''Huff... Huff...'' Aether anxiously ran in the long corridors, hoping to find Grandmaster Fang as soon as possible.
The sound of fighting rang in his ears, which stopped him from having any thoughts about stopping to catch his breath.
He gritted his teeth and ran faster than ever before.
After reaching the end of the corridor, he saw the stairs leading to the second floor, and he heard a distinct sound of fighting coming there, but also from outside.
Looking outside the window, he saw figures of both green robes and golden robes fighting against figures with black robes, but they weren't doing good.
The figures with green robes kept dying, while the figures with golden robes were riddled with wounds fairly quickly.
''What...'' Aether couldn't believe his eyes. The Masters of Fang School of Martial Arts managed to fight against Abyss and didn't get defeated instantly, which told a lot about their strength, but figures with black-robed seemed fighting with relative ease.
There were some figures with black-robed who were fighting against disciples; even though they had some difficulties, they managed to finish off the disciples with some ease.
''Who are they...?'' Aether asked and felt a lingering fear inside him blooming, but he knew that Ichiro and Abyss would be in danger if he didn't find Grandmaster Fang.
He had a hunch that Grandmaster Fang must be at least Martial Demi-God.
That is not something that can be belittled.
Regaining his confidence, he was about to rush outside, but before he managed to do that.
*CRACK!*
Aether quickly turned his head towards the ceiling, which was crashing down on him!
He moved like a streak of lightning, dodging the falling debris and dangerous-looking items. He managed to dodge all the way to safety, and once he reached the stairs, he turned around to see what caused the ceiling to fall apart.
But, it was something that he didn't want to see.
Two figures appeared from the ceiling and landed on top of the debris.
The first figure was a man who looked very old with his hunched back and wrinkly face. He was scanning the room, and once he saw Aether, a disgusting smirk appeared on his hideous face.
The second figure didn't have any expression on his face, only pure coldness like he was looking at an ant, who didn't deserve his pity.
''Aether, son of Abyss!'' Xenor shouted while a peal of laughter escaped his mouth.
Aether grabbed the handlebar of stairs tighter and started slowly walking upstairs, ''W-What do you want?''
''Hmm...'' Xenor tapped his chin with his wrinkly hand and innocently said, ''Your life.''
Aether paled and started running upstairs, but he could only take two steps before a figure appeared in front of him.
''That was not nice...'' Xenor said after suddenly appearing right in front of Aether with incredible speed.
''Aaahh!'' Aether got startled after seeing the old man in front of him, which caused him to slip and fall down from the stairs.
His body landed at the bottom of the stairs; with a painful grunt, he tried to stand up, but then a shadow overlapped his figure.
He shakily turned his head and saw Adamas staring at him with his cold eyes.
*Crack!*
Adamas slammed his foot into Aether's shoulder, breaking it in process.
''AAAHGHHHH!'' Aether screamed in agony as he felt the pain going through his shoulder all the way to his brain.
''That must hurt!'' Xenor grinned and appeared next to Aether; he wiped the teardrops from his face, which was morphed into a pain.
''Pain is good— it means that you are alive.'' Xenor patted Aether's broken shoulder, which earned another scream.
''Soon, that pain will be gone, which also means your life is... So, pain is good, right?'' Xenor asked and patiently waited for an answer.
Aether bit his lip and shakily nodded his head. Tears kept falling down from his eyes, and he felt regret that he didn't put that much importance on Martial Arts, instead wasted most of his free time on playing.
It was too late for regrets.
''M-My father... W-Will kill both of you...'' Aether said with venom and only earned a chuckle from Xenor.
''Sorry, but your father won't be alive much longer.'' Xenor said and patted his cheek, ''Too bad that you can't be here to witness your father's death.''
After those words, Adamas pointed his arm towards Aether and murmured, ''Nuclerion Surgery.'' A beam of green light left his hand and went through Aether's forehead.
''Sigh... You sure have changed.'' Xenor wryly smiled, ''Liking to torture... It is not the weirdest fetish I have seen.''
Aether felt something slimy squirming through his skull, he didn't feel pain yet...
But, he knew that once it hits his brain, he would feel pain which he hadn't felt ever before.
Closing his eyes, he prepared for the incoming doom.
But then...
''Hands off from that boy!'' Two figures with golden robes appeared from the outside after hearing screams of pain, and the sight they witnessed made them enraged.
''Grah!'' Adamas grunted in annoyance and made the green beam disappear.
He and Xenor turned around to face the men with golden robes.
The first figure with a golden robe was a man named Master Oliver. He leaped on the air with his long black hair floating behind him, and his powerful voice echoed in the ears of Aether.
''Young Aether, go to Abyss!'' After those words, he and the other golden robe figure, whose name was Master Conrad unleashed their attacks on Xenor and Adamas.
Adamas' body glowed in a greenish glow while a wooden cane appeared on Xenor's hand.
''M-Masters... I-I have to find Grandmaster Fang!'' Aether screamed and stood up with his shaky legs.
''Grandmaster is busy! He will come to assist Abyss soon!'' Master Oliver shouted and collided with Adamas, and their battle of supremacy started with a bang.
Aether shakily nodded and started jogging away while holding his broken shoulder. He had a massive headache, like his head was about to be split in half, but he ignored it all and entered the corridor.
But he didn't have any idea how difficult the simple journey ended up being....
