"Why were you so desperate to die? Explain everything."

"Uhhh. Sure, I can do that. Silvervein has been taken over by the - cult and the entire Silvervein team are members of the cult. Except for one person. They are kinda dumb, so I'm not surprised they haven't noticed something weird. We have plans to cripple the next generation by committing mass murder, starting with the tamers. My tamed beast has something called an [Anti-Life Aura], and it kills anything weaker than it."

"What the hell."

"Yeah, the number of deaths it causes temporarily gives it strength. The stronger the creature, the better the buff. It would snowball to a point where the administrators would have to focus on the thing for an extended period. Giving enough for the rest of the plan to commence. What was supposed to happen was your beast would die since they are lower level than it, but they'd get teleported away thanks to the magic here. After the fight and the barriers were lifted, that thing would start its rampage, causing mass death. It hates the sight of life. If the judges couldn't stop it in time, it would leave the fracture and try to kill everything in the audience. "

"Isn't that a bit optimistic? I'm sure many powerhouses are watching the tournament."

"The cult has done some testing. As long as it can get some early kills, there is barely anything that could stop it if It's released to the public. The tamers were the choice since there would be a high concentration of many creatures. This was going to be a statement, live on national television, thousands will die. The next steps of the plan I wasn't filled in on. I would also die from my beast's rampage."

"You don't seem upset about that. Ah, yeah. Death cult."

"Mmmm, yeah. I wanted you to kill me because the people I failed would never let me die. Suicide is off the table, unfortunately. Speaking of dying, I wonder what they will do now since the plan went sour. We were given only one of those things."

"Do you not know what it's called?"

"No? I don't even know where it came from. The guy that keeps getting omitted sent a bunch of tamers to try and tame it, and all of them died but me. I'm not even talking about the aura. They died because they failed to tame it."

"Can you tell me about your god? Anything that won't draw unwanted attention or be omitted."

His smile grows wide as my question pleases him. His teeth are too perfect, too white, too straight. It triggers my uncanny valley, and the feeling stops when he starts to speak.

"Of course, I can! I'd love to tell you all about it. There are a few gods related to death, but ours is the big guy. We believe that the current gods of death are pieces of our being since he was split long ago. We don't accept death can die, and we still worship him. The priest's powers and some boons granted prove our dedication isn't being wasted. The god hasn't spoken to me, but I feel his presence in everything about to die. He is the god of death, everything that means, and a little more."

I contemplate what he said. Fanatics are hard to deal with, but he seems fine ratting them out. What gives? Is this all a deception, or is he that crazy? The skill should allow me to know if he is trying to betray me, but that definition is broad.

"Would you betray your cult for me? Your god?"

"Maybe, I don't know. It hasn't happened yet. I don't think I can disobey my god. You smell nice, so I trust you. There is some gossip I can tell you about."

"Go on."

"The cult split into two groups, one that wants to use our power and influence to eventually be seen as a religion in the eyes of the public. Something that can be proudly followed in public without the scrutiny and the stereotypes that follow. The other promotes a perverted message. It wants death for the living and to prepare the world for our god's second coming. I'm a part of the second one. If you didn't notice."

He seems self-aware in the worst way.

"What do you think about the cult."

"... I don't know. I never asked myself that. Can I answer later?"

"I think I'm done asking questions. If you don't tell me why you are worth keeping, I'll leave you to rot down here."

He shrugs.

"I don't need to eat or drink, so you can keep me for as long as you want."

"Don't sound happy about that."

"If you need someone to test torture weapons on or need a tamer specializing in undead, then I'm your guy. I also can read a few niche languages and sing. I'm not that good at dancing, hate long walks on the beach. I'm willing to try anything once. What else..."

"Where are your beasts? I may have use for them."

"I have their body parts, so I can revive them or make a few changes. I'll need surgical tools and a place to put some magic circles... Oh, yeah. I'm almost a surgeon, legally."

"?"

"I'm like three years away from getting a license to do surgery. I guess that's not happening anymore."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-two. It's been over five minutes, and I haven't been found. Thank you."

"Don't leave that cell. If you do, you are betraying my trust."

Maybe that will reinforce the [Thralldom] trait, alerting me to escape attempts. I remove his weapons and the parts of his beasts and leave them in a different cell. He started stripping in the name of security, but I made him keep them on since they weren't enchanted.

I want to check on my beasts and my team. Dylan's thanks at the end remind me that crazy people are running around looking for someone. Someone I abducted and is keeping in my basement. I leave the mansion and start falling out of the sky. A telekinetic grasp grabs me by the ankle and holds me up. I see Duchess and Khan flying in the air upside down. I look up and see the ground.

[Welcome back, master. Some suspicious people were approaching, so thisss one took the door with thisss one and fled. We are just outside of the city.]

"... can you put me back upright?"

[If you want.]

Duchess flings me on her back. She does a one-eighty and heads back to the capital. I tell Duchess about what the tamer in my dungeon told me.

[Thisss one doesn't trust that thing... Can you let thisss one do some experiments... They consented, yes? Thisss one might also need the Flash Gordon for something. No harm will come to him.]

"I don't care but ask Flash Gordon yourself when we get back."

I pull out my phone and text my team and dean Palmer's assistant. I don't contact him directly since that would violate some rules, and I don't want to deal with having to plead that it was necessary. I ask my team if they have seen anything unusual and please be wary of the Silvervein team. I told the dean's assistant to tell dean Palmer that I found a death cult and summarized the plan with the beast they had. I won't say any sources or elaborate. I'm not too interested in stopping the cult, but people I care about may be stuck in the crossfire.

I might get dragged into this anyways since I was the one who defeated their weapon. I'll keep Rob with me since he can spot that captain through their stealth. I wonder if that captain got friendly with me because of the same feeling Dylan has or if it's just a weird thing for Dylan. A message from dean Palmer stops me from devolving into another brain rant.

[Meet me in the administrative wing. Room 22nd left side.]

Do I want to? No, I don't. I'll go anyways, but I will ensure my beasts stay by my side. Fortunately, every member of my team replied and understood what I said.

~

At the other end of a long table are dean Palmer, the Auroran Institute's dean Albert, and the old judge that watched over the taming tournament. On my side are all of my beasts. I pet Flash Gordon like a mastermind petting a cat, plotting their next plan.

"Your text was quite concerning. You'd be in trouble if that creature wasn't identified as a [Death Walker]. You did well.

"Palmer, praise the boy a bit more. No wonder he hates you."

?

"Albert, we still have questions that need to be answered. How he knew the plan and where that tamer kid disappeared too. The other students are also missing, except for one."

The other man pulls out a yellow golf ball and places it on the table. He rolls it, letting it perfectly settle into the center, between everyone. I recognize that magic item. It glows when someone lies. I knew this was going to be an interrogation.

"I want to go first before any questions can be asked. I have no involvement in any cults whatsoever. I didn't participate in or enact any plans regarding the cult. I got my information from the missing student, Dylan, and the cult is looking for him. He's rotting away as we speak. By the way, what's the prize I'm supposed to get."

Albert looks at Palmer, then at the other guy. He looks back at me and speaks up.

"That's good and all, but that changes little. You weren't here as a suspect but as a confidant. Your dean's threat is unnecessary if not true. The orb is to show our goodwill. The tournament will most likely be canceled, and the discussion of telling the truth or coming up with an excuse is on the table. Investigations have begun in Silvervein, and a secret hunt for the missing students has already started."

Dean Palmer speaks up.

"I'll need to talk to you later about matters that aren't related to this situation, but I already have your parents under protection since we don't know if they would seek revenge."

I nod as my attention is directed to Albert as he talks over Palmer's last words.

"The prize was supposed to be a beast of your choice that we have stored away on a plantation. But that could be exchanged for something else. I'll also give you something for preemptively stopping a horrific massacre. Even if it wasn't intentional."

I don't have another slot for a tamed beast. I'll need to evolve some of my beasts to level up my skill, potentially giving me more availability. My egg hatching and catching up with my other beast wouldn't do it, either. I hope it levels after the level 100 evolution and not the one after that.

"How about something different."

The other man spoke up. I examine his appearance for the first time. He's bald and beardless and looks a bit like a softy. His body is in shape for his age, but his body doesn't scream athleticism like Master Wang's. His clothes are nice and clean, but he's dressed like a gardener.

"Master Giles, what do you mean?"

The Auroran Institute's dean called him master. This guy is influential. I wonder what he wants me to get as a reward. I wonder what the final competition would've been.

"I can take him under my wing. I have room for another student to learn under me. It doesn't look like he's learning under a master tamer, and that should be fixed."

"I find that highly inappropriate, master Giles. He's a student from Bluefield institute. You'd be poaching one of my students! I won't have that!"

"Oh, so you'd have someone's potential be limited just because you called dibs? For shame Palmer. No wonder they won't let you back in."

"..."

Dean Palmer doesn't respond, but something is brewing under his skin. I swear the amount of static electricity in the air increased.

"What do you say, lad? Ready to make use of your potential?"

"I don't know. Sorry, but I don't know who you are or your credentials. I'd be willing to learn more about you. I already have a master, if in name only, but I don't know if that would clash. I'm interested, that's for sure."

Another old soul to call master... Don't like that.

"My invitation is open. I might meet with your master to discuss an arrangement. This won't even take up one of your rewards, but something I offer. You can think of it as my gift. These two better come up with something equal to or better than mine. Hehe."

"..."

"..."