Critical: Ages Below Critical - Chapter 10.2

Chapter 10: Soul-eating Beasts (Part 2)



Lu Jue gazes into the direction that Qi La has disappeared. He is unable to sense much. He ponders for a moment before deciding to retreat to the boat to await Qi La’s return. Only when he turns around does he discover that a dark shadow has been stationed unmovingly behind him for a prolonged period of time.

A layer of sweat rises to the surface of Lu Jue’s palm.

To be in such close proximity to him and not be detected, this means that his ability to hide away his soul powers is strong enough o hide away all traces of him. If he ever decides to assassinate someone……

“Yo, hello.” The tall and broad-chested man greets him with a low and attractive voice. “Do you still remember me? Five years ago, in the forest of the north, we were fighting over Tong Que.” A dangerous teasing glint is seen in the smile in his eyes.

Lu Jue’s pupils tighten instantly. He looks at the tall man before him. His body is lean and tight, his dark robes hugging his powerful physique closely. His face is like the silhouette of a dim valley, yet when he smiles, the dismissiveness at the corner of his lips is identical to the boy from five years ago.

“Why are you here?” Lu Jue scans the area.

“Oh, me? I’m here to kill two people.” The smile lingering on Nether’s face is still dangerous. He sounds as if he doesn’t realize how uncomfortable his words are, stating them calmly as if discussing the weather.

As if a thought suddenly strikes him, light glares from Lu Jue’s irises. He looks at Nether silently.

“You should know these two. They’re both Qi La’s disciples as well.” Nether continues. After saying that, his gaze towards Lu Jue is challenging, as if admiring a trapped beast with its spikes rising slowly on its back.

“Why is it that I do not know of such an important thing?” Qi La stares at Thalia. He finds it hard to believe that the young girl he had met five years ago and regarded as monstrous is now a noble lord of the Aslan Empire.

“You know, you’re already so old, why are you so dramatic.” Thalia approaches Qi La slowly, looking like a thundercloud is shrouding her body. “Didn’t I come all the way just to tell you this?”

“I should hear something like this from the mouths of the Silver Priests directly.” Qi La’s glare is firm. In his eyes, the words “you are not worthy” is painted obviously.

“Hehe~ ai yah~ Qi La, why are you still putting up that pretense? You’re no longer the Top Lord, let’s put the laughable pride aside. You have to remember that I am the Forth Lord, just one rank below you. Nether is now the Second Lord, so by right, when you see him, you should be showing him some respect. So, you……” Thalia’s eyes are as clear and beautiful as cherry blossoms beside a spring, “Should find closure.”

“No. I will ask the Silver Priests personally.” Qi La turns to leave, ignoring Thalia completely.

Thalia clenches her teeth before chasing after him.



Along the vast coast of rocks, only Nether’s lean and powerful shadow can be seen perched high on a rock. The wind blows his robes open, revealing most of his bare body in the sea wind. His manly scent and masculine power shrouds his surrounding air.

Qi La scans the area. When he fails to spot Lu Jue, he closes his eyes gently to sense the surroundings, yet he still feels nothing.

“Where is Lu Jue?” Qi La asks Nether coldly.

“Didn’t see him, I’m just here waiting for Thalia. Yo~ she’s here.” Nether glances behind Qi La. Thalia’s light paces make her resemble a black flower being carried over by the wind.

“If you dare touch Lu Jue, you will wish you were dead instead of alive.” Qi La looks at Nether’s perverse expression as he speaks with a voice as cold like he is form the depths of hell.

“I won’t dare. He’s your disciple, isn’t he, master Qi La?” Nether lets out a bark of laughter, “Oh no, I shouldn’t call you mater now. You’re the third, no? I completely forgot that I’m already the Second Lord now.”

Anger of being ridiculed is blatantly expressed on Qi La’s face, yet he suppresses his anger and does nothing.

“The only person I touched was Zang He. Then again, he’s much too weak. Didn’t even know I was near. Was still sleeping so I had to wake him before I killed him. I mean, he was the Disciple of Earth, I didn’t think he’d be that weak……”

Nether’s words cut of abruptly. An icicle releasing cold mist is clutched in Qi La’s hand and held against Nether’s throat.

Thalia’s pupils tremble. She hasn’t seen Qi La move. Just what kind of speed was that…..must too fast……

There is not a hint of fear as Nether gazes at Qi La. He even goes as far as to push Qi La’s icicle higher up onto his neck. A drop of blood rolls down along his neck and onto his toned chest. “If you have it in you, then kill me. All I’m doing is carrying out the mission the Silver Preists tasked me. If you kill me, it equates to rebelling against the entire Aslan Empire, so try……being hunted down by that new monster, how it’d feel to be chased by Gilgamesh. I assure you that it won’t feel good. Hahaha……” Nether’s adam’s apple shakes as he lets out a haunting string of laughter.

Qi La clenches his teeth as his hands shake. Finally, he tosses the icicle into the ocean.

Thalia lets out a silent sigh of relief. She opens her misty eyes and senses the soul powers surrounding her. She gradually senses a secret, and this secret causes he to pale slowly.

Qi La moves before a large rock. As he raises his hand, a thin but sharp wall of ice rises suddenly from the surface of the ocean beneath the rock, cutting the rock into half easily. One half of it splashes loudly into the ocean, leaving the other half perched on the coast like a smooth stretch of wall. He moves over and rests his hand against the wall. After a few strands of his golden soul powers intermingle with the surface of the rock, the smooth surface of the rock wall is now a chess piece.

“This chess piece returns to the imperial capital Gelanerte. I am going back to ask the Silver Priests personally. If any of you happens to chance upon Lu Jue, tell him to go back to the imperial capital to find me.”

“Will you mind if we use your chess piece too? We’re going back as well, and this place is really so far from the imperial capital……” Thalia says delicately as she appears behind Qi La.

Qi La scoffs before disappearing in front of the rock wall.



Occasionally, sorrowful calls of the sea gulls echo in the vast empty space between the heavens and earth. The storm clouds roll in. It looks as if it will rain soon.

After Qi La vanishes, Thalia falls to the ground, looking worn out if she just healed from a heavy sickness. Nether frowns before moving towards her and leaning down, “What’s with you?”

Thalia raises her head to look at Nether’s uninhibitedly handsome face. She raises a hand lightly and places her thin fingers on Nether’s exposed chest. Staring at him, her eyes sparkling, her fingernails pierce slowly into Nether’s muscles.

Nether does not resist. Instead, an expression of pain and pleasure washes over his face. The peculiar smile hanging on his lips seem to signal him enjoying this pain.

Thalia clenches her teeth as her sharp nails slice open his flesh slowly, enunciating clearly, she asks: “Why did you kill Lu Jue?”

“He wanted it. He attacked me.” Nether shrugs, his expression akin to a playful boy. Dipping a finger into the fresh blood that is rolling down his chest, he dabs it gently onto Thalia’s tender lips. At this moment, her lips resemble the petals of the most fiery rose.

“The Silver Priests only ordered us to kill the Earth and Sea disciple. Taking it upon yourself and doing that, if you’re found out……”

“And why would anyone know?” Nether rubs Thalia’s neck gently, feeling her the blood pulsating through the blood vessels on her neck. Vigorous desire is apparent in his eyes.

“Do you want to shut me up by killing me too?” Thalia asks Nether coldly.

“Why would I do that……” Nether leans down and holds his sexy lips near Thalia’s ear, his mesmerizing low voice whispers, “Back when we faced that bunch of monsters; we were the only two left. I won’t ever be able to bear killing you.”

Thalia pushes Nether away as she approaches the ocean slowly. Squatting, she dips her fingers into the sea water, pressing them shallowly into the soil. The stain of Nether’s blood mixes with the sea water and turns into strand after strand of red threads, “You threw him into the ocean?”

“I didn’t throw him; he was pushed out by my soul powers and fell into the ocean.” Nether leans uncaringly against a rock, his movement is graceful. His limbs are extremely long, making him look like a pampered child gifted by the heavens.

Thalia closes her eyes slowly. With a ring in the air, a large lighted array appears beneath her fingers. A large ripple of light extends towards the distant surface of the ocean. A faint golden gleam can be seen in the entire stretch of waters before them.”

“You can form an array over such a large area?” Nether’s voice tenses as he stares at Thalia near the ocean. He has always been clear of the intricate way Thalia can sense and employ the use of soul powers, yet he never expected her to be able to control such a large area.

“Can’t find him. It’s been so long, I guess he’s dead for sure.” Seeing that Thalia has ignored him completely, he adds in.

Just as he finishes his sentence, he sees Thalia stand. A sudden strong gush of wind blows from the surface of the ocean inland, picking up her dress and making them resemble the storm clouds in the sky. A thunderstorm begins as large droplets of rain crashes down.

The raindrops cause dense ripples on the surface of the surging waves. Thalia lifts her chin slowly as white mist boils through her pupils. Even sizzling sounds can be heard like the hissing of a white snake. After a moment, a gap opens up along the surface of the ocean. The seawater pushes towards the sides, as if a large dragon is about to rise from the depths of the ocean.

After a dull rumble like that of thunder, a large stream of water rolls forth from the distant surface of the ocean. After the white foam from the explosive wave retreats, Lu Jue’s pale body lies lifelessly on the rocks along the coast.

Thalia reaches out and caresses his back. After being silent for a moment, she turns towards Nether slowly. The dank white mist in her eyes has scattered. “You destroyed his lord’s seal?”

Nether holds Thalia’s gaze and says nothing, only maintaining his teasing and evil smile. His eyes are bright.

“Carry him for me.” Thalia instructs.

“Why carry a corpse?”

“He’s not dead yet.” Thalia glances at Lu Jue’s handsome features, “But if we don’t’ save him now, then he will be dead.”

“Why must we save him?”

“The Silver Priests only tasked us to kill the other two disciples. Lu Jue is not within the list. You do know the severe consequences of killing a disciple or lord without instructions?”

“As long as we don’t tell, who’d know that we killed him? Toss his corpse into the ocean and let the fish have him.” Nether shrugs, unbothered.

“Have you forgotten,” Thalia moves before Nether and stares deeply into his eyes, “how horrifying Qi La can be? Even if our soul powers are much more advance than five years ago, but are you confident of defeating Qi La?”

Nether stays silent. His expression is unreadable. After a while, he answers in a low tone: “Even if that’s the case, Lu Jue cannot be saved. He’s too heavily injured.”

“Maybe if we are somewhere else, he can’t be saved. But here,” Thalia smirks, “Don’t forget who else is on this island.”

Like an upturned river in the sky, the rainwater drenches Nether and Thalia, causing their robes to cling to their bodies. In between the emptiness of the sea and heaven, they resemble black ghouls – sexy, alluring, evil spirits. Their faces are fatally attractive; their bodies strong yet graceful. Their souls will always remain a heavily guarded secret.

Lu Jue is like a rock beside their feet, being pushed constantly by the surging waves. Sand is stuck to his face. The rain waters his handsome features; his hair like seaweed scattered in the water.