The evening street was bustling with crowds. The sound of people chattering like chirping birds echoed through the night street filling the lively shops busy with customers on their left and right. Men accompanying women dressed boldly, exposing their bosoms on display, clinging to these passive men's arms was a common sight during festive seasons. Even the commoners were dressed in more presentable clothes than usual as they roamed around to enjoy the goodness of festival with their families and lovers.
Amidst these swarm of crowds was one man that stood out as he was walking the streets alone. Moreover the demeanor of this person and his face, and, judging by the way he was dressed, many women could tell this person was someone with status. Some of them tried to hover around him with parasitic intentions but were ignored by him.
"Hey did you hear that rumour? There is a famous rumour going around that our new supreme ruler have dissolved his harem?"
His footsteps halted when he heard these words spoken by a middle aged man who was seated up in a building accompanied by some other people.
"What? This is the first time i am hearing this." One of them asked intently
"Oh that. Isn't that just a rumour? Why would the supreme ruler dismiss his own concubines?" Another spoke.
"Idiot. Its not just a rumour. It is true." The man who started this conversation berated them lightly. Then he gestured them to come closer.
"I know one of the families whose daughter was a member of the ruler's harem. A few months ago she returned to her family and said that the supreme ruler had dismissed her and the others of their concubine duties..." He whispered to the group.
"But then..." One of them scratched his beard and added. "Who would tend to the needs of the supreme ruler if all his concubines were dismissed?"
The middle aged men smirked as he told them to get closer until their heads were practically sticking to each other's. "This...." He whispered lowly. "I heard the girl's parents discussing about something and I happened to overhear them." Rubbing his hands excitedly he then continued.
"It is said that on the day the war broke and the supreme ruler had won it, upon returning, he brought back a person with him. This person was confined into one of the finest courtyards and was isolated by everyone. No one was allowed to enter the courtyard without the supreme ruler's permission. Not only that. The supreme ruler visited the courtyard every single day and this person staying in the courtyard took his enitre attention away from the women in his harem."
"Ah...it must be an astounding beauty. If not there is no way the supreme ruler was taken in by someone average." One of them spoke.
The middle aged man clicked his tongue at him. "Shortly after the supreme ruler dissolved his harem by sending them away from the palace. But the strange thing is that even though the supreme ruler visited that person every day he never stayed overnight there."
"Ahh...maybe the bed techniques of the beauty is not that great? Or she is the extreme shy type?"
This statement almost made the handsome man down on the road trip over.
"No." The middle aged man kept the suspense going. "Apparently....it turned out that...."
"That what?" The group of men were agitated, dying to know his next sentence.
"Apparently the person staying in the courtyard is actually a man."
"What?" They gasped. "No way! Impossible! Why would a man discard thousands of beautiful women over a single man?"
"Could he be a man with a face that exceeds the beauty of women?"
The middle aged man clicked his tongue again. "It is rumoured that the man is actually the leader of the other faction that waged war against our supreme ruler, the former head of the eight jade palace."
"What???!!!???"
He continued not letting them take in the shock. "It is also said that the supreme ruler actually tried to kill one of his women, the one called the most beautiful woman in the world, the girl with silver hair! Even another harem member was rendered blind by the supreme ruler's wrath."
"What??!!"
The group shook their heads in denial. They were to shocked to believe his words.
"My old friend where did you even hear all this from? Aren't you just making up stories from your wild imagination using rumours?"
The old man smacked the head of the person who spoke. "Idiot. You have been my friend for so long. You know I have my own ways of getting hold on these kinds of scandals. My friend, when have my words ever been wrong?"
The young handsome man narrowed his eyes at the floor these group of middle aged men were gossiping before walking away silently.
"Where the heck did that old man heard all these things from?" He clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Humans are scary." Nulis shivered thinking the same as it's host.
Ivar had sneaked out of the courtyard. Currently a festival was going around but he wasn't out here to enjoy it. He scanned the enitre area. When his foresight caught onto the thing that he was searching for he immediately disappeared from the spot he was currently standing. His figure reappeared into a dark forest. His eyes darted around in the darkness before they narrowed into the distance. He sprinted up and in the brink of an eye he was already standing in between where he was encircled by a group of high level demons. Ivar unsheathed his sword. With a single slash he cut off the head of a demon. The piercing red eyes of these demons howled at him angrily. But Ivar did not gave them a chance. He summoned several golden arrows. With the flick of his fingers these hundred of arrows dove towards the demons, the sharpness of the golden aura penetrated their necks as their heads were cut off mercilessly.
Thuweck.
Stab. Stab. Cut through.
Pattter. Pattter.
Thuck. Thuck.
Their red eyes dimmed as their decapitated heads dropped onto the ground with a loud thud.
"Congratulations host. The demon subjugation side mission has been completed. You have earned 2000 points. + 5000 points for satisfying the original soul's wish."
Ivar snorted. "The satisfaction points is higher than the actual side mission. What a scumbag character!"
"Host. The original was a power crazed person. The feeling of having lives underneath his feet and the feat of having slaughtering demons on his own without additional help acts as an advantage to us. Although a scumbag, earning points is all that matters." Nulis sighed agreeing that Chu Gui was really one of a scumbag.
Ivar stared down at the dead bodies of these demons. A thought flashed in his mind and he acted accordingly to it. He raised his feet and stepped onto the dead bodies of these demons.
"Congratulations. +500 points has been awarded as additional points for satiating the sadistic feelings of the original." Nulis was stupefied at this sudden achievement.
"..." What a trash this Chu Gui is.
Nevertheless Ivar went deeper into the forest. By the time he walked out of there it was already light outside. The sun was already about to rise. His eyes squinted towards the sea that was visible in the distance. The next moment he was already standing at the sea beach. His naked feet dipped into the sea water feeling the cooling effect tickling his feet. The morning sea breeze blew against his face blowing his hair to let them float in the air. He closed his eyes taking in the calmness he was feeling at the moment, completely unaware of a man spying on him.
Guang Wang Lei had been following him since a couple of months ago. He simply couldn't understand why this person would sneak out every then and while only to slaughter mercilessly. So he came to a conclusion that it had something to do with that unknown force. Not the mention the face this person was currently making was unfathomable. The expression on this person's face right now was a face that people like Guang Wang Lei himself would make, people who were stripped off of something precious to them. The mysteries surrounding this person seemed to increase even more and more.
When he saw the person walk away he followed suit.
Currently the man was cooking in the kitchen as if he just woke up and didn't sneak out last night. Meanwhile Guang Wang Lei stood at the entrance, leaning on the door as he examined the person cooking.
"Its annoying how you keep standing at the door each and every single day. can't you just wait at the table?" Ivar irked.
"No." Came a definite reply.
When the cooking was done the table was set. It was filled with delicious looking meals. Guang Wang Lei took a spoonful into his mouth. His eyes shook with delight. As always his cooking was excellent.
"We are going to the ocean today." He suddenly threw these words at Ivar. From his observation this person seemed to like the ocean a lot.
Ivar ignored him as he continued eating. Mid way his chopsticks paused for a bit.
"You....dissolved your harem?"
Guang Wang Lei looked at him in the eye. "When I was young...." He spoke. "I used to believe that being loved by thousands of women was a blessing. Only later did I realise that it was actually a curse to a man."
So you had a harem. Ivar snorted as he thought to himself. Guang Wang Lei saw through Ivar's thoughts.
"About five hundred years ago....." Ivar heard him speak. "I killed them off."
Taking in his words calmly Ivar commented. "So you are an old soul. Acting so young and vigorous." This sentence was said languidly.
"Oh?" Guang Wang Lei's interest rose. "Then how old are you?"
"Young enough to call you an old ancestor." Came a blatant reply.
"...."
They resumed the eating. When they were done it was time to stroll at the garden outside. Guang Wang Lei sat at the white building near the garden. Meanwhile Ivar was amidst the garden filled with blooming flowers. His mind spaced out as he looked at the flowers blankly devoid of expression and appreciation. Guang Wang Lei's eyes never left Ivar's face. His own pair of eyes darted around this person who was making an empty face as if his soul has left the world.
"Come to think of if, I have never asked for your name." Guang Wang Lei murmured to himself. Well...not like he will tell me even if I were to ask. He thought.
Ivar stared at the beautiful flowers swaying with the blowing wind. He closed his eyes to feel the calmness that made him aware of the emptiness in him. "If..." Ivar thought to himself. "If they were here...." He refrained himself from completing this wishful sentence. His eye brows frowned. The wind was blowing hard against his face. Long strands of his hair flowed in the air, flickering with the wind. Accompanied by the tragic look on his face it gave of a strange vibe.
"..." Guang Wang Lei who was watching him make this face felt a strange feeling surging inside his heart. His interest in this person was rising day by day. These past months he had been visiting him over and over yet there was nothing much he could find. He could see the invisible chains and thorns surrounding this person's soul.
When they were at the ocean the serene face on Ivar's face deepened. And this was noticed by Guang Wang Lei. Because it was day time there were quite a few people around the beach. The few people that were around kept sneaking glances at these two man that gave off a noble vibe.
"Watch out." A female's voice shrieked at her son who was running without a care of his surrounding.
Thud!
A ten year old boy bumped onto a sturdy wall. Upon turning his eyes he realised that it was the body of a person. When he looked up at the person he had bumped against his eyes welled up with tears. The owner of the body was staring down at him with a cold, piercing gaze.
"Waaahhhh...mommmyyy....." He immediately jolted away from Ivar and ran into his mother's arms.
"I told you to pay attention to your surrounding. It was your fault for not looking straight. Now where is your manners? Go and apologize." She spoke sternly. She then looked at Ivar carefully to see if her son had offended him. Thankfully it was not the case.
Her son emerged from behind her and spoke timidly. "S...sorryy..."
"Hey....Song Wu....come over here. Let's build a sand castle." A young child from afar shouted at the boy. Song Wu steered his head towards the girl who was accompanied by other two kids.
"C..coming." He stuttered replying.
"Go." Ivar did not say much. When the boy called Song Wu realized that this important looking person was not reprimanding him he ran off to the other children without hesitating.
"Sorry. I apologise in my children's side. They are playful siblings of five. Its so hard to handle them." The mother replied bowing slightly.
"Hm." Ivar did not say much.
The woman left to oversee her children. From a distance Ivar could see her softly scolding her children. The bunch of them then shook their heads while busying their hands to build sand castles.
This scene stung his heart. A faint nostalgic memory came crashing in his mind. Subconsciously a soft smile bloomed on his face as the corners of his lips curved lightly.
Guang Wang Lei who had been watching everything standing by the side saw the smiling Chu Gui. The smile of this man bloomed with a hint of sadness as well as profound adoration. His eyes widened at the scene before him. The sunshine radiating on Ivar's face added a charm on his smile, the wind swaying his hair made no less effort in making Ivar more appealing.
"Heh. I didn't know you could smile." Guang Wang Lei spoke. His eyes captured the serene smile of this serene man as he continued speaking subconsciously. "Its Beautiful." When he realized what he had said his eyes widened with shock.
Ivar squinted his eyes at him but did not react to his comment. He walked over to the shore where the waves could kiss his feets.
Guang Wang Lei stood still watching him from behind. Just like this the day went by until the sun was kissing the horizon of the ocean.
The two men kept their eyes on the sunset. A dark shade of red, blue, yellow and orange covered the horizon of the ocean.
"Come to think of it, what is your real name?"
Guang Wang Lei was the first to break the silence. As he said this he turned his head to Ivar's side.
Ivar continued to look at the expanse of the sky. The ignored person continued to stare at him with expectation. Ivar tried to move his lips but they refused to open up and speak his name, as if a binding force was stopping him from doing so. He frowned with discomfort.
"Host, the system forbids you from telling him your name." Nulis's words rang in his mind.
"Oh." Ivar sighed. He then turned his head to face Guang Wang Lei. When the other person saw him turn towards him his brow raised in amusement.
"Knowing my name is not important." Because once I leave this world I will not meet you again. Ivar thought. There were a total of three months left before his timeline in this world is finished.
"Oh?" Guang Wang Lei chuckled. "Because we will never meet again? Is that what you are thinking?"
Ivar kept silent.
"Well....too bad. I have the power to find you even if you were to leave." With a hideous smirk Guang Wang Lei grabbed the other's hand and pulled it towards himself, the irritation in his mood obvious to the naked eye.
The next moment they were back at the courtyard.