With his defense focused on Kalipsi, the seal the man has set was unknowingly shattered.

In a corner of his eyes, the black cloak man saw the leaving group of Apa.

"Where are you going?" The mouth of the black cloak man twitched. He never imagined that there were ants who would dare to escape. He dashed to Apa's group, but Kalipsi blocked his way.

"You're really going into my nerves," Kalipsi sneered.

The black cloak man twitched mouth did not fade a little. In rage, his energy rises until it suffocated Kalipsi, but Kalipsi didn't budge.

His lips curved upward when he didn't felt the energy of his group anymore.

"Earthly Second Vermilion!" His energy doubled and at the same time, he materialized his sword.

The man deepens his furrows brows. The other had escaped and the one left was way more powerful than what he thought.

"Violet Darkness stripes!" The man shouted. A dark violet stripes circling him. It was a life-like whip. "Let's see how long will you last."

Kalipsi just smirked.

The man attacked in cohesion with the stripes. Kalipsi could barely ward the attack. Cold sweat ran down to his back. Kalipsi kept stepping back. The stripes made him unable to retaliate. If it wasn't because of the flames that coated him, he might not only have scratches.

The man attack became heavier and faster until Kalipsi halted because there's no more room to step back. Knowing his dire situation, Kalipsi used his mightiest attack.

"Blazing flame blade!" In that instant, his sword was shrouded with a blue fire slashing the stripes. The blue flame engulfed the red flame that coated him.

'What the hell?' The man immediately stepped back, but Kalipsi didn't look like wanted to give him a chance as he charged non-stop. Now, the situation had turn upside down.

With the use of the Fiery Lightning Footwork, he strode with an only streak of fire visible. He ended up the battle in lightning speed that the man couldn't even compare to. The man's head parted with his body without him knowing.

The blazing blue flame dissipated to Kalipsi's body. Without the support of his energy, Kalipsi's sword crumbles into dust.

"You need a proper weapon," a calm and familiar voice sounded from his back. That's the voice that made Kalipsi felt secure whenever he heard it.

Kalipsi's jolted in shock. He couldn't turn his head knowing he wasn't in good condition. And because of his guilty conscience.

"What's wrong?" Tala's voice showed a slight of worriedness.

"It's truly nothing. Don't worry about me." Kalipsi immediately explained.

"How can I not be worried if even you can't turn your head." Tala voice raised a little bit.

"That's because I used the technique that I should have not used!" Kalipsi's guilty conscience made his eyes watery. The bluesh flame should only be used when he reaches the astral master, but he doesn't want Tala to take action for he thought that Tala might have used a lot of his energy helping Uno earlier.

"Look at me," Tala said insistently.

Kalipsi slowly turned and looked down. He couldn't face Tala from the time being.

'He is just truly a child.' Tala sighed. The guilty feeling surface all over Kalipsi's face as watery eyes keep looking down. "You don't need to be guilty. You make me proud, but I don't want you to do it again. So, promise me that you'll never do it again not until you reach the Astral Master level, okay?"

Kalipsi nodded slowly. His heart calm. Unexpectedly, he lost consciousness. But before he falls onto the ground, a cloud of golden dust circled around him preventing him from falling.

It flew in front of her as her hand in mid-air bent into a fist.

Floating right in front of her, Tala waved her hand and magnificent golden dust formed in her hand that traveled and sipped through Kalipsi's forearm. A shield that emitted a golden light slowly shaping. It looks exactly the same to Prince Makisig's shield symbol mark.

"Now, you can use it whenever you needed," Tala whispered. Her voice where soft though the young man wouldn't be able to hear her.

She knew that the young man in front of her wouldn't be bound by the promise they made today if a dire situation exists. To make sure he will be okay even if she wasn't around, she made her decision to make Kalipsi under her wings.

Tala approached the altar. She stared it as her heartache. She knows how the altar was built and how it will be used. She couldn't imagine how many innocent lives have been taken by those damn creatures just to built the altar.

Slightly touching it with her heavenly energy, it crumbles into dust. Reigning the wind, she made a whirlpool. In an instant, the room where cleaned. She put a white flower in the center.

Tala looked down to the headless body of the man. She opened her palm and two streaks of heavenly energy traveled through the airs reaching the body and the head of the man.

"Your sin doesn't have any atonement," Tala didn't look back as she leaves the place.

It was the same technique she has used towards the men she encountered within the first altar.

After an hour, the man's body will explode that will be easily chunked by those insects of the forest.

..

Kalipsi woke up from the dazzling sun rays that passed through the curtains hanging on the window beside his bed. He slowly lifted his body and sat when Uno came rushing.

"You're awake! Thanks heaven!" Uno immediately gave him a hug. "Guys, Kalipsi is already awake!" He shouted directed outside the bahay kubo.

A group of six people came inside. Everyone gave him a warm smile. The one who led was the old man they met before they proceed to the village Syete.

"Young man, you're the only one left that I haven't extended my thanks yet. This old man really thank you," the old man clasped his fist as he bowed.

"It's nothing." Kalipsi scratched his head as rosy pink color surfaced on his cheeks.

After a little pleasantry, the old man took his leave. Kalipsi found out that Tala wasn't on the group.

"Where's Tala?" Kalipsi asked with puzzlement.

"He went ahead. He said he had something important things to do." Salamuyak explained.

Kalipsi nodded in understanding. "How many hours did I sleep?"

"It's 24 hours," Lani replied indifferently.

"A day?" Kalipsi's eyes bulged in surprise. His body trembled a little. 'Now I know why Tala prohibited me to use such extreme technique. If I pass out within the watchful eyes of the enemy, I truly will not survive.' Kalipsi clenched his fists and thought resolutely, 'I need to be strong if I wanted to walk side by side with him.'

The group didn't say a thing about what happened to them. They twisted the story and said that the villager of the village Syete can return to their land in two days.

They silently leave the premise.

..

Tala came back to the Village Syete and met Captain Kaba for a private talk.

Tala knew why there was only a number of ten of them that was seen by the villager. It was because Taas ordered the ten strongest of them all to drive away the villager. There were only ten so that the villager will not panic much and not call the attention of higher forces of the kingdom. Which is a great move.

"Kaba, I know where the kinds of yours are staying. If you are interested of meeting them, I can give you the map."

'This child just call me by my name, really!' Kaba could only laugh at his heart. Thankfully, there was no one around, only him and Tala. He cleared his throat and said, "and what is the condition of yours?" Such a big offer really have a condition, and sure enough, it has a condition.

"You're quite straight. Yes, there is one condition." Tala's eyes became sharp as it looked at Kaba straight away. "All of you need to reach the A beasts level first before you go there."

Kaba was caught off guard to his words. He thought that the condition would be for himself, he didn't expect it to benefit them. He incredulously looked at Tala. The next words of Tala made him staggered to his seat.

"Of course, I will help you to do that."

'Is he serious?' the incredulity looked of him became more visible.

They have been struggling to search for a way to enhance their skills, awaken their innate ability and strengthen their energy for all these years, so it was normal for him not to believe Tala's words in such a hurry.

"How do you intend to help us? And why we need to reach that level at first?"

"The first question will be up to me and the second one is that the place of which the kinds of yours are staying is something you couldn't survive with your current mere level." Tala did not dig deeper to it as she bade farewell.

Though the cave was empty, the Tikbalang search for a new den as Tala suggested. They wouldn't know where and when the reinforcement of those enemies will come. So, it was better to be sure.

Life was at stake after all.