The elder council was waiting for him as usual and after greetings elder Sonor was prepared to ask the ‘last’ question.

‘Here we go, this might determine if I survive this day.’ Nick gravely said to himself. He was no fool. He felt how all these questions were revolving around killing or controlling the big bad demon they thought he was.

The question is, “When will you demonize?” elder Sonor finally voiced the ‘big’ one.

‘Seriously? That is the ‘important’ question they were preparing? Of all the things they ask this and in a such form?! Even if I was a demon I could think of multiple ways to get out of this.’ Nick was shocked to the core. But he still decided to take his time and to give these elders good mental beating later.

First, he formulated his answer. Then, according to his earlier plan, he started to think how to increase his value in the eyes of these old freaks properly. He even took his time to visualize new techniques a couple times memorize them better.

After half an hour, while still sitting on elder’s Agnes lap, Nick slowly put his palms on the table. Then looked at the elders one by one.

“Before I answer this,” he started really seriously, “I would like to ask all of you to meet me here after we have finished on the balcony. I have few things to say.” Nick winked towards elder Sonor.

“The answer is – I will demonize within five years! Hahaha, let’s go!”

Elder Sonor did not care about this answer. The one he wanted to hear was yesterday. He just picked Nick up from elder Agnes and went out to balcony. Other elders were sitting there with weird looks on their faces.

“They will be out for a few hours.” Grand elder as usual started the discussion, “I want to hear your opinions, why he said it and why did he said it in that way. Don’t speculate about what he will say later.”

They sat in silence, everyone contemplating with serious faces.

“Looks like I have to go first this time.” Grand elder spoke again while out of habit knocking his fingers on the table again, “We knew he will give a vague answer. He surely understands we were not expecting an exact date.”

“I suggest to not think about it till after he comes back.” Elder Agnes stood up and stretched her old bones, “Few hours won’t change anything. Let’s just do our thing and wait for them.”

“I agree with elder Agnes.” Elder Silvio added, “It has been too tense the last few days. And we don’t know what will he say or do when they come back in. He has the ability to shock or stupefy us way too easily.”

Grand elder looked around, “Fine, since most of you think this way, let’s do it that.”

On the far side of the balcony Nick saw blurs. Elder Sonor was showing his movement technique.

“You don’t need to show off.” Nick smiled, “Just explain principle like yesterday.”

Elder Sonor was really not good with words. Or now, when grand elder was not present, he was trying to make things hard for Nick on purpose.

This was a time when Nick appreciated his father’s teachings and methods once again. Despite the ‘efforts’ from the spiteful elder, Nick managed to separate this movement technique into three parts – footwork, Qi flow control and Qi release. He used Olle’s style to structure the problem at hand, separate it into the details and then solve them one by one. It was obviously nothing unique, but for Nick it was his father’s legacy. He became nostalgic when thinking about it, but soon picked himself together.

The footwork part of this technique was interesting and not that hard to remember. Nick was confident he would be able to imitate it as soon as he’ll start running, therefore there was no way this was something ancient and secret. The same was with the control of the Qi flow. It seemed that elder Sonor had synchronized his Qi techniques with the footwork part and they worked in harmony really well. Nick did have a respect for it as it was an obvious result of years of research and practice.

The last part was the reason Nick was certain that the tale about this technique being heritage was a lie. It involved the concept of Qi release in bursts from feet in specific swirly patterns. These bursts made it look like the elder was almost teleporting around. Because of the pressure the swirls made on Qi pathways, it required incredible pathway durability which elder Sonor achieved by the meditation technique Nick was learning yesterday.

Thus, since they have developed the meditation technique hand in hand with the grand elder, how could this be ancient heritage at the same time? Nick smirked, but didn’t really care. Although it will take a very long time till he will be able to practice it, it was a remarkable knowledge. The Qi consumption was huge, but the speed bursts were incredible. Nick decided to practice Qi as much as possible from now on since it would give him chance to run away from this place in the future.

When thinking about running he just sighed and patted his little legs. Soon, he hoped that real soon he will be able to dash around this basketball court size balcony.

Few hours later Nick was done. He requested another break, ate, slept and repeated in his mind all the teachings he received during the past days. Then he practiced the first Qi technique and continued to watch elder Sonor dash around the balcony and stutter while trying to explain the technique for who knows which time, while he himself was burning the still fresh knowledge in his memory.

It was late in the evening when Nick went over the acquired information one last time, repeated the plan in his head on how to deal with the old freaks and then finally released elder Sonor from his misery.

When all the elders gathered in library, Nick was standing on one of the chairs while supporting himself with his little hands on the table.

He motioned towards elders, “Take your seats, please.”

Then he took a long theatrical pause, “Thank you for completing the second contract with me, it was quite fun. Since I have grown to like you, kids, I thought I would share some thoughts – may be those would be helpful to you in the future.”

Elders were smiling, they were expectant about what this Primeval demon would teach them. At the same time they were inwardly weary – the demon was dangerous and devious. They could not allow any mishaps.

Then, while continuing to smile, Nick gently looked at the elders, “How f*cking stupid you people really are? You are still so young, but your brain is already so rotten!”

The faces of all elders changed – anger, shock, confusion – everything was there.

“L...lord Baal!” Elder Silvio tried to interject.

“Silence! Do you think I don’t know what you are doing? You have spent the last days thinking on questions that will give you more information on how to deal with a person in a body of a child! That is why I am asking you,” he pointed at the grand elder, “how f*cking stupid you really are? Isn’t the answer obvious? Instead of using this incredible and unique opportunity, you are wasting your time to scheme in dealing with a toddler! Instead of using the experience of one of the eldest beings in existence, you try to figure out if you can kill a tiny part of his soul that he wouldn’t even notice! Instead of asking for an advice from an elder, you are trying to play smart! Dear ‘grand elder’, tell me, how old are you this year, huh?”

Grand elder was shocked and angry, but still answered, “I am 283 years old …”

“You are still a child!” Nick interrupted as he shouted in his squeaky voice. He thought he misheard and didn’t pay more attention to the answer since he had to continue his performance, “You are obviously using some rejuvenating technique and its effects are worsening, but instead of asking me, a thousands and thousands years old existence, on how to improve your technique, you are playing some games that do not really matter!”

As Nick was talking he felt more and more comfortable and his voice became louder. Although he was just throwing words in the faces of elders, he still felt good to at least somehow punish these freaks.

“And you, kid!” Nick laughed as he pointed at elder Sonor, “You just can’t wait to cut off this little head. But don’t you think this was the greatest opportunity of your life to ask for pointers? And I am not talking about that silly footwork of yours, I am talking about your sword! Do you think I am not using sword because I can’t? I just don’t need it! Do you know why none of Primeval demons have stepped their foot on surface within the last few hundreds of thousands of years? It was because of a hard work of your ancestors! In the great world shattering war five hundred thousand years ago we fought with your ancestors who were way stronger than you. In fact, you could be counted as ants in comparison! And there were many great swordsman between those man.” Nick closed his eyes as if he was remembering ancient history.

“Do you even know how the Eternal river was formed?” He asked.

When Nick was learning how to read and write, he also studied the world map a bit. Eternal river was the biggest river of the continent stretching from mount Corbus in a direct line to the west, separating both Lori and Nola kingdoms. It got wider the closer it was to the sea and at the mouth it was so wide it can take almost a day to sail from one bank to another.

“At the end of the great war there was a duel between Primeval demon and the strongest human swordsman. The swordsman gathered all his life force in that slash and killed his opponent! And as a result of that slash Eternal river was formed. He killed a Primeval demon and died himself for that feat! But managed to bring a peace to your world – because of that we honored the deal and sealed the old entrances to the Hell located in the centers of all three continents. And after that slash there were only three of us Primeval demons left. But the slash that almost cut the continent in halves, I sometimes still see in my nightmares!” Nick shook his head and sighed.

“Anyway. You, kid, could have just asked for a pointer or two and with a one sentence I could have propelled you to become the strongest swordsman alive! Of course, none of you can compare to those old human heroes. But just now you were trying to suppress your killing urges while carrying a child! Do you even understand how twisted and sick that is? And how incredibly stupid?”

At this point elder Sonor was already standing for some time. With hand of his sword hilt, red face and panting, he was staring at little monster who was cursing them. Nick was afraid that old freak would just jump out and slash with his sword, but it was already too late and he hoped he managed to shock them enough to discourage any rash actions.

“And you lot are the same!” Nick looked at each of other elders, “Scheming and trying to be smart in front of me! Hahaha, it is so sad it’s funny. Little girl, bring me to my room … oh … and starting today I don’t want anyone to infuse Qi in my body without asking. I want to fool around with this new Qi thing and I don’t need any distractions. Last time I was on the surface it didn’t exist yet … hahaha … you could have even asked what power humans used back then, but you … hahaha! Let’s go, what are you looking at?” Nick poked stupefied elder Agnes.