"I was right, dumbass!" Raven said smugly. No one knew how the bird was able to cross his arms... Wings, but somehow it was possible.
"My bad, man." Caster sighed, feeling dejected.
Amon was not paying attention to them and instead was staring at the scarecrows, or rather at what remained of them after people escaped. By the looks of it, the scarecrow wasn't creating clones and was instead possessing the creature's body.
It was a useful ability. Not to mention it was able to hide its presence. Luckily, Raven found out about it and prevented a catastrophe.
Amon did not know whether to laugh or cry at such stupidity. To think that what prevented the death of hundreds was a bird finding his nemesis. While Raven could eventually figure it out, it was not something he could do instantly. Only after observing it for some time did he realize that the scarecrow was a nightmare creature. That meant Raven had a problem with the scarecrow whether it was living or not.
This is ridiculous... Amon smiled in a self-deprecating manner and checked his runes.
Memories: [Chameleon's Cloak], [Jar of a Hundred Poisons], [Hidden Blades], [Hawk's Eye], [Hearth], [Fraud's Bag], [Midnight Shard], [Moonlight Shard], [Spectral Mirror], [Horizon's Edge], [Endless Spring], [Hand of Flame], [Little Helper], [Campfire], [Messenger's Wings], [Lightning Fang], [Dripping Malice], [Centurion's Pride], [Winter's Embrace], [Seed Of Avian's Nemesis].
Memory: [Seed Of Avian's Nemesis]
Memory Type: [Tool]
Rank: [Awakened]
Tier: [VII]
Memory Description: [If the butterfly wings its way to the sweet light that attracts it, it is only because it does not know that the fire can consume it. In the same way, the cursed heralds of the loathsome spire would descend upon the beautiful fields, not knowing what was hiding inside.]
Hmm... So that meant this thing was the mortal enemy of spire messengers? That was intriguing. By the looks of it, it had killed a lot of messengers as well, and it liked to rest in forests and fields. The spell did not tell him everything about it, but he understood that it was specifically created to kill spire messengers, meaning the scarecrow was the counter of flying type beasts.
Amon thought, his expression growing more curious. He remembered how Raven wasn't able to fly when the scarecrow caught him. Normally he should have been able to do so since the scarecrow didn't weigh much, but he was unable to fly, meaning it had the ability to cripple winged creatures.
Besides that, Raven was extremely agitated and nervous when fighting it, and its ability to possess living beings was also impressive. All this information told Amon that despite the fact that the scarecrow was only an Awakened Titan, it was stronger than normal ones. And when facing avian creatures, it was even more formidable, like a honey badger facing a snake. Usually the most poisonous snake's venom can kill any mammal, but when it comes to a honey badger, they just shrug it off, devour the snake and then fall asleep. After waking up, the venom is neutralised.
In the same way, the scarecrow was the perfect hunter of flying type beasts. It only lost against Raven because he was able to shift into different forms to counter the scarecrow.
After analysing all of this, Amon sighed, finally focusing his attention on enchantments.
Enchantment: [Seed Of Fear]
Only a single enchantment? Amon was surprised and a bit disappointed, but he quickly composed himself. It was a memory of Tier VII, meaning all the cores were focused on fueling that singular enchantment.
Enchantment Description: [Plant Seed Of Fear and let abominable beasts taste terror again.]
I see... I understand how it is now. Amon's mouth curled up, revealing a satisfied smile.
"Let's go, guys. I want to test something." He said to his subordinates, glancing at the forest. But then he shook his head, turning around and walking toward the fields.
The forest was a good choice to plant the seed as well, but he decided against it. The forest was already dense and intimidating. The deeper one walked inside, the greater the size of the trees became. Not to mention all kinds of plants were growing there. An artificial river that they created was splitting apart inside the forest and then merging once again after exiting it.
It was a beautiful place, really, but kind of useless compared to the fields that were giving them food. If nightmare creatures somehow entered the city, it was best to protect the fields first. No food meant no life.
That was why he decided to plant the seed of fear in the fields.
Raising his arm, he blocked the light of the artificial sun, remaining motionless for a moment, then he let out a soft sigh and started digging the ground.
"Oi, what are you doing, twink?" Raven asked harshly, his voice filled with suspicion.
"Hmm... guess." Amon smiled cheekily as he put the seed in the hole and then covered it with dirt.
[Do you wish to plant Seed Of Fear?]
Amon heard the Spell's voice in his mind but he wasn't the only one who heard it. As his spiritual bond, there was a special mystical connection established between the two of them.
Raven and Amon could do a lot of things. For example, like Nephis and Sunny, they could augment each other. The difference was that the shadow bond was slavery while the spirit bond was partnership. But there was so much more they could do because their fates were intertwined. They could communicate telepathically from a distance, but there was a limitation of 50 kilometres, they could feel each other's emotions, they could transfer essence as well if one of them needed it, and when they grew stronger, maybe they could do even more.
Raven, for example, was able to create an illusion so realistic that it even fooled Caster's parents back then. Not to mention Amon was amplifying the effects of the illusion with Deceit, so it became even more powerful.
But none of that was important right now. What mattered was the fact that Raven could hear the Spell's voice as well. Which meant...
"Don't you dare, you fucking femboy. Don't-"
"Yes." Amon replied to the Spell while Raven's eyes widened in horror.
[Your Memory is destroyed.]
"Nooooooo!" Raven screamed as the memory was destroyed and a small, toy-sized scarecrow popped out of the ground.
Raven stared at it with a look of pure hatred, then glanced at Amon.
Feeling a bit awkward, Amon shrugged as if it was nothing, but in the next moment Raven descended upon him, pecking his head furiously.
"You damned worm! Why would you do that!? Why!" he screeched in anger.
Amon's smile twitched and then disappeared, replaced by an irritated look as he defended himself, then grabbed Raven and hurled him away. "Shut the fuck up, will you?"
Sighing, he composed himself. What was his deal anyway? It was just a scarecrow... wait a second...
"Kiahh, not tentacles!" he blushed and yelled as Raven transformed into an octopus, tentacles reaching for Amon, wrapping around his leg and dragging him back toward him.
"Why are you kiahing, you dumb fuck!?"
"I'm embarrassed, dipshit!"
Amon crawled forward, his nails digging into the dirt, but Raven yanked him back, throwing him into the air and then catching him, trapping his body and then slapping him with tentacles.
"Dafuk! Let me go, you fucking chicken!" Amon yelled as his cheeks started reddening from being slapped so many times.
"You madafaka! I told you not to do it, why did you? Just why?!" Raven shouted in righteous indignation.
"It's just a scarecrow, you sonuvabitch!" Amon gritted his teeth in frustration, slipping out of the tentacles and throwing Midnight Shard at Raven, who created a clone and used it as a shield.
Before things could escalate any further, Aiko blushed, staring at them as Raven was on top of Amon, gripping his arms and legs with tentacles so he would not escape anymore.
"I... I did not know that you two were into this kind of thing." She said, flustered by the sight.
"Colour me surprised, huh? But eh, everyone has some fetishes so I can't really judge." Kido giggled, covering her mouth.
Raven transformed back into a bird, then glanced at Amon who looked at him as well, both frozen with a baffled look. Then they realised how they fought.
Awh hell nah! Both of them thought in horror, glancing at Harus with hopeful eyes who was staring at them expressionlessly. His face did not change, nor did he exclaim in surprise. Instead, he looked up at the sky with a lost look, muttering to himself. "Gay."
"Fuh no."
"It's just a misunderstanding. Im telling you!"
They tried to convince them that they were really fighting and not doing anything weird, that it was a normal fight, but alas, Kido twisted their words, saying back with a flustered look how shameful it was to normalise such an inappropriate thing.
At last, Raven gave up, looking down with his eyes filled with disappointment, shame and sadness. The wind howled, caressing his feathers as he inevitably looked up, glistening tears falling on the grass as he spoke with a hollow look. "You promised me that I would get bitches but you lied, then you revived my worst enemy and now I'm called gay. Who am I but a lil dihh with big dreams in a cruel world where twinks like you get hot chicks?"
Raven said in a disheartened tone, his voice filled with sorrow as he spread his wings and flew away.
"Raven, wait... I can explain!" Amon shouted, trying to reach him with his arm outstretched desperately, but alas, he was gone, only his tears falling from the sky remained as he flapped his wings.
Raven inevitably fell into the depth of abyss which was called... Depression.
...
Two days later, Gunlaug was sitting on the roof, staring at the school with a strange expression, or more accurately, at a specific classroom.
"Okay, class. Since we have a few unfamiliar faces, let's introduce each other." the teacher said with a tired look.
One by one, the students stood up, said their names, greeted the others, and sat back down.
Finally, it was time for the young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was around sixteen years old and was somewhat famous for being infected by a nightmare spell at the age of fifteen. Now he was Awakened, which made people respect his supposed courage. In reality, he was not courageous at all. He was a coward, and he could easily be called the most pathetic coward in history. Even his aspect reflected that cowardice. His name was also strange, which caused him additional distress.
Sighing in resignation, he stood up. The teacher nodded in approval and gestured for him to introduce himself. "What is your name?"
"Ah Chu."
"Bless you, young one." the teacher said with a warm smile. "Now, what is your name?"
"Ah Chu."
"Are you mocking me? I asked you what your name is." The teacher frowned, slightly disappointed by what he thought was disrespectful behavior.
The student looked down, on the verge of tears. "No, sir… Ah Chu is my name. That's what my dad named me before he disappeared to get the milk."
"Oh... I... I..." The teacher's eyes widened in disbelief and he fell silent, unable to process it at first. Then he looked down, his expression filled with sympathy and sorrow. "I'm... My condolences."
Gunlaug watched this in silence, then gulped down his beer and muttered, "Aye… Wait, did I name him that?" He did not really remember. When his son was born, he had been around the same age as him.
Frankly, Ah Chu was the product of an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and her student. As for where Gunlaug's teacher was now, he had no idea. She was most likely dead or had left the kid in an orphanage and continued her life.
His past wasn't anything special. He simply liked to think he had been really cool. That was it, he believed he had been a badass. Gunlaug frowned, feeling slightly awkward about his own thoughts, but then again… "Am I a badass? I am a badass. At least when I am drunk."
Still, the reason he was here and had never met his son was simple and painfully idiotic. He didn't know what to say.
Sighing, he stood up, jumped from the roof, landed on the asphalt with a yawn, and started walking back home. "Oh, I bet that on black, right?"
What Gunlaug didn't knew was that peculiar young man in suit and crystal monocle on his right eye was watching everything with a small smile.
...
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have decided to add another member to our clan." Amon announced, his smile courteous and bright as he looked at his clan members.
"Hmm? Another member? Cool, I guess…" Caster shrugged, barely paying attention as he focused on writing Error's holy bible.
"Boss, why are you adding another member?" Aiko asked. She was a little curious about the newcomer, but she did not understand why her boss would do that. She remembered him saying that he did not want the clan to become large.
"Now, now~ I am sure you, my lovely lady, are surprised by such an unexpected course of events, but I assure you that our newcomer is quite an amusing individual." He tapped his finger on the table, adjusted his monocle, and continued. "Not to mention, our cohort will remain exactly the same as it was. I, Gunlaug, Harus, Caster, Kai, and Kido. Despite being in the clan, you are not part of the cohort, Aiko. But you are still in the clan, of course. You simply take care of the finances. Our new member will have a similar role. He will not be part of the cohort, but he will belong to the clan."
"I see…" Aiko murmured, now understanding the situation. "So we will have more people, but the cohort only consists of the heavy hitters."
"Exactly. Please clap for our dearest lady, who took months to answer such a profoundly difficult question. I am sure her brain cells are astonished as of now." Amon said with a gentle smile.
Aiko blinked and opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. So, she just looked down, feeling dejected.
"And another announcement. Our clan will officially have a name. I have been thinking about it for some time, and I have come to the sudden realization that I didn't really care about it. So, from now on, we will be called Bug, simple as that." Amon spread his arms, trying to appear grand, but contrary to his expectations, his subordinates did not look very pleased.
"Is that it? A bug? Seriously?" Kido grimaced, not bothering to hide her dissatisfaction.
"I guess it is better than the previous one," Harus muttered, staring at Amon bleakly.
"Fine, fine, there is no need to be rude. As for… Guys, please awaken Mr. Gunlaug from his precious slumber." Amon sighed with a resigned look. Then he clasped his hands and gestured toward the door.
"As I was saying, this is our newest member. Please welcome him warmly."
A slender young man with blonde hair and blue eyes opened the door and peeked inside awkwardly before stepping in. For a moment he felt overwhelmed by Amon's bright smile and the confused stares of the powerful individuals gathered in the room. Then he cleared his throat and spoke politely. "Greetings…"
"What is his aspect?" Harus asked impatiently.
"Oh my, how tactless~" Amon gasped, covering his mouth with an exaggerated look of shock. Then he dropped the act and laughed, patting the young man on the shoulder. "His aspect abilities are quite fascinating. His Dormant ability is called 'Wah, I am dead!' and his Awakened ability is 'Ew, that's disgusting'. It is genuinely interesting. The Dormant ability essentially allows him to play dead so convincingly that no one pays attention to him. As for the Awakened ability, it makes him smell so disgusting while he is playing dead that no one will ever come near him."
"…"
Everyone remained silent, staring at the boy, who looked as if he wanted to bury his head in the ground from shame.
"There are really all kinds of aspects, huh?" Caster muttered, his expression complicated.
"I guess…" Harus nodded, unsure whether he should laugh at the poor boy or pity him for having such a ridiculous aspect.
At the same time, Aiko finally woke up Gunlaug, who opened his eyes with an annoyed look. But than, his annoyed expression instantly crumbled when he saw the boy standing in front of him. His eyes widened in shock and his body trembled.
"Ah Chu?"
"Bless you, my guy." Caster muttered absentmindedly.
"When did you catch a cold?" Harus yawned as he leaned forward, his already hunched back curling even more.
"No, you silly buffoons." Amon laughed and waved his hand, then gestured toward the boy. "It is his name. Ah Chu, this is your new clan. My dear friends, this is Ah Chu."
Amon smiled brightly, but his expression shifted as if he had forgotten something. Luckily, he recalled quickly and continued. "Oh, by the way… Gunlaug, this is your long-lost son. And Ah Chu, this is Gunlaug, your alcoholic and gambler father who recently lost his house and is currently homeless..."
Amon paused for a moment, letting the words settle, then added with a warm smile. "And Ah Chu, you are also the result of an inappropriate relationship between your daddy dearest and his teacher. A product of pedophilia, dare I say?"
Now that everyone knew each other, things would be much easier. I am so kind, I am actually taking care of my subordinates' problems. Not to mention, letting a son find his father. This moment is too emotional, ahhh… Huh?
"Wait, why are you crying?" Amon blinked, dumbfounded.
As for Ah Chu, tears were streaming down his face and his expression was filled with despair and sorrow.
Hmm… Ahh, tears of happiness... He is overwhelmed, that's understandable. Amon nodded to himself, satisfied with his work, and left the room.