Chapter 014

Canis was staying on the ground floor of the building while looking at a 5-star hotel.

"... Maple… why didn't you let me come…"

Canis remembers what happened after the fight on the rooftop.

***

After taking the potions to recover his wounds Maple rushes towards him.

"Father! Are you alright!?"

"Yes… Don't worry about me…"

Canis is still weak even when he recovers his wound, which is natural because the potion didn't heal mental fatigue and stamina.

On the contrary, it consumes stamina and a bit of mentality when you use a potion to recover your wounds.

"Why wouldn't I worry about you, Father… You almost died and I was busy fighting those guys… I should have protected you Father."

(Wait isn't that the other way around?)

Canis wanted to speak up but for some reason, he stopped.

"You!"

Maple picks up the man who attacks Canis using his roots and immediately injects the red vines towards his neck, eyes, heart, and all the limbs then drains the blood from the man.

It's the first time Canis saw a man become a mummy in less than a minute.

"You deserve this!"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Maple slams the dead guy's body to the ground, then Maple throws the body out of the building.

"AHHHH!"

Canis was caught by surprise, he even tried to reach and stop Maple but it was too late.

(Well… we… still have the final phase… so… I guess that's it.)

"Father! From now on, I will handle the mission… Please trust me."

The voice is so deep and intimidating that Canis cannot even say no.

***

That is the reason why Canis was left in the other building and he had to wait for Maple's signal to enter.

He was defeated, but in truth he was already tired, so tired that he didn't have the energy to argue.

Even though the day and weather didn't change inside the pillar, Champion fatigue continued to stack up and it is normal to take a rest.

Step! Step! Step!

While looking outside the building he heard multiple steps in the distance.

Immediately he hid behind the long flower cabinet and held his sword tightly.

"Wait! Wait! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"What!?"

The other guy seems annoyed.

"Are you sure we need to go back to Jefe empty-handed?"

(Jefe?)

"Do you fucking wish to die Cholo? We don't go directly to Jefe, we go to Carlos and explain that the tamer is already gone."

Canis felt that there was fear and desperation in the man's voice.

"Look… I… I think we should run…"

"Ha! Do you want to die?"

The man was surprised by the other man's plan.

"Look Jefe wanted us to go to UASF or hunt down the 'Tamer' to get a crown… a crown that looks similar to what he owns… for what huh? So that he could 'Synchronize' the two crowns and get more resistance to Dark-Spirit, Why? Ha? Because it's his Level Quest…"

"But!"

The man continues.

"He didn't even know if the resistance to Dark-Spirit would improve or not… he will only know it when he got the new crown… 'Synchronize' is unpredictable… even I know it… Every champion knows it. He could get a useless skill or get what he wants, but in truth, it's that random."

Step! Step!

"Brother! Are we going to waste our lives for a random thing? Ha! In addition to that…"

Step! Step!

"We both seen what kind of monster that the 'Tamer' own right. It's a monster that killed all those other tree monsters with ease, then he wants us to fight that kind of monster! We are just going and walking to our deaths."

…

Canis was shocked.

(We are being hunted down by this Jefe? For a crown…)

Canis remembers the special and unique crown that he just recently got.

(Wait… is this Jefe the leader of this thieves' group? To be able to mobilize that amount of people, this must be a large underground guild that took advantage of the situation.)

At this point, Canis didn't consider Jefe, also known as Joaquin Alfredo as a terrorist. 

Simply because he didn't believe that the 'value' of the crown was enough reason to make a terrorist attack.

"Pendejo!.... Sighed… I… will pretend I did not hear this… this is considered treason and Jefe will burn you alive."

The other man angrily shouted.

"But…"

"Do you think you can hide? No! You can't! Jefe will hunt you down and make an example of you! Tsk! They might even send me to kill you just to check my loyalty. Pandejo!"

The man didn't reply back.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Canis felt the vibrations of the ground.

Smash! Smash! Smash!

"OIIII!"

"NOO!"

The glass panels broke due to the explosion.

"Let's go!"

Step! Step! Step!

The two people run far away from Canis location.

Canis stood up and looked at the building.

"Maple…"

There is a large fire on two of the floors in the building, and a thick smoke can be seen exiting the floor. 

"What happened there? I hope there wasn't a high-rank Champion in that place… that's the reason why I could confidently send Maple there…"

Then he quickly realizes the early conversation of those men.

"But didn't those guys say that the Jefe needs those crowns for Level Quest…"

For a bit, Canis worries for Maple but…

(No… I should stop worrying… As long as there are less than two high ranks… I believe Maple can handle it… I trust him that he would prioritize his life… also, Level Quest appears as early as Green Rank… this Jefe might just be at that level.)

The reason Canis thinks that this Jefe is highly likely a Green Rank is because he is leading a group of ''thieves'. 

Why would a High-Rank Champion do this?

When a High-Rank Champion can settle for life just by getting a contract with a reputable guild.

Canis glances at the burning building.

He couldn't go there even though they planned to raid the 'thieves' hideout.

The problem right now is that the fire is already too big.

BOOM!

Another explosion happened.

Smash!

Several pieces of glass were broken and something burning could be seen falling down from the building.

BAAAM!

While hiding, Canis peek at what might come down.

"Maple!"

Canis immediately ran towards him.

Maple shook himself wildly and the fire immediately vanished due to the strong wind he created.

His body is burned completely.

All of the leaves and flowers are gone.

Some of the mushrooms were burnt.

The bark of the trunk and the remaining branches are all charcoal.

But that was just momentary.

When the sunlight hit Maple, the changes immediately began.

Like watching a fairy tale.

The tree revived and revitalized, the branches became healthy and the red leaves started to grow.

Flowers began to appear and bloom instantly.

Dream Garden's, five white petals are thick, and fluff as a cloud.

Gloom Dali, six black matte-colored petals rested in a circular position similar to a rose, a single long stigma with a circular black end with holes in it peeking in the middle of the flower.

Hydra's Embrace has seven snake-like long purple petals, each of which didn't follow the movement of the wind instead they swing as if they were alive. A brighter shade of purple bulb, like garlic, can be seen sitting in the middle of the moving petals. Finally, at the end of those petals, there are holes that excrete deadly toxic pollens.

Maple's vine slowly moves towards the gap where his golden eyes are located.

Slowly, it dives inside, and raised, three 3 apple size plump red fruits arose.

The vine slowly put those three fruits near a branch and suddenly they began to attach to it.

Blood Fruits, which Maple keeps safe as our newly discussed strategy, now resting on his branch.

The mushroom, lichen, and moss also magically reappear as Maple recovers his strength.

"It's a good thing that you escaped from that fire… what happened?"

Canis curiously asks.

"Father, I really didn't know what happened… after we tracked them using Lios, I followed the thieves towards the building. I killed several of them and kept those who were running away alive to know the location of their base or their boss, just as you suggest father… Then out of nowhere while I was hunting… it suddenly exploded."

Canis nodded and just listened intently.

"After the explosion, while the room is still covered in smoke, there are several people that survive."

(They survive that? That isn't a normal explosion, it's like a big bomb went off.)

"They were still disoriented, some just died after I sprayed more Hydra's Embrace pollen, and some I just drained their blood directly."

Canis nodded.

(Alright that our current M.O. sprays poison all around and kill them all… then use storage mushrooms to suck up all those pollen and throws them from afar later.)

"Oh right! Father… a guy stood up in front of me, covered his whole arms with black flame, and tried to charge at me."

Canis listens intently.

"However, he tried to move but the Hydra's Embrace pollen field that I already dispersed begins to scatter. When he forced himself to move… he… he just fell face first… but he made another explosion, I got burned once again but found this on that person."

Canis looks at the crown that appears in front of him, which Maple took from the inside of his body.

"Thats… that's it…"

(Those men said that that would 'Synchronize' with the Crown of Orpheus… to be able to own an artifact that can Synchronize is a very… very rare occasion.)

There is a hint of greed in his eyes.

Like he saw something that might help his dreams come true.

Well, what kind of normal person will not grab something that could make his wishes true?

Canis wanted to grab it immediately.

But he forces himself to calm down and wait for Maple to give it to him.

He took it and moved his hands to the horse design in front of it.

Putting mana on his eyes he could clearly see that this was compatible with him.

Then he put mana on his hands towards the crown.

"Crown of Orobas…"

He continues to rub his finger on the horse design sitting on the crown.