Unmade Chapter 39: Chapter 39: a tiny visitor

Read chapter 39 of Unmade by churro on NovelPedia.

The beach shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, its lustrous sand glowing like powdered gold. Waves rolled in peacefully, even as five people, a gargantuan basilisk, and a small wyvern occupied the shore. In the middle of them stood Vale, sore, disoriented, and still recovering from the aftermath of the fight. Tharion’s words lingered in the air like grains of sand refusing to fall. “Welcome to the family.” Vale blinked, trying to process them. “…What do you mean ‘welcome to the family’?” he asked, brows knitting together as his expression shifted from confusion to outright bewilderment. The rest of the group exchanged looks, half amused, half exasperated, then turned their gazes toward Rose in eerie unison. “You didn’t tell him?” they asked almost simultaneously. Rose winced, cheeks reddening. “I… might have forgotten,” she said awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. Ember, perched comfortably on her hair, let out a tiny yawn, though Vale could feel the little wyvern was entertained by the situation. Evelyn released a long, tired sigh before turning back to him. “Listen, Vale,” she began, voice calm but firm. “You’re an anomaly. That means you’re hunted by forces far beyond our control. And from what we just saw, you also have good potential.” She paused, letting the gravity settle. “That being said… calling us a ‘family’ is a little misleading. We’re more of an advanced combat unit made up of some of the strongest and rarest people on the planet. Joining us guarantees protection, respect, and resources.” Vale stared at her, the explanation only deepening his confusion. Still, he understood what she was saying. The choice was simple: Face the world alone as a hunted anomaly… or join the strongest group he’d ever seen and survive long enough to find answers. After a moment of silence, he exhaled slowly. “…Fine. I’ll join your family,” he said. “But I have some questions.” Tharion nodded, a lazy yawn slipping out. “That’s natural. Ask away.” “How many members are in your… family?” “With you included?” Tharion replied without hesitation. “Twenty-one. We don’t take in many. The requirements are… demanding.” Vale stumbled back a step, shocked. Only twenty-one? Out of the entire world? “Th-then how did I get in? I lost,” he said quietly, a hint of shame tightening his voice. Caesar suddenly stepped forward. “Is that what you think?” he said, rising to his full height before standing directly in front of Vale. “Take a look.” Vale’s curiosity sharpened as Caesar lifted his right arm. The limb broke apart into countless metallic plates, shifting, rotating and rearranging themselves with mechanical precision, before reforming seamlessly. Vale’s eyes widened. “…Are you a robot?” he whispered. “Close,” Caesar said with a grin. “I’m a cyborg.” He crossed his arms. “Vale, I fought you while enhancing my own strength, and even then, you forced me into combat procedures. I only enter that mode when I’m facing an overwhelming enemy.” Vale’s breath caught in his throat. Caesar leaned forward slightly. “You triggered a mode designed to kill fifth-rank spawn, Vale. You won.” Shock rippled through him, but confusion followed quickly behind. 'Fifth rank spawn?' he echoed in his mind. Before he could ask, Caesar clapped his hands together excitedly. “But seriously, Vale, what kind of combat techniques were those?! The only way I could counter them was brute force, and even then you turned my own strength against me!” He spoke louder, more animated, until Tharion grabbed him by the hair and dragged him back with a tug. “That’s enough,” he said flatly. Caesar choked out a muffled complaint but quieted. Tharion looked back to Vale. “It’s getting late. The boy needs rest, Eve is busy tomorrow, so he’ll need all the sleep he can get.” The others nodded. Even Caesar reluctantly agreed, standing up and giving Vale a lazy wave. “See ya.” A second later, blue light swallowed him whole, and he vanished. Almost immediately, the ground trembled. Vale turne