Thirteen Months of Peace
After a bit of roughhousing, the entirety of class 0 was finally on their way to exploring the city of Shrek. It was a pretty place filled with history and smiles that reached from ear to ear. It was oddly nice to see the place his father had worked to foster turn out so well.
[I agree. It's been quite a while since I last saw it yet it's still holding out well.] The voice of his father nearly startled the Golden Dragon King, his eyes momentarily widening before returning to normal just as quickly. It had been quite a while since he had heard his father's voice.
The strain of assisting Wulin during the merging of the Golden Dragon Spear had taken much of his already limited energy and their battle had limited it even further. His father had been forced to go into a sort of hibernation to recover.
[I've only briefly woken up because of that child. I've seen bits and pieces of what happened when I was asleep but I would love to hear when I wake up properly.] Despite yawning and sounding as though he was fighting off sleep Tang San's voice was warm as he spoke to his child, a sincere desire to bond with his child in his tone.
'Sure. I'll tell you all about it when you wake up.' Wulin didn't have to bother looking at his father's reaction, his smile was clear as day even in the silence. Falling back into his slumber Tang San was excited for that moment.
"Hm?" Glancing behind him Wu Zhangkong couldn't understand what the source of his odd feeling was. It centered around Wulin so it was likely fine however it was odd and unsettling. He had felt a pure energy pass by him like the breeze and seep into Wulin before it disappeared.
Smiling mysteriously Gu Yuena giggled cutely as Wu Zhangkong sighed and shook his head. It was his mistake to expect any answers from those two. Though he was their teacher, though he was their guardian, he was not strong enough to stand by their side for long. He needed to grow quickly before he was left behind.
Glancing at her partner a brief conversation occurred between crimson and violet, a smile gracing her lips. She had sensed the energy coming from the center of the city, the location of the Sea God Lake where the life core of the planet lay. It had grown weaker just as the planet had but it still spared some of its energy to reinvigorate Wulin's father. What a loyal child.
"I think it's time." Abruptly breaking the tranquil silence between the two of them Wulin stood up and stretched lightly, a small groan leaving his lips. Biting her lip and frowning Gu Yuena was heartbroken. Stretching wasn't something Wulin generally did, his body was always in peak condition after all, and yet the heavenly tribulation had rendered his body stiff and weak.
She had felt portions of his pain and it was soul shattering. She was eons old and yet it still threatened to break her spirit and he was a child. Well, perhaps not a child. His condition wasn't exactly the same as hers but he was clearly older than he appeared. Regardless, that pain was not something to be endured by a mortal. It was universal punishment of the highest order.
"I'm fine." Gently squeezing her hand it would be a stretch to say Wulin was smiling but the faint curling of his lips was more than enough for her. Nodding reluctantly it was difficult to say she was completely fine but there was little to be done. No matter how much her heart ached to see him in such pain the punishment would not vanish.
Wandering off Wulin soon found himself lost in thought. In the past, he radiated pressure at all times in order to push people away from him. Now however people meandered by him freely, his power all but hidden from the world. He didn't mind if people walked into him or if a little splash of grease appeared on his clothes. He felt… peaceful.
"Oh! Looks like you found me after all!" Smiling brightly Yun Ming motioned for Wulin to take a seat beside him, waving over a waiter for a second plate of dumplings. Nodding gratefully to the man who was now his teacher Wulin took the seat beside him without complaint.
"I have two things to tell you and an offer." It was unlike Wulin to willingly bring up such matters but he believed it to be the best time to gain an invaluable ally for their cause. The Spirit Beasts may not be his subjects but their subjugation was impossible for him to allow.
Though they may be mindless and a danger at first should they be given time to grow under their own rule the Spirit Beasts would be an invaluable ally. He could understand humanity's fears as they had grown used to being the superior species. If a rival were to come their lives would be forever endangered. However, rivalry was a good thing.
"I can't say I'll be the best confidant but I'll at least listen." Chuckling softly in an attempt to lessen the tension in the area their surroundings went silent as soon as the waiter stepped away, their surroundings quietly literally split between heaven and earth. Wulin had his suspicions but Yun Ming had spent all his life studying the law of Heaven. And it worked.
"I am the son of the Sea God. I am Grace Mirchea Luslec. And, finally, I would like to change the Shrek Seven Devil system." Blinking as though he had been struck in the face it was only a few seconds later that Yun Ming regained his bearings. Downing his wine he looked at Wulin in faint understanding.
"And here I thought you were the youngest heavenly smith." Shaking his head with a wry smile Yun Ming could hardly believe what he had heard. However, it made far too much sense. Wulin had always been different from the very moment he met him.
It wasn't his maturity nor his apathy, it was actually what dwelled beneath the surface. He seemed calm and well controlled yet beneath his exterior, his mask, Wulin was a monster. The amount of power hidden within his young body was monstrous, contained only by measly affection and common sense. Restraints that could be broken at any second.
"Fine. Let's hear your offer." It was stupid to listen to his enemy without proof but Yun Ming was interested. What kind of history would this child write? He wanted to be the first to witness the changes brought by this boy.
"Seven people isn't enough. War is coming, we need more 'heroes' than that." Throughout history the Shrek Seven Devils had been paragons of justice, they had been heroes. But with war between the great powers just a few years away they needed more than seven beacons of light to guide the people.
"Well, I can't say I disagree but tradition is difficult to change." Humming thoughtfully Yun Ming thought the idea was worth a try. Each generation of the Shrek Seven Devils was strong but there were plenty of talents left out. Sometimes that was fine however there were plenty of times throughout history that people that should have been nurtured were turned away.
"FUG doesn't have a goal, we all move for our own benefit. However, I have a goal I must accomplish even if I turn this world on its head. Will that not be enough reason?" For a moment, a shiver of true fear went down Yun Ming's spine. He had nearly forgotten but the boy he thought was only a monster was actually somebody far stronger than him.
"...And what is your goal?" However, Wulin wasn't at that level now. Yun Ming could tell that he couldn't use the power of a god again, not now at least. The universal order was watching him after his last act against the evil soul masters.
To begin with, Yun Ming had no intention of making an enemy of Wulin. Ignoring the bad publicity of losing a student so soon after picking one Luslec was not an enemy nor was FUG for that matter. They had acted openly only twice and both times were extremely justified.
Though their methods might be a tad unconventional their hearts were in the correct place. It would be a stretch to call them righteous however they were not evil. They were neutral, a gathering of sinners who served the devil. They would soak their hands in blood for the good of the world and burn everything to ash should the Slayers request it.
"I will unify humanity and spirit beasts even if I must make myself the enemy of both." The determination flaring in Wulin's eyes wasn't something that could be faked. He believed his words and he wouldn't hesitate to do whatever it took to accomplish it. Those eyes herald the change of an era.
FUG wasn't an ally, that much was clear. Wulin himself wasn't even on their side despite apparently being the son of the Sea God. But that was fine. Their goals aligned and Shrek needed all the allies they could get for the upcoming war.
"I've got a few questions about divinity and such but before that, I want to know. What do you suggest we do to change the Shrek Seven Devils?" Yun Ming wasn't exactly the most creative when it came to topics like this so he usually left it to other people. Even now that was what he was doing. According to his wife, there was nobody less suited to such a task than him.
"There should only be thirteen of them. Anymore and we may as well create two separate teams. Ideally, the members would be interchangeable with one another as well to allow us to occupy a wider area." Explaining his brain child simply Wulin was relieved to see Yun Ming's receptive response.
"So your goal is to make a group that can function no matter what the composition is. Smart. It'd be difficult to say you'd all be in the ideal grouping after all." Nodding along Yun Ming felt like it all worked well but there was one last thing. "What should it be called?"
"The Shrek Seven Devils is famous for its history, not its members. To change it, why don't we give everyone a dedicated title? To that end, why don't we name them the Shrek's Thirteen Months." Raising a brow at that Yun Ming agreed with everything but the name.
"Thirteen? There's only twelve months." It was less of a complaint and more because he was curious. Wulin had clearly put a lot of thought into this proposition so it was clear he wouldn't make such a ridiculous mistake. Simply nodding in response Wulin tapped on his soul communicator, a screen manifesting before their eyes.
𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥
𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐚𝐲
𝐋𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞
𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐨 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲
𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭
𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫
𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫
𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫
𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫
𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫
"Ah, I see." Nodding his head in response as though he understood Yun Ming in truth understood none of whatever it was Wulin was trying to convey. Sighing in resignation Wulin had hoped somebody as experienced as him would at least be better at hiding his confusion.
"It's a system that nearly replaced our current calendar. It never ended up being used but it better fits our needs so I improvised." Explaining its origins a lightbulb appeared over the Atlas Douluo's head while Wulin just looked at him unamused.
"Shrek's Thirteen Months, a force capable of spreading peace for every month and then some… I like it." Smiling widely Yun Ming could see this change going well. It was not only a necessary change but also one that would be well received. It was perfect.
This decision would take a while to get approved and for the first generation of 'months' to arrive but Yun Ming was excited for that day. The former class 0 would certainly be a part of it but they needed more talents.
In the meantime, they needed to stall the progress of war. They needed more time to build up counters to whatever the Spirit Pagoda would throw at them and make weapons of their own. It was going to be a tense countdown until the 'peace' vanished but he was confident. They just had to nurture their talents well and nobody was better at it than Shrek.
"Haha! I'm really happy I made you my student!" Gently slapping Wulin's broad back Yun Ming almost felt bad. Partially for Wulin who he was going to entrust the future too but more so to the fools who stood against him.
He couldn't wait until that day arrived!
[𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝟏 𝐄𝐍𝐃]
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Hey there, hope you liked the chapter.
Finally, after all this time the first volume is done! It's been a long ride with lots of ups and downs but we've finally made it! This chapter is about twice the length of normal so hopefully you guys appreciate it! I'll be taking a week break before chapters return to their normal schedule!
If you want more chapters, head to patre*on.com/TrapOverlord for up to 25 extra chapters. It isn't required but it'd be much appreciated.