“Divine Punishment? like, What is it?” Yadina murmurs to herself, ‘is it something like [Teque’an]? Can’t be? It’s not possible. Kitchen Knife is only a bit older than me. He could never reach that level at such young age.’ rubbing her hair, Yadina looks to be slightly confused. “What is Erhart’s power anyway? Is he a [Hero]?” she asks.

“Whache that? what is a [Hero]? I am sorry but I really, really, really is not familiar with this world’s history.” Zotoady says.

“[Hero] is like , a super amazing like [Human] that like can do amazing things.”

“That’s…. pretty… explanatory?” Zotoady says with slight sarcasm. “So, are [Heroes] just [Humans] with special power.”

“Yah, like I think so.”

“I seeeeee….. Not really, he is not a [Hero].”

“So what is Divine Punishment anyway.”

“it is painful.”

“What?”

“Just look.” Zotoady say, pointing up into the sky. Yadina rises her head and sees nothing abnormal happening .

“3.”

“2.”

“1.”

“PA!” flicking her on the forehead. Zotoady smirks,” Got you.”

“it’s not funn...”

Before she can finish her sentence, the whole sky darkens in just seconds. Cotton like clouds was floating lazily in the sky transforms into balls of rusted iron filled sparks of static, wind grow stronger and stronger by the seconds and so did the scent of a thunder storm. But unlike the storm Yadina was familiar to, there is not a slightest bit of wetness in the atmosphere, oppositely The young girl feels as if all the moistures had been sucked out from the surroundings. Without any signs of warning a gigantic pillar of white lightning descends down upon the sky, hitting the ground, with Erhart in the centre.

“First strike.” Zotoady says lightly, simultaneously smashing a potion down onto the ground, setting up a black ward that covers both him and Yadina.

“Second strike.” Second lightning strikes down, the colour of lightning changes into blue, cracking the ground beneath.

“Third strike.” The colour of lightning changes into red.

“Forth strike.” The colour of lightning changes into green.

“Fifth strike.” The colour of lightning changes into violet.

“Sixth strike.” The colour of lightning changes into gold.

“Seventh strike. “ the colour of lightning changes into pink.

“Eighth strike.” The colour of lightning changes into brown.

A silence fall, after eight strikes nothing is left behind, not even a single grass.

“Is it ooooovvveerrr….” Yadina asks, the young girl’s body is trembling with fear, unable to react with such devastating situation. While on the other side, Zotoady simply stands there seemingly unamused, bites his lip and answers, “Nah, still one more.”

“Last strike.” Storm formulates into a spiral pattern, from the core of the storm. A lightning of absolute blackness smashes down upon the earth. Creating a circular blast, devouring everything within the blast’s radius.

……

After 10 minutes or so Yadina finally recovers herself from the shock, staring at the shifted landscape with not a single sign of life can be seen.

“Isss..heee..li..k… fiii…nee?” Yadina squizzes out a few words.

“Yah, I think so.” Zootady answers lightly, rubbing his chin, thinking. He somewhat seems still unsatisfied by the result. “Hummm. Three? Four? Five? That’s a bit too much, Yah, three would do.” unknowingly speaks to himself

He takes out a small cube within his cloak. The cube seems to be ancient, covered with runes and symbols of some unknown language. Zotoady throws as far as he can across the ward into the ruins of the blast. The cube bounces for a few times and ultimately landed in the middle of the crate.

“This will do.” Zotoady puts up a smirk, seemingly quite pleased with himself, before Yadina can ask any further questions. A pillar of lightning descends down.

Eight more strikes follows.

Seventeen more strikes follow…

Twenty-six strikes more follow….

……

Everything of the surrounding field is destroyed. Not even a single layer of scorched earth remains, this place once contained a beautiful little waterfall, is now nothing but a huge smoking crater.

‘He is totally deadddddd…..’ Yadina is wordless, soon tears rumble out of her eyes. She once witnessed [Teque’an] happen to her grandfather, when he levelled up from Tier 8 to Tier 9, entering [Pre-Legend].

To her understanding, [Teqeu’an] and this Divine Punishment, are trails put upon someone by the nature and [The Realm of Legend] to test if one is worthy of being granted more power beyond their limit. it is a gamble, but instead of using money, one is wagering their life. For the tiniest possibility of becoming stronger.

Yet, Zotoady instead of like any normal being celebrates when Erhart successfully lived through such disaster, like what her relatives did when her grandpa lived through his [Teque’an]. Zotoady somehow summoned down more [Teque’an] for Erhart, the boy who once saved her life. Yet in front of such sudden and distractive power, she is too scared to do anything for him. Now she can not to anything but cry, crying not only for the death of Erhart, but for her own weakness as well.

“Uuu..arrrr..ttootallly..maaddd…. u..qi..killed.. h…iimmm”

“No, and additionally I am the sanest person here.” (Jawpb’s note: *cough* *cough* that is arguable)

“One can only grow when they are exposed greater challenges and dangers.”

Without speaking any further, Zotoady lefts this mentally terrorised young girl sitting at one of the corner of the ward. He steps out, a stream of sun light passes through the cloud and shines upon him. Under the light, he smiles. In all the sudden all of his childishness disappeared in that instant. His backima…..feels….

“Hot! Hot! Hot! Shxt.” Stepping back once again. “Forgot about that. Accidents will happen, when you least expect them. You didn’t see anything.” Taking out a blue flask and smashes it. As the solutes leaves the flask, it formulates into a light blue coloured sphere, floating in the air, spinning, while sucking out most of the heated air from the crater, cooling the ground. “Be right back. Come if you wish, I am sure young Erhart prefer seeing a cute girl, when he wakes rather than me.” Zotoady says to Yadina stepping out of the ward, walking into the crater. Yadina said nothing but follows unsurely, but her crying had stopped when she realises that Erhart may not have been killed.

“And also why are you crying for a person you just met like two days ago.” Zotoady asks, looking left and right for something.

“Because I am not maniac that said is going to teach us thing, yet did care in slightest bit about his student’s wellbeing.” Her words are filled with distaste, her mouth cocks upwards and hands closes into fists.

“Is that so.” Zotoady sighs. He adds, “I think there is something more.“

“What?”

“Nothing.” changing the topic, he shouts, “Here he is. Wow, he looked worse than I expected” Pointing down at a lifeless dried log looking object, in the shape of a [Human body].

“You looked crap, literally.” Zotoady comments.

The body did not answer. Yadina collapse onto the ground, just before she begins to cry again. Zotoady takes out a silver necklace, decorated with a glass auncel. He stares at the necklace for a good five second, sighing once again. Ducks down and places the necklace on Erhart. The necklace progressively liquefies and merges into his body. Seeing the necklace fully fused with Erhart, Zotoady picks this young boy up and sits him on his shoulder.