“Come in!” said Taffie.

  Sizhi immediately walked closer, but Jyu felt a little embarrassed. First, Taffie was the person who had saved him from Orbizo, a high-level demon who had almost killed him. On top of that, Taffie was Master Jenna’s proud disciple and her strength was truly terrifying. Even Master Jenna acknowledged this woman’s power. There was a sense of insecurity in Jyu’s heart!

  Now the three of them would live together in a small two-story house located in the city center. Taffie and Sizhi would sleep on the first floor because there were two rooms there. Meanwhile, Jyu would stay on the second floor.

  “Today you will start working immediately, but remember always to move together. If you encounter a high-level mystical creature, contact me right away,” Taffie said firmly.

  Jyu immediately went up to the second floor to put his personal belongings away. But after only taking a few steps, Taffie suddenly said something that stirred Jyu’s heart.

  “One more thing! Don’t cause trouble here. Remember, Jyu, you’re free from prison because of Master Jenna.”

  At that very moment, Jyu stopped walking. He turned around and looked at Taffie with a sharp gaze full of confusion.

  “What do you mean?” said Jyu.

  “Remember your mistake when you escaped from the hospital. If it weren’t for Master Jenna’s kindness, you should have been imprisoned for one year,” Taffie replied firmly. She immediately left the house to patrol and secure District 7 from mystical creatures.

  “Why? Why was I given a chance to be free?” Jyu muttered, his heart now filled with confusion.

  Sizhi, who saw this, immediately approached him. “Forget it, don’t think about it too much! You’ve been given a second chance by Master Jenna, so never disappoint her.”

  Jyu didn’t pay much attention to Sizhi. He chose to go up to the second floor instead. He pced his rge bag on the floor and then y down on the bed. His mind kept imagining Master Jenna’s kindness.

  A second ter, Jyu summoned his rune.

  Soul fragments: 95/1000

  ---

  [Demon]

  Rank: Supreme

  Demon fragments: 150/1000

  Aspect: Bear Puppet

  “Thanks to Master Jenna, Kuma and I can become this strong. She’s so kind to me, but why?” Jyu kept muttering strangely while looking at his rune. His power had increased rapidly compared to when he had first arrived at the academy.

  ---

  When the sun began to set, Jyu and Sizhi finally started their patrol in the middle of the city. Both of them were quite nervous, because this was the first time they would face mystical creatures directly. Maybe they would encounter weak ones, but it was also possible that high-level mystical creatures would appear.

  “Aren’t you afraid if we encounter a mystical creature?” Jyu asked, trying to start a conversation with Sizhi.

  “No! I’ve encountered something far more frightening than just mystical creatures.”

  Jyu immediately understood. Back at the academy, Sizhi once told him that her own family had killed her. The resentment in her heart made her rise again and eventually become a Surcy.

  Nobles like Sizhi were actually very unlikely to become Surcy. But after hearing her story, he realized that such a thing could indeed happen. Unfortunately, that was all of Sizhi’s story; she still didn’t want to tell it in more detail.

  Jyu realized that Sizhi had an enormous grudge, perhaps even greater than his own. It could also be seen from the look in her eyes, so sharp within the pupils as if there were fmes constantly burning.

  The way Sizhi died also revealed something: Jyu shouldn’t hate her. In truth, Sizhi was still just a teenager who knew nothing about the crimes of her parents and siblings. Basically, Sizhi was also a victim of injustice, just like Jyu and the other people from the outskirts.

  Jyu and Sizhi kept walking side by side, observing the city's busy people. Based on the lessons at the academy, mystical creatures loved to stay in darkness. Usually, they would prey on humans in quiet, dark, suffocating pces.

  In pces like this, humans were very easily influenced to do evil. For high-level mystical creatures, this was the pce where they could calmly devour human souls. Their movements were always silent, difficult for ordinary humans to detect. But for the DV Army's soldiers, finding them was easy.

  Mystical creatures always emitted a certain energy. The DV Army soldiers could detect it immediately. However, their energy was the same, whether low or high. This could become a trap if the DV Army soldiers were not careful. If they moved without a strategy, they could truly die if they encountered a high-level mystical creature.

  This was where the leaders of each district had their role. They would stand guard and monitor every one of their subordinates. Every movement was watched. If there were a report about the appearance of a high-level mystical creature, they would move to assist.

  Jyu and Sizhi continued walking side by side, entering alleys and checking abandoned warehouses. During this journey, both of them felt the energy of a mystical creature. There was also a dimensional portal opening, probably about one kilometer from Jyu’s location.

  “Over there!” said Jyu.

  Jyu and Sizhi moved quickly to approach the location where the mystical creature appeared. But when they got close, both of them immediately slowed down like soldiers stalking an enemy.

  They took cover behind a car, carefully observing an alley where the dimensional portal had opened. From a distance, Jyu and Sizhi could see a mystical creature appear with drool continuously dripping from its mouth. As if it were starving!

  “Judging from its form, it’s a low-level mystical creature, probably at the monster level,” said Sizhi.

  Because in truth, the level of mystical creatures could be detected from their physical characteristics. Low-level ones usually took the form of monsters with rge, tall bodies. Meanwhile, high-level mystical creatures had human-like physical features.

  “We can handle it ourselves,” said Jyu, now full of enthusiasm.

  “I’ll be the bait. Go around and attack it from behind,” Jyu said, trying to arrange a strategy. Sizhi stayed silent and obeyed.

  “Grrr.” In an instant, Kuma appeared beside Jyu. And of course, Jyu summoned his bck sword. Ready to fight and defeat the enemy ahead!

  “Hey, ugly creature, I’m your enemy!”

  Jyu immediately ran forward while drawing his sword.

  “Kuma, don’t use your illusion power. I’ll create an opening, then you attack it until it dies.”

  The monster in front of them was about two meters tall. Its form was more like a bear, but its entire body was slimy, extremely disgusting. It looked very angry when it saw Jyu, and of course it attacked immediately.

  Suddenly, a thick green liquid came out of its mouth. Jyu cut it easily. The monster’s attack was completely useless.

  Jyu finally released a ssh of energy from his sword. Instantly, the monster’s arm was cut off. A roar of pain echoed loudly. But before it could recover, Kuma had already attacked with his powerful fist. The monster’s head became the target, and at that moment, it shattered and died.

  Jyu had won!

  [Congratutions, Kuma’s power has evolved]

  If you enjoy the story, please leave a rating or comment. Your support truly means a lot to a beginner writer like me. Your support motivates me to keep creating and learning so I can produce better, more unique stories. And you can support me on patreon.com/Ikazaaa, as well as reading many chapters before it's released to the public, for only 3!