AGED

Xing Ling

Leon felt his dreams were almost in his grasp. The bath, nice clothes, cut his hair and most specially the cuisine that he misses the most…adobo. Who wouldn’t want adobo?! It is the best Philippine cuisine for him and if he could bring soy sauce and vinegar to his travels then he would! But now, he could have them all now!

He grinned before nodding his head and checks his belongings.

“I already brought everything I needed…I guess?” Rubbing the tip of his chin while thinking of the things he should bring from the few things scattered on a smooth stone inside a room with rough edges but spacious enough for a family to live. Leon felt a weight in his shoulders but didn’t bother to look at it. Geoff rubbed his head towards the side of Leon’s head. His horns that felt soft when he doesn’t feel danger were making Leon irritated and cause him to shove his head away.

“Don’t disturb me Geoff. I am making a very important decision right now.” But Geoff scoffed at him and instead of going away went to cling on his head more, covering his eyes and almost half of his nose.

“Why are you really persistent of going there Leon! Don’t leave me! It will be sooooooooo lonely if you do! Leooooon!” Geoff is shaking Leon’s head that greatly irritates Leon and makes him summon his needle.

“Leoooooon! I will not get scared even if you suck me dry! Waaaaah!” Bluish liquid is pouring from his eyes and Leon sighed before retreating his needle and let Geoff cry in his shoulder. He focused his attention to the things laid in front of him.

A baseball cap that faded through time, a pocket watch which had lost a hand and a handkerchief with an embroidered name was laid nicely on the smooth stone. He is considering of leaving one item as an assurance to the monsters that had been crying over his door when they found out about his plans and he wanted to shut them up since he has no plans of staying there for good. He has no reason to. Since there is no one that is making him stay there.

Leon picked up the handkerchief and laid it on a stone box that glowed before it become transparent. An attendant went in and was utterly speechless from what he saw. His hands slipped and a bottle of unknown substance splash inside the room and almost immediately the temperature went down.

“Can you knock?” Leon commented before he put the glass in a table. Placing it in the middle with still have a distance of two inches but instead of breaking into pieces, it floated in the air and was rotating like there is air keeping it afloat but there isn’t any. The attendant panics and he hit his head on the ground in a kowtowed position.

“I AM SORRY OH GREAT DEVOURER AS I BROKE SOMETHING YOU POSSESES! MY LIFE WOULD BE NOT ENOUGH AS A COMPENSATION THAT IS WHY MY LORD, TELL ME WHAT IS MY PUNISHMENT AND I WILL OBEY!!” But instead of giving what he wishes Leon just motioned him to leave as he is tired of dealing with them the whole week after he got home from the visit in the gobolines territory.

Remembering what happen made Leon’s head hurts because right after they got out the portal, Geoff made a ruckus by crying and wailing like a siren about how Leon will not go back here after going back to Earthex that he will abandon them and left forgotten which is not true since he have obligations here to keep them at bay from humans since that is his goal why he is in this place.

It took him a long time before they calmed down and not screamed to beg at him non-stop! He grabbed Geoff’s body with one hand and put him in front of him. Leon’s eyes squinted and Geoff did the same while his arms were folded like a sulking kid.

“Can you not be a kid when you are far older than me? You cannot come with me looking like that. They will kill you on site…” Leon can’t continue his words upon seeing a cute blonde child properly dressed and was grinning mischievously. Leon let go of his hold and Geoff stayed afloat which makes Leon’s brows raise.

How in the world does this little got that...

Crunched brows and impatient look, Geoff fishes something from inside his suit and pulled out a bottle bigger than both of his tiny hands.

"The goboline shamans gave this to me because I am pitifully crying alone there. You're not even touch by my affection? Leeeeeeeeooooooon!" Leon crumpled his face and shove Geoff away from in front of him before checking his window. 

During the dark days of the old Earthex, same with what he frequently plays on an internet cafe, Leon discovered the appearance of status window and how it functions. 

He clicked the skill window and tons of skills appeared in a form cards. They shuffled in the air and while he is choosing a skill to use, Geoff was gathering more of the glass container that being brought by one of Leon's servant into his spatial pocket. He pulled three cards and upon touching it they shines before going straight to Geoff who's evidently surprised upon feeling the skills coming towards him.

He groaned before he bared his fangs towards Leon which is trying his hardest not to croak and laugh towards Geoff that is currently unleashing himself from the human transformation but no matter how much he tries, he is still the cute young master trying to act bad but too cute to get angry at.

Leon couldn't control his laughters anymore and he finally laughs at Geoff. The child snapped too and he was about to run towards Leon when he felt an excruciating pain took over his body after being hit by the first skill. His arms, legs and thigh all gone through changes and the crackling of bones made the attendants arrived at the door on which Leon sharply stopped by expanding his aura which the others immediately got.

"L...leon! WHAT UGH! AAAH! THIS?!!!" But instead of answering the second skill went towards the furious Geoff before he calmed down from the effect of the skill. It soothes his tissues and blood and he could feel menthol being incense in his nose. He felt calm.

Not until another wave of pain greeted him again. 

The crackling of bones stopped and then black blood came out of his body. The clothes he was wearing broke and there is only several parts left to cover his parts. The black blood continued to flow until the third skill touches Geoff's skin. He wanted to break free or to dodge but after experiencing those, he couldn't find the energy to do so. 

Leon decided to move closer and check his conditions. He had already his fun and now that Geoff is finally stabilizing, he has to make sure if his experiment went successfully without mishaps. 

BANG!

Leon dodges the poison stings that went towards his direction before leaping to the side when Geoff summoned more stings with deadly poison potent enough to kill an assassin trained in poison consumption. The attacks made hole to his room and when one of the thing was about to hit the encased handkerchief, Leon summoned his needles and suppressed Geoff that immediately stopped after seeing Leon's dark face and the huge needle that can suck them to death.

Leon clicked his tongue after noticing that he already calmed down and let the needle afloat beside him. 

"You cannot come with me in that form. I don't have experiences with children. People might get suspicious to us if you do. Besides, how would you help me to things if you look like that with so many restrictions? It'd be better if I move alone if so---" Leon didn't finish his words when Geoff's high pitch voice baptized his ears. 

"YOU'LL BRING ME THERE?! REALLY?! NO TAKE BACKS LEON! YAAAAAAY!" Geoff jumped in glee splashing the few bloods that is still in his body around and reached Leon's cheek. He raises his hand to wipe it before analyzing the stability towards Geoff's condition. 

『STATUS WINDOW』

Integration of >molecule transformation<, >skill play dead< and >conceal power< went successfully! Expected result had been achieved!

『Congratulations!』

New skill >Full Disguise< had been made!

Leon grinned after seeing the two window that had appeared into his eyes. He was busy checking the log history of what he did towards Geoff when he felt an arm hooked on his neck and pulled him down. Creases immediately appeared from his face and he grab Geoff's head that evidently got bigger after his transformation. Now he could reach under Leon's chin and he likes it that even though he changes physiques, he could still use his wings. 

"LEOOOON! THIS IS GREAT!! HOW DID YOU THOUGHT OF THIS SKILL??? TELL ME!!" Geoff pulled Leon's collar and their position is quite of the intimate pose which what the attendants saw and quickly rushed out upon realizing that they might need some privacy. Leon thought about it and smack Geoff's head.

"Aww! Why are you so meanie?! I am just asking you know?!" He pouted like a little child but Leon went on and picked the pocket watch and put the faded baseball cap with a broken syringe in the middle. He touches the broken stitches of the design and was wondering. 

Are they still alive? Will I get to see them again? 

But Leon knows this was just a hopeless dream. Geoff started to gather his things and even brought the potion with him if emergency arises. Leon started to walk outside. Geoff immediately shove around the items he made his servants prepared for him and didn't check which is which before he run towards Leon halfway his walk over the red flames like carpet prepared for him by the monsters that had lined up to make a path for him. 

They are like ordinary human that shed tears to their leader and even have snots on their noses upon seeing Leon going away from them. Some of the children broke away and hugs the lower of Leon's body that made him halt. A girl with the longest hair and wearing a dress while the two horned short hair kids clung on Leon like he is their father. They looked up and saw the indifferent face and got scared. They was about to break away when they all felt a hand pats on their heads before Leon himself push them gently and continue walking while Geoff grinned at them and wave goodbye. The mother monster of each child grabbed them and started to bawl their eyes out for being the lucky ones to have one of their love ones been touch by the Great Devourer. 

Geoff while feets dancing in the air and jumping like a highschool teenager went in front of Leon who is looking straight to the portal towards the gobolines territory. He waved his hand in front of Leon and he is still ignored by him that's why he resorted to an attack that completely blocked by the grumpy old man. 

"I was just going to ask why you didn't use your mount!" Throwing his hands in the air, Geoff looks like a rowing child on a canoe. Upon mentioning the grim name of the mount that he first thought about, the air shifted and the monsters all covered their heads while Leon clenches his jaws to control the brewing anger inside of him.

There is a reason why he doesn't summon the mount he got from the Orken Tribe. Besides from his flashy wings and eerie footsteps he got an---

"NEHEEEEIGH!!" High pitched annoying neigh that Leon doesn't want to hear. He is four meters tall and can float in the air with his fast steps. He got a bright white wings that glows and a horn that resembles a bull. The most distinctive feature of this mount was his body that is of a tiger but got legs of a horse. The monsters informed him that this mount was the fastest among the transportation mount in several worlds in the lowest ranks. Leon let it go but seeing the mount again face to face, his mood dropped before he ignored it and continue walking. 

Geoff look at the mount pitifully before he caresses the soft hairs in his back. Leon was gaining distance that's why the kid got an idea. He jumps on the mount's back and pat it to run towards Leon. Just three steps were enough to catch up towards the devourer and without hesitation, Geoff picked Leon up with his unique skill >conceal< which makes a part of his body elastic and wraps towards his enemy. Without an ill intentions of doing harm towards Leon. 

That is also the reason why Leon is letting him do what he is doing. Geoff has a wide grin pasted on his lips while Leon was unwrapped from his bind and was riding the mount that is happily neighing as if to greet his master. 

Geoff chuckled before patting the back of the mount of unknown name. The monster cheered and it rang around the place. Geoff raises his hands and the monsters went silent. He cleared his throat while Leon is staying quiet from all the ruckus. Geoff hit his chest and smiled proudly that greatly caught the feelings of all the monster that had wanted his position to accompany their great devourer. 

"Together with Xing Ling! We will accompany the great devourer to his journey of conquering the lands of traitors!" The monster roared once again and Leon pick his ears for being irritated from their loud mouths.

He was about to make Geoff stop when Xing Ling speed up and he ended up holding tightly towards his tail and Xing Ling neighed before speeding up. Xing Ling thought Leon wanted him to speed up and misunderstand the slowly appearing nerves in his face. Geoff laughs before he cheered Xing Ling that made him gain speed once more! 

This will be the start of Leon's journey back to the Earth that he grew up to but would he like to go back to a place that his name was seen as a villain and his family were all in hiding - afraid of what others will do to him when they know their origins? What would he chooses to do, destruction or unraveling the truth...that is only Leon could say. 

Geoff giggled and they entered the portal to the goboline's territory with the tear filled farewell of all the monster that is occupying the Flaming Palace of Devourer. They will always hope for his return and by then they will make sure to encourage him not to go back there anymore.