Undead Beast Master: Living Solely for My Desires

Soon Zaroth, Vera, and Ari found themselves in a room led to them by the elven leaders.

"I can't believe this is happening," the elf muttered, gaze locked on the floor. She was feeling so many emotions: frustration, shame and more.

"Stop overeating," Zaroth said, lying down, ready to sleep; there was no point in trying to learn anything when they were all exhausted.

"What do you mean overeating?!" Ari snapped, "Do you even understand what you have done? You spoke to the leaders of the Inner Circle like equals, worse—you insulted them and even dared to try to kill one of them!"

Zaroth scoffed, "And yet I am alive and even got all I wished for," he simply stated the truth.

The brown elf felt her whole body tremble with rage, but at the end of the day, she had to admit he had a point, which led her to remain silent.

"That surprised even me, to be honest," Vera admitted, staring at her staff.

With an arched eyebrow, the Beast Master asked, "What do you mean something you didn't expect has happened?"

"No, it's that it happened too fast," she replied.

Too tired to care anymore, Zaroth shook his head. "Then it was simply meant to be."

Before drifting off to sleep, he made Eldros come out of his shadow. The Unholy Judger complied, sitting cross-legged.

A chill went down Ari's spine, "I know that he is strong and your friend, but do you have to keep him out?" she asked.

Zaroth didn't pay her much mind, "I have no trust in those elves. If they want to get to us while we sleep, they would have to do so without alerting him, which would be very hard even for them."

He paused for a moment, "And if you don't like it, you can leave; strictly speaking, your role as a guide is over."

Ari bowed, "I am sorry, please don't kick me out. I don't want to miss the opportunity to be taught by the leader of the Inner Circle!"

Zaroth chuckled, not saying anything else.

"Still, one thing doesn't make sense," Vera muttered. "If they want to free their leader, then what were those containment runes scattered around the villages for?"

"Shut up and go to sleep. Worrying about every single thing would drive you insane… I mean, more insane than you are now," the beast master commanded.

With a sigh, Vera obeyed, lying down on her own bed. Ari followed suit.

The night arrived.

"Again," Zaroth groaned, finding himself in the weird lucid dream before the cloud with white and black colors.

"Hey," he spoke up, "are you the elves' leaders—the ones some want freed while others want killed?"

The cloud shifted for a moment, then came the same distant voice, "Learn… run… doomed… hope."

The Beast Master clicked his tongue. "Not only are you useless, but because of you, I can't even have normal dreams."

Having nothing more to do, he lay on the ground, eyes fixed on the sky, staring at the countless runes of energy that moved without any sense of logic.

After what felt like hours of trying to study the unknown, he finally woke up. Looking around, he was surprised to see that they hadn't been attacked in their sleep.

"Well, it seems that the elves are not that dumb at least," he muttered, getting up and patting Eldros on the shoulder.

"Thanks, now go and rest as well."

The headless undead moved its body toward its master, as if looking at him.

"You got it," he would have said had his head still been attached to his neck.

Now with Eldros back in his master's shadow, Zaroth turned to the sleeping elf.

The worries that bothered her yesterday were nowhere to be found now; a trail of saliva dripped from her mouth as she slept without a single care in the world.

A flicker of anger passed over the beast master's face, "So yesterday you didn't shut up about how worried you were only to now sleep like you don't care about it all?" he muttered.

He considered waking her with his skill howl to give her a scare for the morning but ultimately set the idea aside.

Vera was also sleeping in the room, and unlike the elf, he wasn't planning to wake her up with a scare.

After gently waking the Oracle and the brown elf—not so gently—they exited the room, ready to learn how this so-called will of the world worked.

Zaroth's enthusiasm, however, was short lived; his eyes landed on their so-called teacher.

"Did it really have to be her?" he mumbled, massaging the bridge of his nose. There were seven elven leaders, really anyone would have been a better choice! Even the one that had tried to kill him!

The naked elf smiled in amusement, "Oh dear, do you not like my company?"

"Yes, I in fact do not," Zaroth stated.

"What a shame," the elf spoke, putting a hand over her head, raising her chest higher as if trying to tease him.

"Didn't you feel when I got rid of the curse for you? Out of everyone, I know best how the will of the world works. If you humans—creatures that are never meant to wield such power—really want to learn it, I am your best bet."

Not convinced by her acting skills, he threw a glance at Vera; she simply nodded in response. What the seductive elf was saying was most likely the truth.

"Okay, I get it," Zaroth spoke, eyes drifting down to her naked body. "But at least have the dignity to put on some clothes."

"Why?" she grinned, "Can't control?"

Not willing to give her the answer she expected, he just stared at her coldly.

"Sad for you then," she shook her head, "This is just the way I am. There is no way you are making me put on clothes."

For a moment, Zaroth regretted not taming an ice beast; he could have lowered the room's temperature enough to force her to put on some clothes, but unfortunately, that option wasn't available to him at the moment.

'In the future,' he noted, considering which beast he could tame next.

Following the elf's advice, Zaroth and Vera sat cross-legged with their backs straight.

"You are an elf, meaning you have the power available," the seduce elf spoke to Ari, "so for now, just watch what I do and try to get a better understanding of it."

Ari nodded, eyes open wide, unwilling to miss even the smallest details.

Positioning herself behind the Oracle and the Beast Master, she put one hand over each of their shoulders.

"I will pour some power into you now," she explained, "focus on its presence and try to remember how it moves inside your body."

Faint, but now familiar power entered Zaroth's body, flowing from his shoulder to his chest, torso, and then into his limbs.

It felt strangely like mana, but different. Unlike mana, which condensed into a mana core, this power flowed wildly through his entire body, without direction or purpose.

'It's like the lines in the sky during my dreams,' Zaroth realized, focusing more intently on the power.

Once his whole body was covered in a coat of the elf's essence, the power began to enter deeper.

Between the tendons of his muscle, entering his very veins as if becoming more familiar with his body.

It sent a tickling sensation through him, not unpleasant, not pleasant, it just was.

After a few minutes, the seductive elf lifted her arm. As if on cue, the fiery power in Zaroth's body vanished instantly.

"How do you feel?" the elf asked.

The Beast Master clenched his fists several times, making sure he still had control. "Fine," he said flatly.

"And you?" she asked Vera.

"Normal."

With a nod, the elf placed her hands on the two humans again. "Good. We'll keep going until the Will of the World settles in your bodies—or until you're too tired."

Seconds stretched into minutes, then hours.

Zaroth's clothes had become damp with sweat; his hair clung to his body stiffly, dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for more than a week.

"I think that's enough for today," the elf sighed, withdrawing her hands.

Zaroth studied the elf leader. She didn't look any better, breathing ragged as her chest rose and fell.

'So they too have limits to how much they can use this so-called Will of the World, like mana. Good to know they're not without limits,' he thought, glancing at Vera.

Her mask hid her expression but by her breathing, it was clear she didn't have it easy either.

"That is for today, I suggest you go and sleep to rest your bodies," the naked elf advised, leaving them to their own devices.

Going back to their room, Zaroth and Vera exchanged a few thoughts about how this power worked, while Ari had her eyes closed deep in thought. Seeing the way the teacher elf was able to use the Will of the World must have inspired her.

With the day over, they all went to sleep, and Zaroth soon found himself back in the strange lucid dream.

With nothing else to do, his gaze moved upward once more, staring to pass time, until revelation hit him.

"Is it just me… or are these lines starting to make sense?"