoon, we practice beginner level magic for three hours" Priya said "From there on, we have time to do our own stuff"
Sloane thought about it for a while before nodding "That did happen yesterday" she said "I believe it's best if we stick to what we've been doing so far. When we do our own stuff, I usually study battle tactics and the acts of weaponry. You mainly came for research so you should use that time to increase your knowledge on magical plants and beast parts"
"The battle tactics you're studying seems to come in handy when one is confused" Priya joked and Sloane smiled "By the way, your eyes....don't seem to have returned back to normal"
"Does it even matter?" Sloane asked "After all, I'm still dying" she said as she finished her meal "When you're done, move to the open space. Let's continue from where we stopped yesterday" she stood up and left the table
'Priya, you idiot. Even if you're curious, you didn't need to ask' Priya screamed in her head.
******
Breakfast was served in the courtyard of the palace this time and everyone was seated except Clark, Timothy and Rielle.
"Sometimes, I forget how many of you actually came here" Dante said while staring at everyone seated "So many girls" he mumbled
"If you have a problem with that, maybe we should all leave like Sloane" Fernanda said as she started eating
"The reason she left is totally different from what you imagine" Allen pointed out
"Come to think of it, what level are you all in?" Jerald asked excitedly "I'm in sixteen"
"Seventeen" Fernanda and Mary said in unison
"Nineteen" Alexa and Christian said
"Eighteen" Josey said "I can't believe Christian is above me"
"Hard work, babe" Christian said with a wink
"Fifteen" Rosco and Brianna said but looked at each other
"How are you on the same level as me? I'm clearly older than you" Brianna complained
"Me and you have been even for a while now. Age doesn't mean anything when it comes to talent" Rosco said plainly
"I'm in thirteen" Giselle and Kayden said
"Wow. You guys are really dragging everyone back" Lilith said "I'm in fourteen"
"Twenty" Allen sighed
"What?" everyone let out
"That's unfair" Cassandra said
"Yeah. Especially since me and you are in sixteen" Natasha said
"Nathan helped you break your limiter" Dante nodded
"He beat the crap out of me" Allen mumbled
"Twenty Two" Nathan said
"Is this fair?" Everyone asked
"No wonder why my body always had broken bones" Allen sighed "Can't you at least set a limiter on yourself?"
"Depends on who I'm fighting" Nathan said "Clark is in nineteen and Timothy is in seventeen" he noticed the looks everyone was giving him "Don't look at me like that, I don't like it. Even I was surprised when I heard it"
"It's only been two days" Zoe mumbled "What improvement"
"Mackenzie, which level are you in?" Rosco asked and she lowered her head
"If I told you, nobody would believe me" Mackenzie said as played with her fingers under the table
"Well, it depends on the level you tell us" Tory said
"Don't let it bother you too much" Virginia said
"Well, I'm in level twenty" Mackenzie said as she raised up her head and the whole courtyard went silent
"I can believe it" Nathan and Allen said
"You know, you don't have to spoil her so much" Natasha said
"Yeah, brother. You usually don't joke about things like this" Brianna agreed
"Kenzie's mana control is better than anyone in our group. She can already use spells without the magic circles" Nathan said "And I more than anyone, knows how long she practices her hell dance and magic spells since Sloane left. It's as Rosco said, age means nothing when compared to talent" he pat Mackenzie's head and she smiled
"But to think she's steps above those in her age group" Tilly said "Most really wouldn't believe"
"The problem is Sloane and Priya's levels" Zoe said "Sloane left with Priya, whom had never even had her level tested before. The last time we checked Sloane's level, she was in six. The machines here were not only for measuring her level but also her health so we'd know when to draw a line on her training. Yet she quit and left like it was nothing"
"Old lady, I'm beginning to think you have something against my mother" Mackenzie said while glaring at Zoe as her eyes turned yellow
"Don't you know respect little girl?" Zoe asked
"Enough" Dante shouted and Mackenzie's eyes went back to normal as she puffed her cheeks and folded her arms "Zoe, can you for once, act your age? You're arguing with a nine year old. A kid who isn't up to half your age" he said "If you really have a problem with Sloane and Priya not being here, write a letter asking for their levels and hand it to the maid who serves them their meals. This will be the last time you bring up this topic"
"Fine" Zoe grumbled
"Everyone to the training field, now" Dante said as he excused himself from the table
"How good it is to be single. It must not be easy to be married" Nathan said as he carried Mackenzie and excused himself from the table "Especially to five women with different personalities"
Zoe gritted her teeth when she heard his comment and glared at him but Nathan just walked away from her without turning back. Seeing Nathan leave, the others did the same thing.
"This is such a pain" Christian complained
"I wish I was stuck in a lab like Tim and Clark" Jerald said
"Princess Rielle's experiments are complicated" Fernanda said "With the type of brain the two of you have, you'd never understand anything"
"That's harsh" Jerald said
"She's only saying the truth" Josey said "They're studying different magical plants and beast parts. Then, they're trying to figure out which goes well together to make things that-"
"You know what, I'm no longer interested" Christian said
"It sounds boring" Jerald nodded
"Fernanda doesn't think so" Alexa said "She's a hybrid of a witch and a vampire. But her witch side is higher than her vampire side which is why she's not a combat battle type. She's more of a sorcery battle type" after she said that, Jerald hummed and looked at Fernanda