The One Luna

Inside Angry Bakunawa's inner world.

Luna, Sura, Maxene, and Elder Aran were currently seated as they headed to the island of Siquijor.

"Elder, the magic defense and physical defense Agimat. They can be worn as well, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, of course." Elder Aran replied.

"Do they come in the form of heavy armor and like a robe, per se?" Luna was speaking from his MMORPG experience and to him, if this was the case, it would make sense.

"Not quite. They don't really come in the form of traditional armor. They're like.. how do I put this." Elder Aran took a second to think of the best way to describe it. "They sort of act as an additional layer. For example, Lord Luna, in your Draconic armor's full form, they could add an additional layer on top of that. It may be thin, but it provides the protection you would expect from it. It works like that for both of them. One additional detail, and this is the one reason why a nation's leader would choose to equip the magic defense Agimat, is that it has the added effect of soul protection."

Luna looked towards Sura. He was aware that she had a skill that could rattle the soul, and in cases where someone had a weak or exposed soul, she could actually eliminate them on the spot.

"Soul attacks seem to be incredibly hard to defend against, why isn't it higher on the tier list?" Luna inquired.

"That's because there aren't many who can utilize soul attacks. Those that dabble in it aren't proficient enough to actually use it in battle." Sura answered his question.

"Don't the Asura know how to?" Luna was quite confused.

"Not really, no. That's one of the reasons why the other tribes try to bully mine. On our home planet, there are many dangerous areas that even our strongest warriors could possibly die. One of the tribes that wanted me to marry their leader's son, said that they would stop pressuring us if I entered one of those places for a week and came out alive."

Luna smiled. Evidently, from Sura's story, she survived. "And you did."

"Mn. Their leader meant it as a joke. Basically saying 'you might as well marry my son, or die.'"

"Haha! That's my Sura." Who wouldn't be proud to have such a badass wife? But his next statement still expressed his care for her. "But it must have been hard. For an area deemed as dangerous by the Asura. I can't even begin to imagine what you must have went through."

"Indeed. That place, we didn't really know what it was originally called, but we gave it a proper name." breathing deeply, she continued. "The Torture Chamber."

Elder Aran scratched his head. "Aptly named indeed, it seems."

"It got it's name because every person that ventured in there, could only be heard screaming until they eventually just stop. When they're ejected from that area, their body is deathly pale. No signs of magic or physical damage. Their eyes would also be wide open, and blood red. A sign of their struggle."

"And no one knows why they died?" Luna asked.

"Not until me, that is. The place is not meant for torture. It's meant as a training ground for the soul that rewards the ones who pass it's tests. The more you pass the more rewards you get. Most people train purely in magic or purely body enhancement. Infinitely rare cases are the ones who not only train on both, a lot of people attempt that to some degree, but would never achieve much in both, thus wasting their whole life and potential. The scary ones are the ones that train and are way beyond average on both, reaching high levels. Those are the true monsters."

"I see your point. After knowing that, who would actually have the time to train soul techniques? It just wouldn't make much sense. Mastering the various Anito and Elements means that you have a high offensive advantage and high magic defense, especially when you outclass your opponent by a lot. Mastering body enhancement techniques, means that you have overwhelmingly strong physical power, and overall physical and magical defense. The soul however." Luna tried to ponder as much as he could to try and find more pros for it, but to no avail.

Sura continued his line of thought. "Not only are there very little to no techniques available for it, what does training soul techniques actually do for you? Yes, it's an unexpected attack that not many can defend against, and it does strengthen the blow physically to a degree, but body enhancement can do that as well. Like my skill that I named Asura's Wrath, you must have confused it as a staple skill for our race, but that's just the name I gave the skill I learned from that place." Sura shared her opinion.

Luna was in deep thought. He was sure there was more to it than that. Besides Sura's soul-attack skill, there was another one!

"The soul bind!" Luna suddenly said.

"Ah! Yes, that. Unfortunately that's something that the Gods did, none of us really know how to do it." Sura replied.

"No, no. We don't really need to know how it works right off the bat. We just need to learn how it affects us to learn what it's capable of." Luna suggested.

Elder Aran was intrigued by this. Elves would usually prefer to focus on their magic, because it's what they're good at. He never even thought about it.

Maxene suddenly spoke up. "The soul, father? Oh like how we're bound as a family, right? I have some knowledge about it."

Shock was plastered all over their faces. That's right, besides Luna's Draconic armor, which originated from a True Dragon from the legends, Maxene was absolutely the most mysterious one here.

The Daughter of the Earth! Technically she's lived longer than all of them. Just that majority of her life was spent on absorbing energy provided by the planet. Who is to say that she doesn't have knowledge about ancient secrets? Earth used to be a battleground in ancient times as well, right?

"Mn! I don't quite know much about it, but the person who created the Earth made sure to leave me with some knowledge that gradually comes to me as I grow stronger." Maxene said. With her personality, she wouldn't care much for ancient knowledge, she just wanted to have fun. But seeing as what she knows will help her Father and Mother, she jumped at the opportunity.

"Max, would you mind telling us what you know?" Luna patted her on the head, to which she smiled to the point where her eyes were closed, she looked like a happy cat.

"Of course, father! Ahem!" She pretended as if she was a teacher that about to lecture her whole class. "Alright! Listen up, bitches!"

"Maxene Alexandria!" Luna and Sura both said in unison.

"Yes?"

Sura spoke first. "Even I know that, that is derogatory language. Who taught you that?"

Despite his initial surprise, Luna already knew where she got it from. Facepalming, he said "Boni. It's got to be Boni." even the intonation was a carbon copy of how Boni would say it.

"Mhm! Uncle Boni took down several mutant beasts one time, and he suck 'Suck it, bitches!' as he stood tall and pointed at them. I thought it was pretty cool." Maxene explained.

"Hahaha! It's warms the heart quite well, to see a family act normally in times like these." Elder Aran said. He was right. In a world where killing was a constant and accepted thing, essentially the end of the world. A mother and a father still trying to be good parents in such a natural fashion, could only bode well. Although "normal" was subjective, since not all families usually discussed soul techniques.

"Elder Aran has a point. Sigh. It is what it is." Realizing that it was indeed quite ridiculous to reprimand their daughter for cursing in a world where she would be killing other people eventually, Luna could only let it go.

"Hehe!" Maxene was grinning from ear to ear. Any child would feel smug about being victorious over their parents.

"Ah, right! The benefits of the soul. It's actually incredibly simple, although it does seem that nobody has any way of proving it, which explains your confusion earlier. The soul's strength, not the techniques, but the soul itself, when strengthened, improves your overall potential and the strength of your soul-type techniques. Not counting treasures, of course, like Father's Draconic armor. Father, you might not notice it, but that armor has been gradually strengthening your soul."

"This.. How come I can't feel it?" Luna wondered.

"I didn't feel it either, but now that you mention it." Even Sura was surprised.

"Mn! From what I know, the last remaining True Dragon was the mount of the person who made Earth."

"You mean the God whose voice spoke to us?" Luna asked.

"No, I don't have all the details. At least not yet, but I know for a fact that person was way stronger than the Gods you all know of." Maxene's voice had a hint of reverence in it.

A being that far surpassed the Gods? Someone strong enough to have a True Dragon as a mount? While they didn't know just how strong a True Dragon was, but the name alone suggests it's supremacy. This being, created the Earth? Then why were the humans of Earth so weak? Why weren't they the strongest race? So many questions that didn't have any answers to them yet.

"If this armor that bring so many benefits and came from a True Dragon, then why don't the Gods use it themselves?" Luna was confused. This armor seemed to have so much potential. They surely would have some use for it, right?

"That's because the armor is in it's infancy stage. When it died, the creator, whom they called 'Mother,' had no way to revive someone as strong as that Dragon. The only person that could equip it, is someone who was still considered weak. If the Gods equipped it, their energy would kill it. If someone much stronger than you when you first got it, father, and equipped it, it would be a waste. What it needs is someone to grow with, and father was the perfect candidate. It can't overwhelm your soul either, so that's why it's been strengthening it very slowly."

"This all seems so catered. So thought out." Sura said. The being stronger than all the Gods was news to her as well.

"I only have blurry memories about that, but it seems that the Earth is destined for something called a 'last phase.' whatever that means. Apparently I'm supposed to play a big role! That's why I was born here! Making me extra special!" Maxene proudly said as she grinned.

"That you are, Max." Luna smiled, hugging her.

Despite Maxene's enthusiastic tone. Luna had a worried look in his eyes as he made eye contact with Sura and Elder Aran who wore the same expression.

A few minutes later, they finally landed in Siquijor, where Hana and Mabini, along with their troops were currently gathered.

"We'll discuss this at length later." Luna said. Sura and Elder Aran nodded in agreement.

One thing was for sure: They had to grow stronger!

There were so many unknown factors in this world, including all the evolving creatures. Especially the creatures from the void. He refused to believe that these things just mindlessly came here. There had to have been a hand guiding them, and whoever that was, they were at the very least on par with all the Gods combined. The fact that they can afford to invade so many worlds only speaks to their power.

What a scary thought indeed.