124 Tizik

Of course, Hayden couldn't return to Foriast right this instant as their activities for the day wasn't done. There were still the official individual interviews and team press conferences, so that they can be introduced to the world.

These two bothersome events ended only at 3:00 PM. Afterwards, Hayden was absolutely socially exhausted. He treated this as training for his social battery for when he becomes an actor and singer.

Returning to his room, Hayden got a pleasant surprise. It was Sayuri. She wore a red shirt with a cute chibi puppy in the middle and regular denim shorts. She was full of cuteness and hotness. As well as raw sexual appeal. "Oh, Sunshine? You're this early? Where are the others?"

"I asked for a little alone time with you." Sayuri leaned close to him and positioned her hands behind her back. "Aren't you happy?"

"Of course I'm happy." Hayden tapped Sayuri's nose. Sayuri couldn't control herself and pounced on Hayden, kissing him. Hayden had to carry her. "Tsk, you're really aggressive when it comes to kissing."

"Your attractiveness is too powerful." Sayuri pouted. Hayden couldn't resist kissing her back. "Thanks for giving me the access to the hotel room."

Hayden gently laid Sayuri down on the bed. "Why wouldn't I? You're also my girlfriend. It'd be stupid if I didn't let you access the hotel room."

Sayuri ruffled Hayden's head prior to pulling it to her lips. The scene became steamy. Ultimately, they still didn't do it as they both agreed not to until the third week.

"You're hard down there." Sayuri teased Hayden as something poked her. "Are you that aroused?"

"Who wouldn't be aroused in this situation?" Hayden dryly smiled as he kissed Sayuri back again. "It'd be strange if I wasn't."

"Heh, my little Hayden." Sayuri let go of her arms wrapped around her neck and pinched his cheeks. "Why are you so darn cute?"

In order for him to not get drowned in lust, Hayden let go of Sayuri. "It's hard maintaining sanity in this situation without Divine Perception."

"Is my sexual appeal and beauty that high?" Sayuri hugged Hayden from behind, closely sticking her body with his.

"In all honesty, it is." Hayden admitted with a sigh. He stroked Sayuri's arms. "It's good that I'm a man with high self-control. If you were in my shoes, you would've ravaged you."

"What a pervert." Sayuri chuckled at the joke hidden in the compliment.

"I'm your pervert now." Hayden joked again. Gently removing Sayuri's hand, Hayden twisted and hugged her, placing one of his hands on the small of Sayuri's back. He sofly said, "You know why I picked Sunshine as your nickname?"

"Why?" Sayuri didn't lift her head up, burying it further.

"That's some next level complimenting right there." Sayuri chuckled. "Why are you this good of a man?"

"Why are you so beautiful?" Hayden deflected the question with a serious and gentle tone. If he wasn't able to provide at least these kind of compliments for such world-staggering beauties, there was no way he deserved them.

"Tsk, following it up with a cliché line. I hate you." Sayuri cutely hit Hayden's chest with her right hand. Abruptly, she perked up her nose as she sniffed Hayden. "You've been with a woman. A beautiful one. And you've been somewhere. Where?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes." Hayden lightly caressed the back of Sayuri's head. "For now, I am forbidden to tell you. Don't worry, I'm not in any mortal danger.���

"As long as you're safe." Sayuri's face was full of worry. It was that of genuine worry that would make you to feel you're really loved. "You can't die on us."

"I know." Hayden cupped Sayuri's face with his hands. "Don't worry, you know me."

Hayden wouldn't inform Sayuri that he risked his life for a few hours of increasing his circulation speed. It was unnecessary and will create ceaseless worry.

This will be a headache for Hayden. Not to mention that it will worry Sayuri and Eun-ha. As Sayuri will, without a doubt, inform her. Hayden didn't want that.

The next thing they did was to watch a movie. Sayuri liked watching movies with Hayden. Until she saw Hayden was asleep. "Must be exhausted from all the interviews, huh?"

…..

Waking up, Hayden was in the comfortable embrace of Sayuri. She wasn't asleep and was watching something. Hayden was reminded of his first time sleeping on Eun-ha's lap in South Korea.

'Feels like a million years ago.' Hayden mused himself as he rubbed his head on Sayuri the same way they'd do. "Thanks for letting me sleep."

"You looked tired." Sayuri pecked Hayden on the head. "Let me guess, interviews and press conferences?"

"Yes." Hayden smacked his lips. "That interview and press conference drained my social battery. These publicity stunts overload my brain."

"You do quite good though." Sayuri said as she looked at Hayden on her chest. "You hide your introversion quite meticulously."

"It's easy to come up with an answer that will satisfy people." Hayden answered in a matter-of-factly tone. "Not too much information and humble. Sometimes, you have to joke a bit, and sometimes you have to forego humbleness. This is the most basic essence for coming off as friendly. Also, subconscious communication with body language. It's all easy once you study human psychology."

"Eh…" Sayuri was surprised and not at the same time of Hayden's words. "You really are intelligent. Even if you don't think you're handsome, you think that you're at least a bit attractive, don't you?"

"Needless to say." Hayden confirmed this. "I think I am attractive, but not to the point that I will attract you guys. I never anticipated that."

"Tsk, humble mouth." Sayuri was becoming increasingly fond of Hayden. "I take it that you have something to do?"

"That can be postponed." Hayden had his priorities straight. He was thirsty for power. He wasn't greedy. There's a difference. "For now, you're with me, and I'm with you. You guys will always be my first priority."

"No." Sayuri pushed Hayden away. "You're the one who told us, 'Don't make your lives revolve around me.' Yet, you're doing the same. You should go. I can tell that what you're doing is something important."

"I…" Hayden was speechless of Sayuri. He smiled at her. "When have you become this sage? Even using my own words against me."

"Just go, you idiot." Sayuri exhibited a cute titter that nearly killed Hayden. "You always have time for me. For us. Focus on yourself sometimes."

'Not like I'm doing this solely for myself.' Hayden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll go now."

In an instant, Hayden's clothes changed into his white shirt and athletic shorts. A black mask materialized in his hands. "I probably won't be back till tomorrow."

"I sensed that." Sayuri snorted. "Don't worry about me. I'll call Eun-ha and maybe a few others. There's also Dusk and Dawn to keep me company."

"Don't overdo it, Sunshine." Hayden opened the window and jumped out.

"That boy is a mess." Sayuri chuckled. "Ah, why are you so attractive?"

…..

It was 5:00 PM when Hayden was greeted back by Ysa and Jin. This time, they got rid of their shock already and talked with Hayden casually.

"Told you that he was special." Ysa mischievously rubbed this fact in Jin's face. "Le-Fenrir here is a person that will change the world."

"You say that only because I gave you that Mellow Explosion." Hayden rolled his eyes at Ysa. "I'm not releasing that to the public anytime soon, you know? It's wholly experimental. And even if it was finished…"

"Why not?" Ysa pouted at Hayden in an attempt to be cute. It was not that she was cute… It was that she was 180 years old. He wasn't discriminating her for her age, it was that he wouldn't date a person that was over 160 years old than him.

"Because I'm planning to keep this recipe as a personal one." Hayden lied with ease. He was not going to divulge that he has girlfriends. What's more, it was plural. "It will be a special candy for me and my family alone."

"Is this a hint saying that I should seduce Le-Fenrir?" Ysa smiled at Hayden. Hayden blankly gazed at her in the eyes, low-key implying 'what the fuck are you talking about?' Ysa's face twitched. She was immediately angered. "Cannot take a joke, jeez."

Hayden was led back into Foriast. The sky was similar to the sky outside, with a sun setting on the horizon. "That's still as stunning as it was the first time I've seen it."

"Wait till you've seen it during the night." Ysa smiled. "It is the starriest night you will have witnessed in your life. There's even Aurora Lights."

"I'm looking forward to it." Hayden nonchalantly replied. Hayden, Jin, and Ysa all entered Foriast. Hayden was led to the centermost building this time, the Tizik. Tizik roughly translates to 'City Center.'

It was huge, approximately 200 meters in height. Not at all what you'd expect from an edifice in an underground city. "This is the farthest we can accompany you, Le-Fenrir."

"We cannot go inside as the Yorixia and the Rixeus are privy people." Jin said seriously. "Not to mention that it's against our law to go in Tizik without any permission and that the Yorixia and Rixeus is literally our entire governing body."

"I guess we'll see each other later." Hayden didn't dwell on their words as he walked in front, faced them, and bade them goodbye. He did the goodbye of a Foris, crossing both of his arms and breaking it up by moving the two arms downwards.

The two did the same. Jin spoke, "See you later, Hil-Fenrir."

Jin changed his address of Hayden to 'Hil-,' an honorific that means you're more than an acquaintance but lesser than an actual friend.

Hayden waved his hands without turning his body as he walked towards the entrance of the Tizik. Once he was in the doorsteps, two people came out without a warning.

One was a light-skinned woman, about 170 centimeters tall. She had dark blue hair and similarly dark blue eyes. She wore a white shirt underneath a small black vest and black denim shorts. Around her neck was a long green azure scarf.

She was beautiful. In fact, every Foris woman, or at least those that seemed like women, were beautiful. Everyone was youthful to boot. 'Even that 180-year-old woman is youthful.'

The other was a man, muscular, and at a height roughly identical to Hayden. His eyes were like slits, literally. He had a faint smile like a monk's. His get-up was likewise that of a monk's. The orange robes. The cleanly shaven head and face. He even radiated a sage aura that reinforces the feeling that he was a monk.

"Nice to meet you, Ro-Fenrir." The two's voice simultaneously rang out as they greeted Hayden with Roshist. Hayden did the same movements. The woman introduced herself. "My name is Azukira. And this here is Rastia."

"Ro-Azukira. Ro-Rastia." Hayden performed another round of the general Roshist greeting.

Without another word, Hayden was led into the inside of Tizik. Inside was a spacious… Lobby? There was nothing in sight at all. Hayden followed the two into the middle of the room.

With his Divine Perception activated, Hayden couldn't pick up anything at all. It was normal ground. Normal walls. Normal empty space.

That's when Azukira and Rastia stood five meters away from him. They chanted something. Probably in Roshist. As they chanted, rays of white light escaped from the floor in front of where Azukira and Rastia was standing.

The rays of light spread and turned into a circle. Eventually, they were surrounded by the rays of light. Five seconds later, the floor trembled. It started to move.

Azukira and Rastia returned to Hayden's side. They were both silent. Hayden didn't mind and preferred that they be silent anyways.

Hayden observed his surroundings. There were holes, possibly entrances, in eight different directions, with an exact 10-meter space from the doors above and below.

About 180 meters in, the floor stopped going upwards. Azukira and Rastia walked in front of Hayden. They chanted something in Roshist again, and a bridge made of white light was conjured.

The two parted and bowed invitingly as they pointed to the bridge of light. Hayden deduced that there were two possibilities. This was either a power of a Level 6, or an Essence Manipulation Art.

Either way, Hayden didn't care. Stepping one foot on the bridge made of light, he confirmed it was solid. Hayden leisurely walked to the entrance.

Entering the entrance, all Hayden saw was greeneries. However, in the middle of the room, there was a tall tree. A tree that can overshadow the building he was currently in.

The tree was picturesque to say the least. It had a luscious golden bark and similarly golden leaves and flowers. Some of the branches had a perfectly round golden fruit nearly the size of Hayden's fist. The entire tree seemed as if it was touched by King Midas himself.

The tree was the source of light as well. The tree's light was refreshing and welcoming. It exuded vigor and calmed Hayden down. It was akin to that of sunlight, albeit exponentially milder and better. It was comfortable.

Hayden noticed that there were little wisps of golden light that flew around. From Hayden's perception, they were purely light and didn't have a physical body.

Hayden ignored the lights as he didn't sense any kind of hostile danger from them. He approached the golden tree out of curiosity.

That's when Gaia popped up in front of him. "You're a bit late, Fenrir. Or should I say, Hayden Emperador?"

Hayden wasn't surprised at all that Gaia knew his name. She was the Source Heart, the Origin Crystal of the world, she definitely has some surveillance power. Therefore, she has definitely scanned Hayden before.

Besides, she blatantly told him that she was watching him in the Philippines. It would be stranger if she didn't have Hayden's name committed to memory.

"Why was I brought here, Gaia?" Hayden sternly said. He wouldn't keep his guard down. "What is this place?"

"This place is in another space independent of the world outside." A man's voice came from behind Hayden. Hayden immediately turned around. It was Starakt. "It is one of the powers of Gaia."

Unlike his appearance when only Gaia was present, Starakt was now wearing a white robe with golden ornaments on the side. Starakt greeted Hayden in Roshist. "Ro-Hayden. My name is Starakt, the Yorixia. You may address me informally."

"Ro-Starakt." Hayden greeted back. "I take it that you have knowledge of my facial features already?"

"Indeed." Starakt smiled. A bit suggestively for Hayden's comfort. "You're quite handsome for a 16-year-old."

Removing his mask, Hayden placed it back in his Space Ring. Starakt seemed surprised. "Oho, people in the outer world has learned to utilize Shiksit? How exciting. Why didn't you inform me of this, Gaia?"

"You know that I cannot spoon-feed you these information, Starakt." Gaia exasperatedly responded. Hayden was stunned of the deviation of character. Wasn't this too casual for a 'goddess?' "Anyhow, Starakt here will be your guide for today. He will provide you with everything I have promised."

"But first." Starakt's aura suffocated Hayden. Hayden couldn't help moving a step backwards. "Let's see what you're capable of."

…..

3:00 AM. Philippines. Tuesday. NAIA. A man in a black suit and a fedora alighted the airport. It was Christopher, aka Kidlat.

During the past few days, Hayden has coordinated two of the people he hired. He tasked them with the supervision of his parents during his absence. It wasn't out of mistrust for Pangkat Anino that he tasked the two to do so. It was out of caution.

He has already paid the two 250,000 credits each for the job. Of course, this extended till the end of the Annual Youth Pride, where they'll accompany his parents to World Government Island.

'Since boss is now part of Pangkat Anino, it'll be better if I go back here.' Christopher muttered. In the distance, there was a beautiful woman standing and looking left and right cautiously.

It was Harper. As Hayden has introduced the two digitally already, Christopher recognized her. 'Damn, she's hot. She's better looking in person! I wonder who the third teammate is.'

Hayden hasn't contacted Colton yet, much less, introduced him to Christopher and Harper. Nevertheless, Hayden was planning it soon.

Harper and Christopher locked eyes. Harper started advancing towards him. Christopher did the same.

"Christopher?" Harper asked. "We have to hurry to boss' parent's side."

"Indeed." Christopher nodded. "Do we have a vehicle?"

"Boss bought a sedan for us." Harper pointed to the entrance. "It's right outside. Also, he bought two tickets for us to World Government Island."

"How will we keep close watch over boss' parents?" Christopher asked. "I mean, I have my methods…"

"Don't worry about me." Harper shook her head. "I have my own methods as well."

The two didn't speak anymore. They walked out of the airport. The two rode a white sedan out of the parking lot. Christopher, who was driving, attempted small talk. "So, how's the boss? How come you've run into him?"

"Hayden was my bounty assassination target from the Dark Heaven Guild." Harper peered out of the window. "He intercepted me along with my partner. He helped me complete my goal for joining Dark Heaven Guild in the first place."

"That kid knows how to create a sense of debt for people, huh?" Christopher chuckled. "Guess we're on the same boat. You admire his strength, too, don't you?"

"He's strong." Harper didn't deny Christopher's question. "He beat me and a pretty powerful Level 3 with ease. With him joining Pangkat Anino, it will only be benefits that will come if I stick to him."

"That is true." Christopher pulled up as they arrived at the entrance of Hayden's village. "Shall we?"

The two alighted from the sedan. Standing in front of the entrance, Christopher articulated, "See you later."

With that, all Harper could do was close her eyes and cover her ears due to the lightning bolt and deafening rumble of thunder that Christopher produced.

'How rude.' Harper sighed out. Christopher had no manners at all! She ignored this, summoning her violet Shadow's Veil that awfully resembled a typical Rogue's hood in RPGs. Donning it, her figure disappeared.

In the clouds, Christopher whistled out sharply. "That's some fine invisibility power right there. I can't sense her with my essence energy sensing. No wonder Hayden hired her."

Harper and Christopher kept tabs of Hayden's parents for him for the remainder of the time they were in Philippines.