4/12/2019 ??

  ??? PM

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  It felt like a never-ending obstacle. Every time Daniel was about half a mile from reaching the summit, the distance kept pushing him further away from reaching it. He felt it was either trolling with him or put in some kind of trap. There was no relation of time to comprehend. The body and his mind felt as if they had been at least hours of continuous footwork.

  He pushed forward one more time, pacing up to the edge. As expected, the edge to the summit was pushed away.

  The fatigue wasn't annoying anymore. Anger replaced all his internal pain, so Daniel stopped. He viewed the flowers flowing along the breeze, heading back down the slope. When he followed it with a brief head turn, an aerial view of the deep abyss was revealed. If it wasn't for his enhanced vision, he recently gained from training sessions, he wouldn't have seen the base of the slope where he rose up and began the climb.

  When he turned his head back to the edge of the slope, the distance was much more dramatic and significant compared to all other times. As a result, Daniel released all of his suppressions as much as possible. As he clenched both of his fists, the skin was peeled off his hands like peeling potatoes. Blue blood soaked his exposed muscles. There was one more suppression lock he had to open. He had failed a few times before, but he was willing to release it now. Forcing more qi out, Daniel grunted hard, and his back cracked. Like bone breaks and such, he felt the weight was pressuring his upper and mid-back.

  He spat blood before vomiting a load. His eyes flashed red light for a moment as the aura went on a rampage. Unknowingly, the flowery slope shook. If there was really land beneath them, Daniel's feet would touch beyond the petals and leaves. And it did when his aura blasted all the flowery in his small vicinity.

  The refusal to fall for the struggle rose high. Not even caring if he broke his spine, Daniel forced him up, lifting his torso with his legs. Once he stood, his internal organs were probably strained, and some bled. He had a feeling his stomach was getting full because of the blood leaking into it. His mouth was filled, and he couldn't stop drooling. A little difficult to breathe, but one more grunt.

  A loud bang erupted, tearing some of his upper clothing and torso’s skin. Daniel screamed in a rapid power increase, finally breaking the level of suppression he was attempting to reach.

  Blue flames covered his exposed torso, and the force that kept him from flying couldn't resist him any longer. He levitated a few feet into the air. A dragon-like exhale, breathing fire. His eyes flashed blue, and tattoo marks were summoned directly on both of his arm muscles.

  Daniel observed the distancing edge of the summit. He wasted no time and launched away.

  As he was speeding, he reached Mach 1. What he saw ahead was that he was going faster than the rate at which the slope was expanding. About a minute of flight, he passed the edge of the hill and flew above the summit. Daniel unleashed a drag, drastically slowing his speed. One body roll, and he went for the thunderous landing.

  Rumble!

  "What an entrance."

  Daniel didn't talk until his aura and qi calmed down. He took the time, not worrying about others at the moment. Once his soul was relaxed, he turned to where the voice came from. Ahead was a round table. It was big enough to fit twelve people, and three seats were occupied.

  One appeared to be a regal and divine figure, radiating a godly aura like the sun. She had long, flowing, silvery-blonde hair. There was no wind up on the summit, but her hair moved like a river. She wore a large, ornate golden headpiece centered on her forehead. And the golden frame carried two luminous gemstones. Her clothes displayed royalty with heavy armor. Rich, dark fabric formed her cape, giving a warrior-ruler aesthetic. She introduced herself as Moon Mother and stood up.

  "We've been expecting you," Moon Mother said, gesturing Daniel to the round table. "Please, take a seat."

  The round table's seating was like a clock. Moon Mother sat at what was considered twelve o'clock. Daniel sat opposite her, taking the sixth.

  Two other people sat within Moon Mother's reach. One at nine o'clock and the other at one o'clock.

  Daniel looked at the ninth seat, finding a male elf present. He had high cheekbones and a strong jawline. He expressed no emotion, but his eyes were expressive. That was his way of introducing. The elf had long but shorter hair than Moon Mother. Like the latter, his blonde hair flew as if there was wind blowing past.

  On the elf's side, he wielded a one-handed sword that appeared celestial. Glitters of light like the stars hovered and surrounded the blade. It was tucked into his belt, which secured his white tunic. He maneuvered his cloak away from his chest as he repositioned his sword. The elf had a rare and profound posture. No slouching shoulders, and he didn't lean all the way to the seat. Moon Mother introduced him as King Valtoris.

  The lady in the first seat shared some characteristics of dark colors like Lian. She might have a higher embrace of darkness, as shown by her nine tails. Her tone and body language were fierce and aggressive. A boss on her own right, she didn't introduce her name to Daniel.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "Why am I here?" Daniel asked.

  Moon Mother snapped her fingers, summoning a tea set in front of her. She poured it out into the large cups before the other two had a chance. Being a large and wide roundtable, Daniel sensed the aromatic tea from afar. After pouring the tea, the cups immediately went to the three, sitting right at their reach.

  "Blood is all over the table," Moon Mother muttered, pointing at Daniel's arms.

  "Oh, oops. Darn…I didn't even notice that I'm still a wreck," Daniel said as he slowly sat down. Flames erupted from the exposed forearm muscles, drying up the blood. He rested his arms on the puddle of blood on the table and let the heat evaporate it.

  "What you did was almost a suicide. I watched your bones and organs crumble under pressure to break through the suppression of yours."

  "You watched me? The three of you?"

  King Valtoris put his cup of tea down. "The three of us summoned you here for a reason and a test. You passed the test."

  "It has to be more than just a test. You didn't invite me just for a test or to sit for a cup of tea. I broke my suppression to finish the climb…Be straight with me, what do you want me here for?"

  Moon Mother's expressions were reserved. "How are you feeling with everything you've learned up to this point?"

  "I haven't gone past the health section in the Art of Dao because I was busy with work."

  “When did you stop?”

  Daniel shrugged. “I don't know. I lost track.”

  “Have you been asleep?”

  “Not really. Naps are for the occasion,” Daniel said, taking his first sip of tea. “Ever since we got our first experience, we don’t sleep as much anymore.”

  “How’s dealing with the monster?”

  “Terrance is asleep. The damage has been done by the rebels. All of them died except one, which turned out to be Qiang Zhao.”

  The name got the nine-tailed fox lady to engage, as she wasn’t the talkative type. Her demeanor made Daniel a little uncomfortable. He learned about her relationship with Qiang Zhao. The rebels did so well in abductions to the point that even she couldn't find Qiang Zhao for the past two years. King Valtoris assisted, but to no avail. It was a coincidence that Daniel came into contact with her in a fight during Terrance's rampage.

  When Daniel asked Moon Mother how much she could interfere, it was only then that she took on more responsibilities. For most issues, as the sole creator of her universe, she was more of an isolationist. The balance of authority was regularly maintained. In a way, that was her freedom. Billions of years of living in what she considered to be relatively peaceful, only to be ruined by one planet.

  "Aren't you mad that the war on Planet Raal has destroyed your creation?" Daniel asked. He became thirsty and drank more than a sip of the tea.

  Moon Mother summoned another teapot just for him. "No…I don't. I could've, but I didn't. There was no point in being angry because that was how I created Raal and its people. Besides, they're my greatest creations, and I don't want to lose them…So, out of a thousand universes, I picked yours. You have the youngest universe with an unpredictable future ahead."

  "And Earth fits your criteria?"

  All three bobbed their heads simultaneously.

  "That's exactly why we want to talk to you," King Valtoris said. He finished his entire cup of tea, not needing more refills.

  Daniel immediately dodged, summoning Valence. He clashed with King Valtoris' sword, tearing the table into rubble. Valence's blade showered qi, flooding the area up to everyone's ankles. He doesn't know what King Valtoris' intent was for, so Daniel broke the clash and struck the latter's blade like a baseball bat hitting a ball hard.

  King Valtoris gestured his sword back to his grip. "Yinhai…You put a dent below the crossguard…What kind of sword do you have?!"

  "Not even Empress Cai knows it or Hilde."

  Kaboom!

  Clash!

  One upward motion, tearing a shockwave projectile. Daniel steered it away from the three, and the projectile crashed into the flowers. Some of the hill's summit flowers were swept away like shaving a beard.

  Daniel's arms were healed, and the tattoo marks that were directly on his muscles appeared on his new regenerated skin. It shone in bright blue, attracting the nine-tailed fox lady's attention.

  "What's your name again?" The fox lady asked.

  Confused, Daniel said his name.

  "You impressed me enough to talk. Call me Hu, and after today, this will be the last time you'll be called Daniel." Hu walked to an open spot, standing in an area where the flowers perished.

  "Why not?"

  Moon Mother withdrew her sword as she walked to Hu. Each step she put forward triggered a thumping vibration. The armor rattled with its weight with each walk. She took off the cape, letting it fly away before withering away. "Because you're going to become a king."

  Daniel wasn't thrilled but rather more stressed. He didn't hesitate to admit his doubts. "King? What king? I have too many things to bear already."

  King Valtoris joined with two; all stood in formation in front of Daniel.

  "If we had other options, we would've done it…But that's not the case," Moon Mother said as she unleashed her holy grand aura. "You will undertake this opportunity to learn the ways of how to lead the throne of our people."

  "I thought I was a representative for all of Raal."

  "A representative is a stepping stone to becoming a king. You agreed with Empress Cai to bring Raal to Earth weeks ago. In a short amount of time, you proved your capability. Hence, that makes you promoted." King Valtoris' eyes glowed gold, and a giant manifestation of a bird's head hovered above him. "We won't take no for an answer. Not after how much effort Lian and her fellow magic wielders took to find you."

  Daniel had nothing to say. Not because he refused, but his mind was clustered with rampaging thoughts. Being a Chief of Operations was one thing. As a mayor and dealing with recent issues, the weight on his shoulders became a massive deadlift, and his experience didn't match up with the title 'king'. He wanted to refuse, but this was Moon Mother he was interacting with.

  "Fuck…What have I done to myself to agree to this…" Daniel mumbled.

  The three unleashed their aura in an epic display as if it was inviting him to come.