Chapter 287 A Bit Of Background Context

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Lee Seng asked, sitting across from Lily. They watched Chimera's troupe and Lady Vix'i fly away before entering the compound. Ritsuka sat off to Lee Seng's right and Keng sat next to Lily. The teenager fiddled with her thumbs as she fixed her eyes onto Lee Seng.

"Well," Lily awkwardly began. "Since you've tasked me with coming here every so often, I just wanted to know a bit about you… If that's f-fine." She was shy about asking Lee Seng about himself. It made Lee Seng smile.

"Anything in particular you want to know about me?" Lee Seng asked.

"How did you get your Fox Spirit abilities? Keng and you kinda touched the subject but I'm curious how it happened. Dad says it's a very interesting thing that happens when the God King does choose the next Fox Spirit, but I've never asked others cause it's…" Lily's voice trailed off. "A bit of a sensitive topic for some."

"Well," Lee Seng folded his arms together and leaned back into his chair. He extended one of his legs out while the other went inwards, towards his chair. "I couldn't recall it at the time, but after the God King told me what had happened, it kinda came back.Y'see, back on Earth humans used to not have powers." Lily's face lit up in surprise as she heard that.

"I'm sure your Mom probably told you, but humans used to be powerless. It wasn't until about twenty-five years ago when the Creator, a doctor named Vang Chang, showed everyone his succeeded and 'perfected' Biohuman serum."

"What's that?" Lily asked.

"A serum that basically alters the genetic code–"

"Use layman's terms." Ritsuka interrupted him.

"Genetic code? Layman's terms?" Lily was completely lost on the foreign words.

"Basically, you get injected with some stuff in this container about this big." Lee Seng moved his hands to roughly show the size of the serum. "When it alters your genetic code, think of it like it alters the inside of your body. Everything in there is changed by pushing this thick liquid into your body.

"When that liquid or serum courses through your body, you go through a change process. Your body starts to change and you gain energy called, Dark Matter.

"Dark Matter is basically the energy we use to use our abilities. It's a byproduct of the serum we get injected with."

"A byproduct is basically something extra that happens because of the serum/liquid in this case." Ritsuka quickly defined. Lily nodded.

"Understand so far?" Lee Seng asked.

"Mmmhm." Lily nodded, again.

"So, there's a rule that you can't get the serum injection until you're entering your eighth year of school studies. I guess it in age it's about…"

"Thirteen years old. So about your age " Keng answered.

"Oh, so humans don't get their abilities until they're my age? Wow, that's a long time. We get our powers when we're like… four or five."

"Yeah, humans don't get their power until later when they're teenagers." Ritsuka nodded. "It's because they want to make sure that the process starts around the same time or just before you hit puberty."

"Oh, Mom said something about puberty being when a girl and a boy become a woman and/or a man." Lily quickly answered with confidence. The three young men nodded at her.

"Yup, basically. So when I was about thirteen, I got the injection and didn't produce any abilities and didn't have any DM, Dark Matter for short. So since I come from a… 'Prestigious' family, I guess we'll call it that." Lee Seng slightly soured saying that. "A lot of people were disappointed and talked about me a lot behind my back.

"All of my friends left and I got bullied because I was 'powerless.' It wasn't until a couple months ago when I was running away from said bullies that I met the God King. He asked if I wanted power. And if I was willing to make a pact of sorts.

"I obviously took it, gained the ability to control gravity and got Keng along the way and the rest is sort of history." Lee Seng shrugged.

? "Was it that easy of a choice?" Lily asked. "You just randomly met the God Kind and decided to take the offer? Why would you do that?" Lily was confused why Lee Seng would even choose to gain powers from the God King, especially since he didn't even know if the god's existence and the Realms before.

Lee Seng didn't wonder so much about it. He questioned why but never questioned it and wondered about the events that unfolded in his life. If he was honest, he would've told Lily he did it to spite his own father.

"Dunno. I guess when you're constantly being talked about and watched when you don't want to be, in that situation, that kind of offer sounds like a miracle." Lee Seng's facial features softened. He looked somber.

"If you lived in a powered society and you were the only one who didn't gain powers, it puts you at the bottom." Keng explained.

"Just like monsters, humans can be like that, too." Ritsuka continued the explanation. Keng and Lee Seng nodded their heads in agreement. Lily knew what they meant by that. She could relate to it because the Fox Spirits always looked down on her and anyone who was a human-Fox Spirit.

"Honestly, my reckless behavior and 'idgaf' attitude made it much worst." Lee Seng shrugged.

"Idgaf?" Lily's eyes wondered between the boys, hoping to find an answer.

"I don't give a fuck. Basically means you don't care. I tried really hard to not care about what everyone said about me. So that's why I basically did what I did. I took the offer from the God King cause why would anyone want to be powerless like me?"

"Granted, if we had to be technical, his superhuman abilities already was a big power. I don't know why nobody labeled that as such." Ritsuka inserted his two cents. Lily's face searched for an explanation in Ritsuka. Ritsuka noticed this and continued. "What I mean is Lee Seng is super strong, super fast, smart, his body heals at an alarmingly fast rate. Even without actual abilities, he could hold his own against a lot of the kids that bullied him."

"But no power still means no power." Lee Seng interjected. His eyes wandered around the room and slowly fixed themselves on Lily. "So I took that power and eventually ended up here."

"I think I understand more now." Lily nodded. "So you and Keng basically have the same skill set?" Lee Seng looked over at Keng. He honestly didn't even know if they had the same skill set, still.

"That's… a bit complicated." Keng slowly answers. Lee Seng was giving him knowing glances that just told him he didn't even know, either.

"That goes into a whole 'nother conversation I don't think we should have." Lee Seng told her. He didn't feel like sharing his whole life story with her. He only shared what was necessary. Lily began to give the two lookalikes glances. She was confused.

"That's why I have to go back." Lee Seng told her. "I don't know much about it either but I really can't just up and leave my life there and stay here and dedicate myself to the cause. Keng and I may have three tails, now, but it looks like it's going to be a long time before we reach the requirements to get our fourth tail.

"Plus, it just feels like everything has happened so fast that I haven't been able to properly take everything in. There's answers on Earth that I need and my life is there right now. Maybe one day, if it comes, I'll come back here and deal with Savior stuff. But until then, we'll live our life there and figure everything out that comes our way."

Lily nodded. She couldn't understand all of it but she knew Lee Seng very much had a lot of attachments on Earth still. Plus, his human friend, Ritsuka, would have to go back. He wasn't the humans in her Village that decided to leave everything behind and come to Daros.

"Well, I guess that pretty much gives me a better idea of who I'm working with." Lily smiled. "I want to know more about you, but this will do for now. I'll come by however much you want me to and check up on the place just like you requested."

"You sure you're fine with that?" Keng asked, again. "I feel bad that you have to make the long journey."

"Don't worry about it, Keng. This'll give me something to do while I figure out what Rox'su and Tear'a want me to do. I'll come by… every two months and clean the place?" Keng looked at Lee Seng.

"You don't have to come by too often. If you can't do two, every four months is fine. There's plenty of beds so just pick one. If your family wants to come help, they can. You're free to use the Tomb whole we're gone, too." Lee Seng told her.

With that, they finished their conversation and Lee Seng looked at Ritsuka and Keng.

"I guess it's time to go?" Lee Seng asked.

"Yeah." Ritsuka groaned as he stretched, his arms. "We could spend the night here but I think going back would be the best idea. I have homework still."

"Oh shit, I have homework too." Lee Seng responded.

"It's past high noon, so it'll get dark soon. You should stay here for tonight, Lily. I'll stay with you and head back to Earth when you leave." Keng offered.

"O-oh, I-I should be fine. I've done the trek by myself and can handle myself well. I could make some progress now and camp outside." Lily shook her head, declining the offer. She stood up and looked at everyone. "Well, t-thank you for meeting with me. I-I won't waste anymore of your time."

End of Arc 1.