65 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

### Chapter 65 **Heaven’s Mandate.** A lifespan decreed by the heavens, A command from the skies, Fate bestowed from above, A divine will that mere mortals cannot defy. This is the essence of Heaven's Mandate. Yuhwa, a messenger from the heavens, possesses the ability to read such mandates through her celestial sight. When she gazes intently with her divine power, she discerns the celestial decree over an individual. Whether it foretells their rise and fall… Or signals their impending demise… “It seems you’re fated to die soon.” Through Yuhwa’s celestial gaze, Karami was shrouded in black—a glow marking those soon to meet death. “Will my master die?” “Oh, hardly. It's just our elder showing signs of dementia, it seems.” “Dementia?” “It’s when one’s mind starts to flicker.” The scene depicted someone explaining the world to a child who had just begun to see it—a sight as heartwarming as a father and daughter bonding. Yet, ironically, it hastened Karami’s demise. “If you don't wish for death, cease meddling with the Nine-tale fox at once.” Embodying the natural flow of Heaven’s Mandate, the Nine-tale fox stands against it. As one entangles with a Nine-tale fox, fates become twisted, casting the world into chaos. Yuhwa’s prediction felt akin to a future set in stone. But Karami simply smiled serenely. “I must decline.” “Refusal is not an option. If necessary, I’ll take you by force. My role is to ensure the world flows with the winds like the clouds, adhering to the celestial mandates.” The air grew heavy with Yuhwa’s resolve. “What if Rin travels to White Cloud Valley?” “Then the world will find stability.” “That’s not what I was asking. What happens to Rin?” “The Nine-tale fox will live as she always has. That is her destined path.” Oppressed by her kin, scavenging potatoes, endlessly fleeing from monsters—a cycle of suffering that brings peace to the world. “I refuse once again. Peace at the cost of burdening an innocent young fox with misfortune is worse than no peace at all.” “You cling to worthless stubbornness despite death looming nearby. I thought you wiser.” “Better I than you, who would secure safety through sacrifices of the weak.” “You’ll realize how foolish your stubbornness is once you’ve tasted the world’s cruelty.” Yuhwa moved her hand, raising her fingers slowly. “Try to understand: I can't risk the world’s safety just to teach you a lesson.” As Yuhwa’s gesture took form, the surrounding clouds began to shift, morphing as though they’d been imbued with life. Gathering and forming into a colossal hand shape. Karami tilted his head back, gazing up at the massive hand, an expanse of shadow enveloping the area. The situation was dire. “Rin, let’s go!” The two instantly sprinted toward the door they’d entered from. Yet crossing the doorway did not transport them to Heaven’s Pavilion’s corridors. They remained high amongst the clouds. “This space is crafted by my sorcery.” Yuhwa’s voice echoed through the clouds, imbued with an awe-inspiring authority, as if the heavens themselves were issuing a warning. “Here, I am in command. No matter how you flee, it’s futile.” The cloud hand descended, reshaping the air in a sweeping gust. A fierce wind so tangible it pressed against the body. Rin crouched, huddling with every ounce of strength. Compressing power in her legs. Whoosh! She leapt forward with explosive force. The clouds below erupted like a bomb. Rin flew forth in a straight line, launching a tiny yet mighty fist. The giant hand met her blow with a loud bang, disintegrating, as shed clouds fell like snow. Yuhwa narrowed her celestial gaze in contemplation. “An extraordinary strength.” Even a Three-tailed Nine-tale fox should not possess this level of power. If her tails were to multiply… She must be subdued here and now. Yuhwa closed her eyes, clasping her hands as if in prayer. Immediately, the clouds rippled, starting a multitude of transformations. As if resonating with an unseen force, the clouds converged into countless hand shapes. “Heavenly Cloud Thousand Hands.” A thousand hands appeared in the sky. Like spirits reaching to drag them to the abyss, the cloud hands opened wide, converging on them. “Master!” Rin cradled Karami Princess-style, bursting into a sprint. Her short legs worked without pause. Outwardly an elementary student, Rin’s third tail lent her power far beyond her earlier stages. Dashing fiercely through the clouds, she left behind the turbulent wake like a sliding avalanche. “What now, Master?” “Hmm, indeed.” To enlist Yuhwa as Rin’s mentor, they had to pass her given trials. True to a tycoon genre game’s spirit. Indeed, a test worthy of a merchant’s chief. They hadn't expected this brute force approach. For the current Three-tailed Rin, escaping Yuhwa’s domain was impossible. Karami offered a straightforward conclusion. “We’re doomed.” “What do you mean, Master! We’ll get caught!” “We won't die. It just means Rin will say goodbye to me and live in White Cloud Valley, eating potatoes.” “Noooo!” Though Rin deftly dodged the cloud hands while carrying Karami, it merely delayed the inevitable. There was no exit, and thus no escape. Swoosh. A cloud hand emerged, grasping Rin’s ankle. She stumbled, and Karami was flung rolling across the clouds. “Argh!” Rin kicked, shaking off the hand, but the opening she offered was enough for cloud hands to stack upon her. Kicking, striking, but endless clouds piled, forming a vast tomb. Trapped within, Rin was immobilized. Once all the cloud hands dissipated, Rin was bound by them, glaring furiously at Yuhwa. “You're no granny! You're a demon hag!” “Let it all out. I’ll bear your rebukes graciously.” Before sending the Nine-tale fox back to White Cloud Valley, her tails must be restored. But first, the soul's shackles need to be broken... ‘This is quite the formidable magic.’ Yuhwa attempted to release the shackles, but they held fast. They were so tightly bound that only the one who cast them could undo them. Yuhwa turned her gaze to Karami. Being an ordinary human with no powers, she didn't feel the need to subdue him like Rin. “Will you undo it?” “What if I refuse?” “Then do nothing. I’ll find a way myself.” “And how exactly...” Suddenly, Karami’s eyes glazed over. It was Yuhwa's mental domination, a technique so basic for a fox that calling it a trick seemed insulting. Enchanting people is a fundamental skill. If Karami realized he was ensnared by an old fox, he’d probably cough blood, but that moment wasn’t now. Yuhwa ventured into Karami’s mental realm. There she saw it. The chain linking him to Rin. It would be over once she commanded his consciousness to release it. ‘His magic is exceptionally weak, yet this is intriguing... Where did he learn this?’ Another chain appeared. He had formed a master-servant contract with someone else, not Rin. A man enslaved... Surely, there must be an unjust tale. How unfortunate. She decided to break both bindings along with Rin’s. It was just as Yuhwa touched the chain. Whoosh! ‘What?’ Her consciousness was drawn in, spiraling down the chain. The scene shifted to a different mental world. A universe bound in chains. Knowledge spread like the Milky Way. Colossal guardians standing sentinel. And then. “How dare you.” A girl in a maid outfit stood at the universe's center. “How dare you touch the seal between me and my master? You, merely a messenger of the heavens?” In this moment, Yuhwa was akin to being out of body. She had no tangible form. Yet the girl gazed directly at Yuhwa, unfathomable hostility directed at her. So overwhelming it almost splintered her consciousness. “Who... Who are you?” “I am the eternal servant of my master. I cannot forgive a witch who dares touch my master's mind.” The witch decreed judgment. “For you, it’s immediate execution.” A massive guardian swung its scythe. Yuhwa found herself utterly paralyzed. In that heartbeat where death encroached... Snap! Yuhwa dispelled her magic with all her might, narrowly escaping. “Haah, haah, haah.” Yuhwa staggered, panting heavily, her face pale as if she had danced on the edge of death. Though it was a brief encounter, less than ten seconds, it felt like an eternity to her. She was drenched in cold sweat from head to tail. “Uh?” Karami regained his senses. After blinking a few times, his focus returned. ‘What the hell, this feels like absolute crap.’ His mind was foggy, and in front of him, the granny was sweating and panting. An indescribable dread washed over him. If possible, he felt like he wanted to pull out his brain and wash it clean. Boom! Meanwhile, as the power maintaining the Heavenly Cloud Thousand Hands weakened, Rin instinctively released her magical energy. The cloud hands exploded and dissipated at once. “Grrrr.” Rin, crouched like an animal, glared at Yuhwa intently, her scarlet power blazing around her like flames. She kicked off, lunging at Yuhwa. “Urgh.” Yuhwa, still disoriented, collapsed powerlessly. Rin, grasping Yuhwa’s arm tightly, bared her fangs, flashing her heterochromatic eyes. As if ready to sink her teeth into Yuhwa’s neck any second. “Please don’t kill, Rin. She’s the one who will be your mentor.” Karami stood with his hands behind his back, gazing down at Yuhwa sprawled on the floor with a nonchalant expression. He wasn't quite sure what had just happened, but he figured the granny had overstepped her limits and paid the price. If only things resolved well, all could be alright in the end. **aoxi 2024.10.06 12:30 Report** "Seriously, what's up with the reaper cutting through something even a celestial fox struggles to unravel?" 0 **zeelgam 2024.10.17 22:18 Report** "Just how strong have they become?" 0 --- **Weekly Bests** - ***Adult*** - ***BL/GL*** 1. +2211 "Living as a Mage in a Magic School" 2. +862 "Freed Slaves Become Obsessed" 3. +283 "I Swear, I'm Not the Boss Monster" 4. +944 "Double Agent in the Heavenly Demon Cult" 5. +305 "Why Are My Skill Tooltips Weird?" 6. +1446 "Potion-Using Genius Mage" 7. +1507 "Childhood Friend of the World's Strongest" 8. +258 "Even if I Fall into a Horror Story, I Still Have to Go to Work" 9. +269 "I Can Hear the Saintess's True Thoughts" 10. +3310 "It's the Apocalypse, but It's Way Too Easy for Me" 11. +4911 "Became a Necromancer in a Zombie World" 12. +4112 "The Adorability Factor in the Troubleshooter Squad" 13. +1413 "Raising a Grand Duchy with a Level-Max All-Master" 14. +5014 "Martial Arts? 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