"So, what power is this...?"

I asked Jisung as he flipped through book pages.

"Hang on, I'm working on it"

Jisung may not look it, but he's a real book worm, like me.

He's the one who taught me the most about Ethorians and their powers. Don't get me wrong, the others taught me things too, but no one's taught me more than Jisung.

"By the way, you didn't read the book did you?"

He gave me a book a while ago that showed all the known powers of the Ethorian race. It's actually the same exact book he's flipping through now. But I saw no point in reading it if I didn't have any powers, but now I wish I did read it.

"...No"

"Thought so, otherwise you wouldn't be freaking out like you are"

He chuckled, finally finding the page he was looking for.

"Here it is. Your power seems to be Decomposition Manipulation, or we can simply call it Decay"

"What else can it do besides destroy things...?"

I asked, too frightened to touch anyone or anything around me.

"It says here: The user can manipulate decomposition, the process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler forms of matter. They can increase or decrease the rate of rotting, or stop, prevent or even reverse the effect."

"So, that means I can't hurt you guys with it??

"Not if you don't want to. You have to learn how to control it. For instance, think of it as drawing a borderline, like in Noragami. You have to make that borderline to decide what or who gets killed, and what or who lives and stays unharmed"

Jisung explained, making me feel more uneasy.

"But that shouldn't be too hard for you~! And if it helps, we can help you control it~"

"Yeah..., thanks~"

"But it also says here: The users are able to control all things/beings connected to decomposition such as vermin, worms and maggots. Some users may be able to control scavengers, such as coyotes, dogs, wolves, foxes, rats, crows and vultures, or even take their forms."

"So he can shapeshift like me?!"

Chenle asked shapeshifting into me.

"Seems that way. It could mean that, or he can just take their lives and gain powers from them, temporary or not. I'm not really sure"

"There's one thing I still don't get. Why did that thing call him 'Master'?"

"IT CALLED HIM WHAT?!"

Mark and Donghyuck exclaimed at Jeno's question.

They didn't know anything about the fight after the beast knocked them out. They must've just come back from the Infirmary.

"I haven't the slightest idea why it called him Master. That thing was unlike any beast we've ever faced..."

Jisung sighed.

"No kidding! That asshole nearly broke my neck!"

"And my spine!"

Mark and Donghyuck complained.

"Not to mention that demonic monstrosity could speak!"

Jaemin added with terror.

Everyone was talking amongst themselves about the beast, but I just needed some alone time to calm myself.

"I'm gonna go to the garden for a bit..."

"Alright then. We'll continue to scan the beak we brought back"

Chenle informed, waving before I left.

-

Nothing's making any sense. How come that beast was so different from the others? Why was it after me in the first place? And why did it call me Master...?

I arrived to my precious garden, already feeling at peace.

This place always calms me down. Attending to the plants makes me feel like I have a purpose, and overall gives me happiness.

But, something feels different...

After I watered the plants, and took many pictures, I sat on the steps and just admired the scenery. But, as if to add to my bad feeling, something was happening.

The air around me started to feel lighter, the lighting around me seemed to be getting lighter too. And I couldn't help but feel a presence in the room, but no one else was here with me...

"Huang Renjun"

"We've been awaiting to finally meet you"

I heard two unfamiliar voices speak.

I looked around everywhere in the room, but no one was here but me, until I felt two hands touch both of my shoulders.

I turned around so quickly that I thought what I was seeing in front of me was just an illusion, but if they could touch me, I could only wish that they really were illusions.

Both of them appeared to be hybrids: one a wolf and one a deer. I actually like both of those animals.

"Who...and what...are you?"

I asked, both amazed and scared.

"I am Bleddyn, a half man-half wolf spirit"

"And I am Grover, a half man-half deer spirit"

"Can I trust you? Those weapons are really unsettling..."

I asked, slightly calmed that they weren't demons or anything of the sort.

"Why of course~, we ally ourselves with only the purest of heart"

"Which makes you our Master"

They explained, putting their weapons down as they both smiled at me, as if I had a single clue of what they were talking about.

"Maybe you know this, but why is it that suddenly everything I come across is calling me Master???"

"Something else has already called you that?!"

Grover yelled out of shock.

"Yeah, it's kinda hard for me to describe what it was, but I have some pictures of it in my lab. Follow me"

I ordered, to which they obeyed.

What have I gotten myself into now....

-

To be clear, my lab is much bigger than this. This is just the main computer. But anyway...

I led them to the main computer and started to access the database. I pulled up the files from earlier from our mission to try and find the pictures.

Now you may be wondering, how in the name of Hades did we get pictures from the mission?

Well it's quite simple. Everyone is equipped with tiny cameras, whether it's on their clothes or anywhere on their body. If those get destroyed, I have stealth bots that have cameras on them. They watch from the sidelines, and get closer to the action if possible. Handy right~?

But anyway, I pulled up the pictures of the beast, and both Grover and Bleddyn looked at the screen in shock.

"My friend Jisung named it Spiritwings"

"So, this beast called you Master...?"

Bleddyn asked, with a slightly sorrowful voice.

"Yeah, and something else happened. I guess you already know this, but I unlocked one of my powers while I was there. Jisung said it's called Decomposition Manipulation. I hit the beast with it, and it started to disintegrate. It crawled to me and said, 'Master, why?'"

Grover and Bleddyn looked at each other, and soon came to a conclusion.

"I think we know who it is..."

Grover sighed.

"There were rumors back on our homeworld, that someone or something had been changing innocent people and animals into mindless monsters. We've been studying this matter for a while with our friend, Aristotle. He was an owl, much like this beast. He went missing a while back, when he didn't return from one of his research patrols. We think this might be him, and the being we've been looking for got to him before we could..."

Bleddyn explained.

"And you think that's why it called me Master?"

"It's a possibility, we were assigned to serve those in your bloodline"

"But from which side of my bloodline?"

I asked Grover, since Bleddyn was too busy admiring my lab.

"Since we're beings from the spirit realm, creatures like us were meant to serve heavenly bodies, angels to be more precise. Specifically, Bleddyn, Aristotle, me, and many others were servants, of your mother"

M-Mom, was an ANGEL?!