Chapter 3790: Debts of Gratitude (Part 1) ’Menadion cracked the cloaking runes of my Spyglasses, and she’s been out of the game for 700 years! Bytra never died, and she recreated and improved Menadion’s legendary artifacts. ’Compared to the First Ruler of the Flames, I’m no better than an apprentice, but compared to the Fourth, I’m just a tinkerer.’ Guun thought. ’The Organization will take Verhen’s deal and slaughter anyone who stands in his way. I know because in their shoes I would do the same!’ A glance at the human Representative of Verendi revealed that he would take the deal as well. He was staring at Guun not like an asset to protect anymore, but as an Adamant mine ready to be exploited. The Forgemaster could see the greed shining below the light-brown eyes of his alleged champion. "Did I make myself clear?" Lith’s voice snapped Guun from his daymare of pain, suffering, and oblivion. "Crystal." He replied with a quivering voice. "Good." Lith nodded and hung up the call without any semblance of courtesy. Guun slumped on his chair. There was no trace of his earlier righteous fury. He wasn’t even angry about the loss of the Spyglasses’ profits anymore. The only emotion he felt was fear. Fear of being hunted down like an animal and, most of all, of having invited an enemy into his own home. The human Representative was still there. The spark of greed was gone from his eyes, yet his stare was still ominous. ’What if this bastard sells the location of my secret lab for a share of my legacy?’ Guun thought. ’I should have never raised my claim. I should have never let a member of the Council inside my home. ’There was nothing I could gain by contacting Verhen except satisfying my ego and making an enemy for life. How could I have been so short-sighted?’ "Is there anything else, Master Guun?" The Representative asked. "None. Thank you for your assistance, Representative Dwindu." Guun replied. "I-" A raised hand stopped the flow of platitudes and niceties. "Before I leave, I must relay the will of the Awakened Council to you." Dwindu said. "If Verhen returns at the head of the Organization, you are on your own. We have already lost two generations of elders and can’t afford to lose a third. "Moreover, the Eldritches have embedded themselves deep in the power centers of Verendi. If they start searching for you, the non-Awakened won’t stop the Eldritches. The local rulers will help them to curry their favor and get a share of the spoils. "I’m also afraid that if the contents of your conversation with Verhen were to become public, many Awakened might plot against Verhen just to frame you for their actions and get the scraps of your bloodline legacy in exchange for their ’intel’. "You are not facing one many-headed Hydra, but several of them, and every single mouth is hungry." "I understand." Guun swallowed hard. "I’ll count on your discretion, Representative Dwindu. If you ever need anything, I’ll be glad to return your kindness by Forgemastering any artifact you want at cost." "My lips are sealed." The human Representative grinned. *** In the following days, Raaz, Elina, Senton, and Rena spent a lot of time in the tower. It was the perfect place to train away from prying eyes in complete safety thanks to the Immortal Body array. "Why is the water potion running out faster than the rest, Mom?" Lith asked in confusion. "Because I’m old, sweetie." Elina lied through her teeth. "I need water magic not to put too much strain on my poor joints." Senton practiced hard, using the Demons as instructors and giving his all until his human body gave out. "My dad is so cool!" Leria straightened up with pride. "He’s not only getting stronger by the day, but he’s also losing weight!" "Leria!" Senton rebuked her as the young girl lifted his shirt to show a more toned abdomen. "Then my dad is cooler." Aran snorted. "He’s training too and never needed to slim down." Someone had to come at the end of the workout to heal the muscle injuries and then restore the non-Awakened stamina with Invigoration. As Awakened, Aran and Leria were happy to help and compare the results of their fathers’ training to fuel the fires of their rivalry. "Dya." Elysia scoffed, hitting Lith’s abs with her tail and producing a metal-like sound. "He doesn’t count!" Aran and Leria said in unison. "He’s cheating." "Ne, ne!" Elysia smirked. "She says you are sore losers." Lith translated for them. "How does Elysia know such words?" Leria asked in confusion. "She doesn’t." Lith replied. "Elysia actually said neener-neener. I elaborated on that." "Ne!" Elysia nodded in triumph. "This is not fair!" Solus grumbled. "Why is Senton slimming down, and I’m not? Why do potions consume so many calories, and fusion magic doesn’t?" "Are you kidding me, young lady?" Menadion grumbled back. "Fusion magic does consume calories, and you have an Awakened metabolism at that. The only difference between you and Senton is that if he ate as much as you, he’d die of indigestion. "Start eating like a human instead of an Emperor Beast and you’ll be in tip-top shape in a few weeks!" "But, Mom!" "Don’t you ’mom’ me, young lady." Menadion replied. "It’s fine if you don’t want to diet, but don’t you dare complain about the consequences of your actions!" Syrah, the Hati Queen, had also become a frequent guest of the Verhen Mansion. After the battle against the Upyrs and the discovery of his second bloodline ability, Protector had invited Syrah to a small feast to thank her. "It’s only thanks to your teachings that my children succeeded in helping me. You and Ryla saved my life." Ryman said. "Watch your tail." Solkar was prowling behind the Hati Queen, waiting for an opportunity for a rematch. "What a feisty pup!" Syrah chuckled. "I’m glad I could help you, Ryman. It’s the least I can do to repay you for your help." "Let’s fight!" Lilia challenged Xagra after shapeshifting into her hybrid form. "Shouldn’t we eat first?" The young Hati pointed at the table filled with steaming delicacies. "Doesn’t food taste better after you’ve worked up an appetite?" She asked. "Fair point!" Hati and Skolls tussled around, biting and clawing at each other playfully. No one got hurt, and the older Hati took the utmost care while playing with Fenrir, but Selia’s stomach turned into knots nonetheless. "Isn’t this too violent?" She asked as the children growled, rolled around, and yelped. "No." Rylah and Protector replied in unison. "It’s the human equivalent of playing tag." Luckily for her, soon everyone got hungry and the mock battle ended. Once Selia’s children shapeshifted back in their human form, the only mark left from the fight was the dirt on their clothes. "Can you guys help us?" Leran wolfed down a prime rib. "We want to learn Wild Hunt." "As long as there’s food, you can call me whenever you want." Xagra stripped the meat off a roasted chicken with his bare hands. "Xagra!" Syrah’s blush remained hidden under her thick, silvery fur. "Don’t worry. Kids will be kids." Selia offered her guest a plate filled with cuts of meat before digging in on her own.