Chapter 101 - I Owe You

After Orion Vesta spoke, he turned towards Asil and set his burning eyes on him with the intention of killing him. It was clear he wanted to get rid of him because he heard these conversations. When Asil saw this, he was prepared to defend himself against any sudden attack. However, this thought was destroyed by Nyks saying in a low voice: "As a result of some events, I owed him too much. So if you don't want you and your whole family dead, don't even think about hurting him! And don't even think about getting close to him and earning my respect after we get back to the city! If you do something like that and draw attention to him, I will kill you!"

After Nyks spoke, Orion Vesta trembled as if he had heard the scariest words in the world, and he spoke as his eyes suddenly filled with enormous reverence: "Lord Asil, I cannot thank you enough for the kindness you have done. But don't worry, I will help you keep a low profile in the city. Doubt it not. You can come with us to the city if you like. When we get near the city, you leave us, and when we enter the city, when we focus attention on ourselves, you enter without attracting attention."

Asil was surprised by this sudden change but said nothing and only approved with his head. Apparently, the true identity of the girl named Nyks was quite unusual.

After Orion Vesta spoke, he summoned his bodyguards and made his two high-ranking bodyguards to get off from the horses and gave them to Asil and Nyks. Then the crowded group made their way into the city.

They proceeded along the way without anyone talking anything, and eventually they approached the city. As they approached the city, the crowded group of Nyks and Orion Vesta left Asil and entered the city in a conspicuous manner. Then Asil entered the city as normal when they drew attention to themselves.

He didn't know how he helped Nyks. But he thought he owed her. After all, if it weren't for her, Orion Vesta would surely attack him, and it would be completely impossible for him to survive in the face of such a large group!

Upon entering the city, Asil quickly learned general information about the Crimson Lightning Empire by touring places where he could obtain information. The information he had learned was quite large, and it was thanks to these that he decided where he should go. After deciding this, he went into several shops and took a few anti-appetite pills, temperature stabilizing pills, and regenerating pills in case the things that could happen while he was on the road using the four hundred green profound coins Medivh had left him.

After this shopping, while most of his money was still in his pocket, he left the city on a low profile again and headed for the Black Dragon Forest, one of the two most dangerous places in the vicinity. It wasn't really where he wanted to go. But because he didn't know when he was coming here again, he wanted to at least say goodbye to Bias Gerz, who lived in the Black Dragon Forest and was his cellmate in Kastor before he left. He was kind towards Asil during his time at Kastor, and often shared his already scarce meal with him. He had acquired an important place in the Asil's heart during his stay in Kastor. Even though he would notice Asil's profound power that has changed in a short time, he trusted him knowing that he would not do anything about it.

The Black Dragon Forest was considered one of the two most dangerous places with the Black Dragon Mountain Range in the vicinity. Asil learned this from the knowledge he acquired. But when the danger of the Black Dragon Mountain Range was known, the Black Dragon Forest was a complete jungle of mystery. There was a large area in the outer and middle sections of the forest. But most of the few profound monsters found in this region were creatures that could be considered non-dangerous. Normally, a place like this should not be seen as dangerous as the Black Dragon Mountain Range. The presence of the interior of the forest, however, was changing the situation completely.

The interior of the Black Dragon Forest was the main reason why it was considered so mysterious and dangerous. No one knew what was going on there. Even in the ancient inscriptions of the city of the Black Dragon, only the outer and middle parts were mentioned, while the inner parts were never mentioned. When Asil asked why this happened while he was learning, he was told: "What is in the inner section of the Black Dragon Forest? I'm sorry, kid, but nobody in town knows that. Countless people, including several in the core profound realm, have struggled to solve the mystery of the place. But none of the people who entered the interior were able to return. No sound is emitted from the interior to the environment, nor is there an aura of energy felt. It's even more dangerous than the center of the Black Dragon Mountain Range!".

While the place he was going was a place famous for its mysteries and danger, Asil didn't need to worry as he would only go to the outer section of the Black Dragon territory.

Time progressed and Asil finally arrived in the Black Dragon Forest. There was a forest so intense that it prevented seeing a distance a little further, and a river on the left side of the entrance to this forest. After Asil arrived here, he proceeded quickly, following the river at the entrance to the forest, as described by Bias Gerz earlier, and after about two hours entered the sight of an average hundred-square-meters hut with no trees in the surrounding hundred-meter area.

Asil thought this was the right place, as Bias Gerz had previously said he lived in a hut, and as he walked slowly and happily toward the hut, he happily called out: "Senior Bias! Are you there? Its Asil..." 

After Asil took a few steps the door of the cabin opened and a man with a smile on his face came outside. The man spoke with a laugh after looking at Asil: "Haha, Asil, welcome. I never thought it would be so soon for me to meet you again. Don't stand there, come in!"

Bias Gerz walked in after speaking in a contented tone of voice, while Asil followed him behind. The inside of the cabin was pretty simple. There was nothing but a few items, and there was no object among them that seemed to be of value. When the two of them came in, Bias Gerz went to the stove with two pots on it. "Asil, are you hungry? I have hot soup, though not very good. And we can chat while we eat."

When Asil heard of his offer, though not very hungry, accepted and helped Bias Gerz carry the food to the table and sat across from him. While they were eating their hot soup, they started chatting.

"Asil, I want to thank you again. If it were not for you, I would not be here. I might never have had the opportunity to do the things I wanted to do."

"Senior Bias, I told you there was no need to thank me. In fact, I should thank you. All the time you were on Kastor, you looked at me like I were your own son. You even shared with me your food, which is already scarce. How can I not help someone like that? If you need help, don't hesitate to tell me..." Asil paused slightly during his speech and, after some hesitation, continued to speak: "Senior Bias, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you something."

"Of course you can ask. I'd love it if I could help. What do you want to learn?" Bias Gerz waited for Asil to ask his question as he looked carefully at his face.

"Is what you want to do about your grandchildren? I think these are had something to with Baran at Kastor. Otherwise, when you look at him, there wouldn't be so much anger in the eyes of a good man like you."

After Asil's question, Bias Gerz initially said nothing, and after drinking a spoonful of his soup, breathed gently and replied in a melancholic manner: "Asil, I wouldn't normally tell anyone about this but I believe you are trustworthy and good. There's something really going on between me and Baran about my grandchildren. My sons, daughters, and their wives and husbands died in this life. I have only two grandchildren left from my blood. One of them is a fourteen-year-old girl and the other is a sixteen-year-old boy. You know Baran, so I don't have to tell you what a pervert he is. She saw my granddaughter while she was out in the city, and he started wanting her. After that, he sent his men to grab my granddaughter and try to kidnap her, but I stopped it at the last minute. But his inability to get my granddaughter because of me angered him and he told his father Barya about this incident. Then Barya, the chief executive of Kastor, used his influence to get me arrested for a ridiculous incident. So I lost my freedom and was taken to Kastor as a slave. After I left, there was no obstacle left for Baran..."

Bias Gerz paused after talking this much. But Asil could tell from his face that the story was not over yet. After another spoonful of his soup, Bias Gerz continued: "The night I was a slave, Baran sent his men back to the house where we lived, and this time he joined the group that came. When they came to the house where my grandchildren and I lived, their soldiers broke down the door and grabbed both of my great-grandchildren. But my grandson resisted. He stood up no matter how much he was beaten. His determination enraged Baran."

"Then they made a deal with my grandson. I didn't know what kind of deal they had. But later, Baran told me about this incident and said that he had given up on my granddaughter in exchange for my grandson being his dog and told me that I should have no doubt that he would train my grandson very well. When I found out about this incident, I was outraged and exasperated, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get rid of Kastor. A few days after Baran told me this, my grandson came to me and told me that he had sent his sister to my brother and that he had to follow Baran's orders to keep her safe there and not to worry about her. I still remember his eyes staring at me when he said that! He had a dead cold look in his once glowing eyes that day. I don't know what Baran did to him. But to think that a pervert like him did something to my grandson!..."