The raw burst of energy again escaped his Body while the negligible amount of energy that his Body received was used to better his Body.

'With this, my body seems on par with a Rank-3 Fighter.'- Ozul concluded while he checked his Ball of Purity.

The Ball of Purity was still not dense enough to kill Rank-5 Beasts with single strikes, but Ozul was close to it.

'Maybe another two Rank-4 Cores would finish the last step.'- Ozul thought.

Ozul left the area; the smell of blood and the corpse of a Rank-5 Beast will attract too much attention in this region.

Ozul arrived in the Town as he strolled towards the Shop Owner. It was not afternoon yet, and he had some free time. Ozul also wanted to know how the Shop Owner hired a Rank-3 Mage.

'Maybe, he had some connections? Whatever...'- Ozul guessed that someone backed the Shop Owner.

When Ozul stepped inside the shop, there were a couple of groups checking out the items when he noticed the Shop Owner's bloodshot eyes as if he couldn't sleep the previous night.

Just when Ozul neared the counter, the Shop Owner noticed him, and his eyes showed fear and anger?

Ozul calmly a.n.a.lyzed his behavior and said;

"What? Didn't expect me to be alive?"- Ozul showed no emotions on his face, but the Shop Owner could feel the temperature drop at an alarmingly high rate!

"I-its You!!! You killed them! Hahaha! You won't get away with it when Viscount finds out that you killed his men!"- the Shop Owner yelled like a lunatic!

It was not his fault, though. The Shop Owner had dealings with Viscount Bedwell, and when the men he sent on a minor task disappeared, the Shop Owner had to take the blame.

He couldn't sleep the previous night because of the consequences, but now, the Shop Owner could dump all the blame on that kid.

'Sigh... trouble. Whatever... so many people heard it, this will surely reach that Viscount something...'- Ozul sighed when saw that the surrounding people were already pointing towards him.

'If it's already come to this point, then a little more trouble will be nothing.'- Ozul could not just kill all the surrounding people to shut them up. There was only one Viscount in Azmar City. He was the same Viscount whose son had been killed by Ozul and Raven.

"He won't let me get away, huh? Then it's not a problem if I take one more life, right? It's not like it will change anything..."- Ozul expressionlessly said to the Shop Owner.

The Shop Owner understood the meaning behind his words and backed down, but just as he was about to do so, a blade lunged towards him, and cut his throat!

Since they were already at the point of no return, Ozul could freely act against them. Since the Shop Owner was now dead, and the items here mostly belonged to the Viscount or the Shop Owner, why not have some for himself?

Ozul went towards the counter and picked up the rare pills and other resources that Raven could use for her advancement.

Before the other people in the shop could react to this incident, Ozul had already left the shop.

Walking back home, Ozul was thinking some things through;

'The Viscount will be after me, but he does not know that I killed his son. So, it is unlikely that he would send some powerful people after me. After all, those people should be searching for his son's killers.'- Ozul concluded that this situation was straightforward to deal with.

Besides, Ozul stole all those pills and resources. These may not be enough for Raven's future growth, but for now, they are valuable.

Ozul arrived home while thinking about future concerns. He saw that Raven was practicing in the living room when he entered the house.

He was satisfied with Raven's hard work. Ozul waited for her to finish and sat on the couch.

When Raven opened her eyes, Ozuls tranquil sight greeted her, and she beamed in joy. Raven liked the feeling of seeing Ozul beside her whenever she opened her eyes. She felt secure around him.

Just as she was thinking, Ozul handed her a pouch filled with many things.

"Some of these are pills for your cultivation, some to clear your mental state, and enhance your comprehension for a while. Use them well and don't disappoint me,"- Ozul explained to Raven with his typical Stoic face.

Just as he was about to head for his room, he turned around and said;

"Oh, and don't go outside. Better yet, don't leave my side. Viscount Debleb or something is after us."-

It delighted Raven to hear that. Not because of Viscount, but because she can stay by his side!

Ozul again turned around but remembered something and said;

"Oh, give me the pain killer from the pouch."- Ozul did not show it, but the first strike of the Rank-5 Beast still hurt his insides. He did not cough out blood only because he did not have any!

Raven hearing that he needed a painkiller was alert and worriedly asked him,

"What happened!?"

"Rank-5 Beast happened. Now give me the pill."- Ozul again asked for the pill. He had to sleep after it, so he was getting a little impatient.

"Oh!"- Raven quickly searched for the pill inside the pouch while wondering if Ozul was all right or not.

But Raven knew that her question would only anger Ozul further. So she asked nothing.

Raven gave the pill to Ozul as he quickly swallowed it and returned to his room. Raven put the pills inside her Spatial Ring and went back to training.

. . .

The next time Ozul opened his eyes was when he heard the door of his room open, and a little figure tiptoed towards his bed.

This time when Raven entered Ozul's room, he woke up and stared at her.

In the dark, Raven could not know that she was caught. So, when she arrived at the bed and saw those eyes staring at her, she freaked out!

*UEEEKK!*

"Shut up!"- Ozul got annoyed by the scream.

Raven shut up by putting both of her hands to close her mouth. Not only was she caught, but she also disturbed him. She messed up this time!

"Now explain."- Ozul asked her to explain herself when he saw that she shut up.

"...I...I'm afraid?"- Raven could not find another excuse, so her tone sounded a bit confused.

"Are you asking me or telling me?"- Ozul knew that she was just making excuses.

Seeing no other way out, Raven decided to show a tough front and be direct.

*Cough* *Huuu*

Raven readied herself as she exhaled deeply and cleared her throat.

"Listen here, Ozul! I've been listening to your every order, and now you have to listen to my only request! You have to let me sleep with you!"- Raven's voice was stern as tho she won't take no for an answer.

Ozul listened to her demands, and when Raven finished her speech, he stared at her.

He kept staring at her, while Raven thought he is considering her offer.

In the end, Raven received a flat "no" from Ozul as he went outside in the garden to sleep.

Raven wanted to follow him to the garden, but Ozul gave her the 'eye,' and she did not dare to anymore.

When Ozul slept though, again, a small shadow leaped out of the house and tiptoed towards him, and with a blanket covered both him and itself.

. . .

The next morning, Ozul again had to drop the sleeping Raven inside her room.

Ozul could not leave Raven alone at home from now on. So, he planned to go to a safer region in the woods, void of any Rank-5 Beast.

'It's better safe than sorry.'- Ozul thought. After the fight with the monkey yesterday, Ozul realized that he could defeat a Rank-5 Beast. Besides, he was stronger after eating its Core.

But fighting with a Rank-5 while protecting Raven will prove to be fatal.

After Raven ate breakfast, they both left the house.

They arrived in the region around half an hour later. The pills had helped Raven to become a Fighter overnight. So, Ozul had decided that she will be fighting a Rank-2 Beast without any help.

They soon found a Rank-2 Beast. Raven seemed to fight it on even ground, but over time, her stamina lost to the Rank-2 Beast.

Ozul intervened at that moment and killed the Beast. If Raven had any Original Spell, then she would have been the winner.

They spent the whole day like this. Raven would fight a Rank-2 Beast, and then rest while Ozul would just laze around at the sidelines.

They decided to return just when it was getting dark.

But they did not expect the sight that greeted them when they arrived back. Their whole house was a mess!

The gate was destroyed, the garden was ruined, the house was damaged!

Ozul saw the sight and sighed. But the next moment he narrowed his eyes and thought,

'Viscount diblewible... or something, you started a fight! I will do the ma.s.sacre...'