When Jake woke up, he found himself in the same tent, but this time, he wasn't tied to a chair.

Instead, it was his hands and legs that were cuffed by the strange rope.

'Hmmmm….it is night-time,' Jake murmured.

Normally the tent would shade him from the sun, but it didn't need to, which made the tent darker. However, it was still illuminated by light crystals.

Jake spat out the blood that was in his mouth before he got knocked out.

'It's familiar,' Jake reminisced.

His eyes twinkled as he remembered the times when he had been kidnapped during his pre-rebirth life.

It was definitely fun even when he was subdued to a lot of tortures.

Jake stood up to sit on a chair close by as he sensed some people were about to enter the tent.

He wondered who they were, but on second thought, he already knew.

"What is it?" Jake asked the first figure that entered the tent.

It was the king, Caspian, accompanied by Conan, Roan, Sierra, Melania, and... Cheyenne!

His smile curved to an arc when he saw the person that had defeated him.

However, he didn't say anything. Instead, he opted to give her scrutinizing stares.

"I have come to offer an agreement," loudly stated Caspian.

He wore no crown, no luxurious robes, but his words still had weight! He still possessed the kingly bearing that had grown on him over the years.

Hence, when he spoke, coupled with his stronger cultivation, Jake was once again reminded not to act disrespectfully.

'Here we go again,' Jake sighed.

While he might not be usually tagged as a mischievous person, the attitude had been ingrained in him. He normally just hid it as it was not necessary.

However, in his current situation, in his captive state, he needed it.

He needed it to guide their conversation away from things he wasn't able to disclose. Even Conan noticed his ability to steal the tempo of their interrogation.

The key was to act chaotic and speak wittily, making one's captor think that, despite the situation, their captive was still in control.

Years ago, Jake's second part of himself, Khaos, was a master at it. He had learned how to annoy others from his other half, who was dead.

Also, he already knew what the king was going to say.

So, Jake ignored Caspian's subtle warning and queried, "What is the offer? And why? I see no reason why I shouldn't be released!"

"Calm down. The offer would benefit both parties. You see, we are in need of your unique skill," reasoned Conan.

Still keeping his face all positive, Jake played along, "Ohh, what skill are you referring to?"

With a straight face, Caspian stated, "Your translator's skill. Your ability to communicate with a Netheran!"

"What's in it for me?" Jake cocked his head.

"Protection. You know that you won't be able to survive a week in the Dark Forest. However, with our protection, we can guarantee a safe journey," Caspian reasoned.

After watching Jake's reaction, he continued, "Judging by your intelligence, it is safe to say that your destination is the Pearl Coast, same as ours. By following us, you are practically not risking anything. After we get to our destination, should you want to continue with us, we will allow it."

Jake had no reaction to the king's word.

He had long known of this outcome. It was hilarious as they captured him and then posed as the good guys.

Yet, he couldn't deny that the risk of traveling alone was far greater. He could potentially die, a good proof of that was his encounter with the [Grade 3] Demon beasts.

Nonetheless, that did not mean that he wouldn't survive. It just meant the risk was greater.

Even if he knew of the risk beforehand, he still would have chosen to escape alone.

'But…..I don't have a choice here. They may not look like it, but I'm sure they would force me if I reject it,' analyzed Jake.

After thinking through, he gave out his answer, "Ok."

"You agree?" carefully asked one of the king's children.

"Yes. What about the rope binding me?"

Caspian softly sighed at that, "We never can tell if you would try to escape, so...."

"Ok," replied Jake.

He wasn't angry that they practically chained him. There was no need to agitate his emotions.

The moment he had finished talking, a humanoid female materialized in his face.

Jake didn't need to examine her to know that she was the phantom.

'She was probably here all along, and the fact she could appear at will shows she is gaining control of her power,' observed Jake.

The female phantom drifted in the air for a while trying to touch younger royals, but since she was translucent, her body went through them.

As he watched the phantom, Caspian found more and more resemblance to his dead wife.

He was now more eager to converse, "Jake, can we begin right away?" 

Jake nodded his head as a reply.

[A/N: I will italicize and bold dialogues that are spoken with [Netherspark]. The other characters can't understand him and the phantom when they converse]

His role was to play the middle man, and he did just that.

Locking his eyes on the phantom, he managed to get her attention.

"Hey, I will help you communicate with them. They have a few questions for you. First….."

He was well aware that the phantom could understand his words and that she was smart enough to figure out what was happening without him telling her. That was why she had materialized in the first place.

After that, Jake repeated the question that he had asked before, "Who are you?"

The female phantom voiced out in a sound that was incomprehensible to the royals, "I don't know."

It was the same reply that she gave him a week ago, but she said it with more confidence.

This further solidified Jake's guess that her mentality was becoming more mature every day.

He relayed the message, "She says she doesn't know."

"Ask her why she saved me and my brother," tasked Caspian 

Jake faced the phantom, "Why did you rescue the king and his brother?"

"The king? Him?" pointing at Caspian, the female phantom continued, "I don't know why. I felt a certain connection with them, that was why."

After she said that, Jake relayed her words.

He continued listening to her as she spoke, "I don't know who I am. I was born in that scary place, in the underground location. Time flew by and I had to watch as people failed to interact with me. They couldn't see me or even touch me. The first time I touched someone was when I saved them."

Jake managed to get some information from the female phantom that was certainly interesting. Of course, he relayed it back to the royals, but he was sure only a few of them would be able to decipher the hidden meanings.

After a few more questions, the phantom became uncomfortable with their stares and posed her own question, "Why do they keep looking at me like that?"

After translating for them, he got Caspian's reply and gave it back to the phantom.

"They say it is because you look like his dead wife," chuckled Jake.

Due to their eagerness, the royals failed to understand that the phantom was not comfortable at all. Her speeches were muddled and her mind was clouded with all sorts of questions.

By dropping this massive bomb, they would only aggravate things.

True to his words, the phantom stammered, "I...I…..I….I..."

She couldn't find the right words and her control over her ability went haywire, making her disappear.

The group was downcast, but they knew that they had gone overboard. So, they left Jake alone.

Before he left, Caspian informed, "I will position guards at your tent, just in case. We will take care of all your necessities. However, we can't do anything about the ropes"