Elric was curious as to what happened to Lesse's powers. Not to mention, the latter did not just lose its Dragon powers but its overwhelming pride as well. The Lesse he knew from the past was an overbearing woman.

She was cold, arrogant and a fighter that never backs down no matter her enemies are. But right now, the one standing and guiding Elric throughout the house was like a different woman.

She has a pleasing att.i.tude, a charming voice with a graceful demeanor. Watching her slender, curvy back, Elric could not help but recall the naked skin behind that beautiful figure he has seen in the past.

Not only that she has grown more mature, but she has also become more beautiful and composed - far from the younger Lesse he knew from the past. He was just not sure if the att.i.tude she's showing off right now is the real deal though.

He had to give her credits though as she was indeed fluent even in Bisayan language. The last thing he remembered, this woman was spouting Chinese words during their first meeting. He did not even know what they meant! All he knew was that she was threatening to kill him!

If he was not mistaken, this woman right here is a Chinese Dragon who was once a proud royal Eastern Dragon. She was undergoing a Tribulation of Light in order to ascend which explained her dropping down from the night sky that time.

And according to the records of the World Knowledge, there is supposed to be an estimated one hundred thousand members including its respected Elders. But as Elric traveled across the continent, from Texas up to the small town in Cebu, Philippines, yet, there was not a single sign of the Eastern Dragons at all that used to confidently glide across the Asian skies.

This only confirms what that sn.o.bbish boy said in the rooftop. Something happened to the Eastern Dragons and Elric seems to have great partic.i.p.ation over it since it all started ever since the catastrophic event ten years ago.

And if ever Elric has something to do about it, he is inclined to do what he can to protect the last remaining Eastern Dragons and possibly revive them back. Right now, there was just too much in Elric's plate and finding his granma's soul is his first priority.

"And this right here is your room as grandma instructed. Are there any questions you wanted to ask?" Lesse words suddenly interrupted Elric's train of thought and innocently looked at the woman before him who was staring intently at Elric with a curious gaze.

Knowing grandma's landlord's true ident.i.ty, Lesse was not stupid enough to their pathetic excuse. She trusted her instinct and strongly believes that the man before her is not as stupid and weak as he looks. The man could be another Spiritual or a special agent sent by the Guardians perhaps. Either still, she decided to play along and investigate through the sides.

"Uhmm. Nothing more. Thank you for guiding me all along." Elric sheepishly replied.

"Not a problem. And in case you got more questions, don't hesitate to ask grandma, and in case she's not present since she usually leaves without telling us, you can just inquire at me. My room is just right here on the opposite door." Lesse said with a hospitable smile while pointing her finger at the door just behind her.

"Got it. Thank you." Elric said as he opened his room's door and went in.

Lesse, on the other hand, remained standing before Elric's room. From a refres.h.i.+ng and cheerful smile, her face suddenly s.h.i.+fted to her usual serious and cold look.

"No matter if you are just another outsider or Dragon hunter who just wanted to investigate us, then I am afraid to say that you are just wasting your time. You will never be able to figure us out." She muttered silently and turned around to enter her room. Her duty as an a.s.sistant apartment manager is done.

***

Settling down on his now own rented room, Elric was staring at the window that was overlooking at the tall building from the distance. His goofy mode is now gone and he was back to his cold eyes and a domineering aura.

"So how do I start? How do we get to the Realm of Darkness?" Elric suddenly said.

"Not bad, you managed to detect my presence right away. I must say, I am incredibly impressed by how fast you have adapted to your new soul powers." Kahayag, who was in her ethereal form came out of the wall like a ghost and landed beside Elric.

Elric ignored her praises though and waited for the answers that he was expecting. Noticing Elric's quite yet cold stare, Kahayag could not help but just answer him right away.

"Well, you see, we really do not need to go anywhere to reach the Realm of Darkness. We just have to wait for the next lunar eclipse when the realm gate open's to their dimension." She explained as her ethereal figures look up to gaze at the faint glow of the moon in the sky.

"It was also the time when the Shadows comes back to their own realm to replenish their energy or bring back their collected body and souls to be used as another "'jar' or vessel. The lunar eclipse may last from two to four hours, but once they entered the realm gate, the time ratio was completely different on the other side. An hour is actually a year! When they came back, they might have already ascended to another rank and even equipped with a completely taken over the human body."

"I see. And that can only bring more risk as they are not supposed to be able to take over a human body and interfere with the human realm..." Elric calmly replied.

"That's correct," Kahayag confirmed as her expression suddenly s.h.i.+fted to a sadder tone.

"I am sorry. I failed to save your grandma." Kahayag added in a solemn voice.

"It's in the past and there is nothing we can do about it. What I am worried about is what they are doing with my grandma's soul." Elric replied with a hint of worry in his words.

"Well, I actually have a piece of good news for you." Kahayag suddenly smiled.

"And that is?"

"You see, it seems like the Heavenly Ancestral Dragon was true to his words. When I took over your grandma's body, there was a heavenly light barrier that protected her body and soul!"

"Which means..." Elric eyes glimmers with hope.

"The probability that your grandma's soul is already in the Realm of Darkness is quite guaranteed. But the blessing from the Ancestral Dragon will protect her soul from their internal corruption by the Shadows. This means, we still have time my boy Elric! The heavenly blessing from the Ancestral Dragon was an energy granted by the heavens and I doubt that even the highest-ranked Shadows have the capacity to destroy the barrier unless..." Suddenly, Kahayag's voice quivered in a realization.

"Unless?" Elric frowned seeing her sudden change in her ethereal face.

"Unless what they are after is actually you! And your grandma's soul is just a bargaining tool for them to lure you in their realm! Elric! We must think this over! We can't just fall on their trap!" Far from her usual proud demeanor, the Kahayag before Elric right now had an eye full of fear and anxiety.

It does finally make sense.

The shadows are Spirituals who were born from the dark realm. It was a realm of nothing but pure darkness, numbness, and emptiness. And unlike a mortal being, they don't die. They just exist to live and experience darkness. They are subject to corruption, hate, destruction and anything opposed to light.

They are evil spiritual beings who l.u.s.ts over a human life where the five physical senses of pleasure can be experienced. Thus, they grab every opportunity to slip through the realm gates every lunar eclipse and lurk in darkness until they found a suitable human for their corruption and will be taken back to the Realm of Darkness to destroy the soul and overtake the human body. The next time they step into the earth, they are human with demonic spirituals inside with their demonic power of corruption still within them!

Fortunately, taking care of them is one of the Guardian's task and the main reason that they can't openly show themselves and decided to live an ordinary life instead is because of the watchful eyes of the Guardians.

Once they are found out to be a Shadow living inside a human body, they are subject to execution and destruction right away, not leaving any traces behind.

But right now, they have another hunter is added on their list.

"I a.s.sume they wanted to take over my unique body, am I correct?" Elric asked Kahayag and the latter nodded to confirm.

"They want me there? Then they better prepare a red carpet. When is the next lunar eclipse?" Elric asked confidently. He showed a confident and pa.s.sionate gaze that Kahayag could only shake her head in worry.

"Five months from now. Until then, I hope you can still change your mind and just live normally. What do you think?" Kahayag suggested with a worried look. She knew how powerful Elric had become. The Dragon Blood flowing in him, the Elemental Authorities brewing in the palms on his hand and the superior soul const.i.tution gifted to him by his Spiritual bloodline is enough a temptation to have the whole Realm of Darkness use their full power in hopes to take over him.

"Live normally?" Elric scoffed. "I am afraid I cannot do that great-great-great grandma," Elric said as he gazed back at the sun setting down on the west. His eyes reflected the setting sun and together with it is the inevitable change to happen.