Strongest Warlock - Wizard World Irregular

Chapter 704: Violence Is Not Always The Answer

After promising Ashmedai that he would be careful, Ethan headed deeper into the underground caverns in search of the ideal crystal that would adorn the rings he would give his lovers.

He only hoped that he wouldn't come across the location where the pet of the Crystal Colossi was sleeping.

Although the Demonic Progenitor was a fickle Patron, he could tell that he was genuinely concerned about his pet's safety.

'Stop here, Ethan,' Sebastian said, making the young man stop moving.

'What's wrong, Sebastian?' Ethan asked.

'I can sense a powerful presence a thousand meters away from us,' Sebastian answered. 'That must be the monster your Progenitor was talking about.'

Ethan extended his senses, but unlike Sebastian, he didn't manage to sense anything out of place in the distance.

However, even if he didn't sense anything, he trusted Sebastian and his Other Half very much.

'I'll be careful,' Ethan said as he slowly advanced forward.

Ashmedai said that the monster was a gentle beast by nature, so as long as he didn't make any move to harm it, he would be safe.

After nearly five minutes of walking, Ethan finally sensed it.

He didn't know whether he was sensing the monster or the Crystal that he was looking for, or both.

But it made him feel that what he was looking for lay beyond the darkness in the distance.

After Ethan gained the blessings of Ashmedai, he gained a few extra abilities—one of which was Dark Vision, allowing him to see in the dark.

He kept his eyes open, looking for the monster, but he couldn't seem to find it.

Because of this, he just followed the sensation he was feeling until he arrived at what seemed to be a small altar in the darkness.

There, he saw a small creature that was only as big as his hand.

It had blue fur, and it was sleeping with its white underbelly exposed, strongly tempting Ethan to give it a nice rub.

But a glance was enough for him to identify this creature, and it was none other than a flying squirrel.

It was very cute, so he could somehow understand why anyone would want to have it as a pet.

'Hey, Sebastian…'

'Don't be deceived, Ethan. This little one is the one giving off that strong presence. Be careful.'

Ethan nodded and looked at the surroundings.

He could also feel that the crystals that he was looking for were very close, so he glanced around to find their location.

'Over there,' Ethan's Other Half said, urging Ethan to look at the rightmost corner of the small cavern, where the flying squirrel was sleeping.

There, a pile of small glowing orbs that looked like blue-colored marbles could be seen.

The young man picked up one of them and knew then and there that it was the crystal that he was looking for.

Although there was a small pile of them, he only intended to bring a few with him to be used for his wedding rings.

Ethan carefully took a dozen of these small blue-colored marbles because he didn't know how many crystals the jewel smiths would need.

There were still dozens more of the crystal left, but he didn't dare to take more than what he currently possessed.

After storing them inside his storage ring, he decided to leave the place peacefully.

However, when he turned around, he saw a pair of small blue eyes looking at him from the small altar earlier.

Ethan's body stiffened. Although he felt no hostility from the little guy, he didn't dare act rashly. Any move of his might unintentionally provoke the pet of the Crystal Colossi.

The young man and the flying squirrel stared at each other for an entire minute before the cute creature stood on its hind legs and spread its arms wide.

It was as if it was planning to lunge at Ethan, forcing the young man to decide if he should run away or continue standing still.

Suddenly, in an unexpected move, the flying squirrel bowed down on all fours and pleaded.

"Please don't eat me!" the Flying Squirrel, who sounded like a little boy, begged for its life. "I don't taste good! The Crystal Dragon who tried to eat me died because of food poisoning! It's the truth!"

"…"

Ethan, who had made up his mind to run away, couldn't help but pause due to the sudden turn of events.

A minute later, Ethan finally regained his composure, but he still didn't let his guard down.

The thought of the beast just trying to act submissive and weak might be one of its strategies to lower the guard of its opponent before going for the kill.

But since he wanted to believe that communication was possible between them, he decided to give it a try.

"My name is Ethan," Ethan said. "Don't worry. I have no plans on eating you. Do you have a name?"

The ears of the flying squirrel twitched after hearing Ethan's reply.

It then raised its head and introduced itself as Colt.

After the two exchanged introductions, Ethan bid it goodbye so that he could return to the surface.

However, Colt jumped up and flew towards the young man's shoulder, apparently intending to hitch a free ride.

"The path is littered with Crystal Monsters, and they are all very scary," Colt said as it sat on Ethan's shoulder. "I wanted to leave many times, but whenever I tried, I'd always chance upon them, so I had no choice but to turn back."

"Can't you fight them?" Ethan inquired. "I have the impression that you're very strong."

"Violence is not always the answer," Colt stated. "My Master, Zogerass, is a gentle soul. However, when pushed to a corner, she will lash out and attack whoever was bullying her."

The Flying Squirrel then paused for a while before continuing his explanation.

"You say that I'm strong, and maybe I am," Colt said. "However, I cannot bring out this power unless my life is on the line. In that sense, Zogerass and I are the same—unless we are left with no choice but to fight, we will still try to defuse the threat through peaceful means."

The more Colt talked, the more Ethan realized that the cute squirrel might have caused the deaths of countless Monsters because it looked harmless.

Usually, Monsters liked to hunt easy prey, and the Flying Squirrel fit that bill perfectly.

Unfortunately for them, when push comes to shove, Colt would unleash his power and turn the tables on those who planned to eat him.

But in his current state, Colt really looked like a harmless flying squirrel whom even kids would like to cuddle and play with.

His fur was so fluffy and soft to the touch.

His voice was also very adorable and sounded pleasant to the ears.

Ethan and Colt continued to talk happily as they made their way back to the surface.

There were some Crystal Monsters that attacked them along the way.

But Ethan made short work of them, making Colt feel relieved that he had hitched a ride to get out of the cavern with the teenage boy.

The Flying Squirrel was a great storyteller and told Ethan about his adventures with his Master.

When the young man asked where Colt's Master was, the Flying Squirrel lowered its head and looked very sad.

Seeing that he might have asked the wrong question, Ethan apologized and told Colt that he didn't need to answer the question.

Colt nodded, but the happy mood it had earlier was dampened.

Because of this, the two traveled silently back to the surface, where everyone was waiting for his return.