Chapter 289: Back to Stone Valley
Klaus and his mother, along with Miriam and Hanna, arrived at Stone Valley a day before the launch of Oracle. Lucil had arranged for them to come that day, so when they landed, she was there with Joon, Logan, and Ryan.
"Nice to see you again, Klaus, War Goddess, and Auntie," Joon was the first to speak as they alighted from the jet.
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His gaze paused on Hanna. The last time they were at they came to recruit Klaus, Hanna was in seclusion cultivating so they never met her.
"This is my sister, Hanna," Klaus said, introducing her. Joon and the others nodded.
"How have you all been?" Klaus's mom asked with a small smile.
"We're well, Auntie," Ryan replied this time. The last time they had visited, they left with nice haircuts. However, from the way Klaus's mom was looking at them, it was clear they'd be getting fresh haircuts before the event.
"Let's go to the headquarters," Joon said, and soon they were in a car heading back to the headquarters building.
"Your friends will arrive within the hour, so when they do, we have people who will bring them to the headquarters," Joon said as they arrived at the large building where Klaus spent a whole month.
Since Klaus was listed as the co-creator of Oracle, his immediate friends were also invited.
In the past few days, he had started modeling something new within Oracle. Since he wouldn't be going on any hunts for the next few weeks, he decided to bring the Tormented World into Oracle. Yes, Klaus began modeling the entire world within Oracle.
Although he hadn't made much progress, he had still incorporated many elements into Oracle. The Monastery was already completed, so when Oracle went public, it would be one of the few locations available for visitors.
For now, it was set atop a mountain somewhere in Oracle, requiring visitors to go there for a sense of peace.
With Lucil's help, he managed to create a calm environment in the Monastery, ensuring that anyone present would feel a sense of tranquility wash over them.
Since the goal was to make Oracle have some impact on the mind in the real world, Klaus made sure the Monastery reflected that.
Long story short, Klaus had created one of the best spaces in Oracle, and he intended to share it with the rest of the world.
A while later, after Klaus and his family had settled down, Lucil came to have a chat, but she didn't come alone; she brought another lady who, from a single glance, one could tell was Klaus's die-hard fan.
"Klaus, this is Olive. She helped me with the projects you gave me," Lucil said with a smile, introducing the petite lady.
"Nice to meet you, Olive," Klaus responded with a polite smile.
"I have to say, I like how you're wearing those jackets." Ever the extrovert, he decided to strike up a conversation.
"I bought it from Nucci Fashion Trend X," Olive said with a shy smile. What Klaus didn't know was that while he was out there fighting physical battles, Lucil and the Knights of House Klaus were fighting his online battles.
Lucil formed that group, making her their commander, and Olive was the second in command. She also worked with Lucil, so when she heard all about the amazing time Lucil had with Klaus the last time they worked together, she also wanted to meet him.
"Well, it looks good on you," Klaus replied.
"Thank you," Olive nodded like an obedient child who had just been awarded candy.
"Let's go so we can show you what we have accomplished," Lucil said, leading Klaus and Olive away. Klaus had given her some ideas and designs to bring to life in Oracle for him.
He needed some arenas and trials built for a project he had in mind, so while he knew he would be busy, he entrusted it to the next able person to help. Of course, Lucil was more than happy to assist.
Klaus spent the next few hours with Lucil and Olive, reviewing and making modifications. A while later, as sunset approached, he left for the roof to watch the sunset as he had with Queenie the last time he was there.
Shortly after, his mother, Miriam, Hanna, and his friends, who had arrived just an hour before, appeared on the roof.
An hour ago when they arrived in Stone Valley, Klaus had been busy with Lucil and Olive, so they didn't want to disturb him.
"You guys have become stronger," Klaus said as soon as they arrived on the roof.
"Compared to you, I think we are lacking," Mark replied with a smile.
"True," Klaus responded with a smile. "That won't be for long though," he added.
"Oh, do you have something in mind?" Anna, who was more than happy to come out of seclusion to spend some time with Klaus, asked.
"I do, in fact, have something in mind, but you'll all have to wait until after the Genius gathering at Senji Valley," Klaus said.
"Why not skip that gathering and get down to business fast?" Daniel, ever eager for action, suggested.
"Trust me, you might want to spend the next two weeks well because the three weeks before the Union Trial will be hell for all of you," Klaus said with a smile.
However, perhaps because of the bloodlust he was trying to suppress, that smile appeared more sinister, sending chills down the spines of his friends.
"Klaus, stop scaring your friends," Klaus's mom said, wrapping her arms around Anna and Lily, who looked visibly shaken. Hanna seemed okay for some reason.
"Sorry about that, but I do mean what I said. Prepare mentally because you're going to need it."
Klaus refrained from any intimate actions with Miriam over the past few days. While the senior had said he shouldn't hold any weapons until his bloodlust calmed down so he could awaken the Asura Aura, he knew that engaging in anything sexual would awaken primal desires he didn't want to put his women through.
They weren't things he could just use to calm down, so despite Miriam's willingness to comfort him every night, Klaus preferred a good night's sleep in each other's arms. He might be struggling now, but that didn't mean he had to put her through anything immoral.
"Miriam, you are included, so you can go with us to the Genius gathering or spend as much time as you can with Mom, because trust me, Sovereign or not, I am going to break you."
Although he couldn't wield weapons, it didn't mean he couldn't train others. With Lucil and Olives help, he had created many training spaces in Oracle that he believed would help him have some entertaining days before the Union Trial.
By then, he knew he would be able to calm down enough to awaken the aura. After all, he had already gone through it before, so he had prior knowledge of the process.
After scaring his friends for a while, he decided to ask how their training had gone. From what they said, it seemed that during their journeys through the Forbidden Zones, they had encountered a few Tier 7 Tyrants, which they were able to take down using teamwork.
Klaus was impressed, but he knew they could do better. Since they were going to be his friends for life, they should meet the standards suitable for walking beside a paragon.
'I guess Yuying was right; I do hate weak people... but I hate weak, arrogant people more,' he thought inwardly.
'Yuying, I hope we meet again soon,' he sighed.
The next day, guests started arriving for the event of the century.