The Psychopathic Beast Emperor-Chapter 72: Residence

After Elder Hakar’s announcement, the new disciples of the sect were led towards their various residences.

Bahamut turned towards the girl standing behind him, Exildra, and patted her on the shoulder.

"I can feel your emotions from here..." Bahamut said in a flat tone, but to Exildra, it felt like Bahamut saying, "Don’t worry. I will come for you."

"I- We will meet again, right?" Exildra asked in hope.

"Possibly. We are technically Outer Sect Disciples, so we would be living on the same compound, probably. They might separate the males from the females, though." Bahamut contemplated.

"It’s alright if I get to see you..." Exildra said in a small voice, turned, and walked away.

...

Exildra took two hesitant steps, then stopped.

The black-robed disciple waiting for her stood perfectly still, her face hidden beneath a plain hood. The robe itself was unmistakably Shadow Fang... Egyptian-styled, straight cut, sleeveless, with faint geometric stitching that drank in the light rather than reflecting it. On her neck, she wore a silver collar, a mark signifying her position as an inner sect disciple.

Then the air trembled, as a new projection appeared, showing symbols. On it was boldly written: Elder Marks.

The marks of the elders, symbols of their power, and what represents them and those under them.

The selected direct disciples got the reason for this fast, as they all headed towards their respective representatives.

Exildra had moved initially because the disciple had signaled to her to come. Looking at her, she saw a crest on her chest, on her left breast, the same as the one projected under Elder Iset’s name.

The mark was shaped in a broken circle with three fang-like spikes pointing inward, with one section of the circle deliberately missing. What made it different was the color, which was bone-white with faded gold, and marks of layered sigils of stacked runes on it.

That was Elder Iset’s mark and symbol.

With the clarification, Exildra walked briskly towards the disciple, her senior, and bowed slightly towards.

"No need to bow to me. We are equal beforethe Master. Now, please come with me."

The inner disciple said with a smile while helping Exildra to straighten. She had long brown hair that fell to her waist and beautiful brown eyes that held warmth and depth.

"My name is Rakia. May I know yours? I just arrived from my mission, so I didn’t witness your trial," Rakia said with a gentle voice as she led Exildra away from the courtyard towards the north.

"Exildra. My name is Exildra," Exildra answered as her head turned one last time to Bahamut, who could be seen talking to his senior representative, and she couldn’t help but feel a severe pang of jealousy and possessiveness.

"I noticed... You like him?" Rakia suddenly asked with a chuckle.

"I-I..." Exildra was so shocked at the sudden question that she couldn’t answer.

"I understand. Don’t worry. You will still get to meet him. Plus, Master and his Master are very good friends. If you’re lucky, you will go on missions and quests together. So don’t worry," Rakia said with an assuring tone, making Exildra’s mood take a turn.

In the next moment, she was enthusiastically asking questions about sect quests and lessons.

...

Apollonia didn’t know whether to smile, frown, or just disappear. Just why did his master have to select two opposing forces as her newest disciples?

She was actually there to witness the last day of the trials, but hearing the announcement made her feathers tingle.

On her left breast was Elder Silvia’s in a deep blue color with silver threads. The base form was the same as Elder Iset’s own, with the only difference being the vertical eye-slit in the center of the fang.

Her long white hair was tied in a ponytail reaching her knee. Her ears were sharp and a bit furry, or say, feathery?

Her eyes were sharp and golden, and on her back, folded elegantly, were a pair of white wings with golden feathers.

Her dress fitted her perfectly, but someone was seeing something else...

"Are you an eagle or a dove?" Bahamut asked with a confused expression, like he really wanted to know, which he really did want to know, but...

"None of your business. Now if you would follow me..." Apollonia wasted no time in turning him down.

"My name is Bahamut. Can I know your name, senior? Oh, that is my friend, Ren."

This brings us to Apollonia’s dilemma. Her master had warned her to beware of these two monsters, especially the blind one, and she was right.

"Apollonia. Now let’s go. Master is waiting," Apollonia answered in a rigid tone, and made to move, but Bahamut spoke again.

"Brother didn’t introduce himself..." He said as he pointed towards Sel, nearly making him choke from the sudden attention. He had planned to stay silent, but this devil wouldn’t let him.

"I’m Sel. Pleased to enjoy your assistance, Senior Apollonia," Sel said with a slight bow at Apollonia.

"Me too. Now, can we get going?" Apollonia said, trying her very best to keep calm, but she had a devil behind her. How could she be calm?

"So, senior Apollo... are you a dove or an eagle? I killed an eagle recently, so I wanted to know if..." Bahamut started, only for Ren to bonk him on the head.

"Stop messing with her..." He whispered so low that only Bahamut heard it.

"But she’s cute..." Bahamut replied, clenching his hands. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

On the other side, Apollonia was fuming so much that her feathers started glowing with golden light. If not for her training in restraint under Elder Silvia, she would have sent Bahamut flying by now.

...

Apollonia inhaled, then exhaled.

Then she walked sharply, wings folding tight against her back as she turned southward. Her sandals struck the stone path with clipped precision, the universal language of "follow me and don’t test your lifespan." Unfortunately for her, someone was undying...

"This way," she said without warmth. Just a command.

Bahamut and Sel exchanged a glance and fell in behind her, with Ren now seated upright on Bahamut’s head, enjoying the view.

The scenery soon changed as they moved.

The general trial grounds gave way to cleaner stonework and smoother pathways etched with faint geometric lines. The air itself felt different... cooler, calmer, threaded with a subtle pressure that nudged the mind rather than the body.

Ahead, carved into a massive obsidian archway, was a symbol: Elder Iset’s mark.

"The Azure Mind Fang," Apollonia said without slowing. "This is Elder Silvia’s domain. Do not release killing intent here unless you want to explain yourself to her personally."

Sel just smiled at this. Bahamut, though, seemed intrigued, his smile practically screaming: I WANT TO FIND OUT!

"So this place messes with your head instead of your body?" he mused.

Apollonia didn’t look back. "If you think that’s comforting, you’re already in trouble."

They passed beneath the arch.

Inside lay a sprawling compound, vast, orderly, and deceptively quiet. Stone platforms rose and fell like steps of thought. Meditation halls stood beside training courts. Everything was black stone and muted silver trim, broken only by faint blue veins running through the ground like frozen lightning.

Apollonia stopped before a long pavilion lined with hanging garments.

"Uniforms," she said. "Choose."

The sect attire was stripped of excess. For Outer Sect disciple males, it was a black sleeveless top, fitted but unadorned, a black skirt split at the sides for movement, with grey collars resting at the neck, smooth and metallic-threaded.

On the breast part, left, was the crest of Elder Iset, the azure mind fang, to signify their difference from the crowd.

Bahamut lifted the fabric. "Finally... something breathable!"

"Those clothes are warded," Apollonia said. "They respond to intent and circulation. Don’t ruin them."

Sel had already changed, expression neutral, posture straightened unconsciously by the collar’s presence.

Once dressed, Apollonia turned and pointed farther south.

"Your residence is there."

She said flatly. "It’s the outer sect compound."

Sel frowned. "You’re joking."

"I don’t joke."

She gestured toward the distance.

What lay beyond was enormous, rolling stone residences stretching far wider than the inner sect quarters, arranged in clean sections like a small city. The difference became clear only on closer inspection.

The direct disciples’ area was isolated. It was the same land, same air, but separated by spacing, wards, and subtle lines of authority. The paths were wider with fewer people.

And beyond a tall, imposing stone wall to the east...

"The female disciples’ compound," Apollonia said. "Don’t test that boundary."

Bahamut tilted his head. "Tall wall."

"Yes."

"Climbable?"

"No."

"Breakable?"

"Try, and Elder Silvia will personally help you regret it."

"...Noted."

She stopped there.

"You’ll find a stone residence with two rooms and a shared living area. There are only six houses there, with only one empty one. That is yours," Apollonia said. "Rest and lean yourselves. Meditate if you’re capable of silence."

Her golden eyes sharpened.

"Tomorrow, you meet the master."

Then she turned.

Her wings unfurled once, white and gold catching the fading light, and with a single powerful beat, she rose, arced away, and vanished over the compound roofs without another word.

Bahamut stared after her.

"...She didn’t even walk us in."

Sel exhaled slowly. "That was restraint."

They reached the residence soon after.

It was a solid stone building with two simple rooms and one shared living space.

Bahamut dropped onto a stone bench, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

"Tomorrow," he muttered, smiling faintly, "we meet the woman who thought this was a reasonable pairing."

Sel didn’t smile.

In no time, the Shadow Fang Sect settled into the night, awaiting the next day.