In one of the alleys surrounded by massive buildings whose ends were invisible, Argus stood up, quickly recovering after his fall. He began looking around, searching for the others.
He shouted his friends' names loudly: "Erold! Luce! You little insolent brat! Gilgamesh! Is anyone here?"
After a period of searching the alley, he found no one. He sat down and sighed. "Damn, I'm all alone. Should I look for them or what?"
Suddenly, he realized something and stood up with excitement. "That's right! I'm in the Jinn world! So, I've finally made it. All that remains is to find the High Jinn."
Then, Argus's expression shifted to frustration. He said in a sad voice, "But I would be a scoundrel if I left them like this. They are considered my friends."
An idea struck him, and he shouted loudly, "Yessss, I've got it! I will look for them and the High Jinn at the same time! It's easy to know if there is any human in the Jinn world or not; we are different from them."
Argus looked toward the end of the alley and said, "So, let's see what this place is."
Argus headed out of the alley with cold steps, and the view revealed itself:
The alley did not lead to a city square, but to a river pass in the heart of what was once a majestic Jinn capital. Giant stone buildings of ancient architectural style rose formidably on both sides of the pass, but they were now entirely covered in dark grass and damp moss. Massive, climbing tree trunks hung like distorted ropes, strangling the pillars and archaeological engravings.
The light was pale and faint, seeping from the tops of the high buildings, but it did not dispel the darkness. There were small, glowing yellow lights scattered along the pass, as if they were eyes watching him from the middle of the damp gloom.
The river pass was narrow, and the water in it flowed very slowly and silently, bordered by prominent rocks covered in moss. The buildings were so high that Argus felt as if the sky itself was blocked from this place.
While Argus was staring at this horrific scene, he suddenly felt a slight movement behind one of the pillars. Argus shrank back and quickly turned to see a tall, dark figure with black horns protruding from its head, standing half-hidden among the twisted columns. The Jinn was watching him with glowing eyes that shimmered in the damp darkness.
Argus thought to himself: What is this huge creature? Damn, I read about the three types of Jinn in detail, and no source mentioned this thing.
Shifter Jinn (The Beast-kin): This type is the closest to wild entities or legendary animals, forming the elite warriors who fell into slavery.Appearance: They possess massive and powerful bodies, often taking the form of hybrid wolves or savage creatures. They are characterized by giant black horns and a combat-ready build. Their bodies are often covered in dark fur, and their eyes glow with a lethal sharpness.Role: They are considered the servant class because they possess loyalty and strength, but their numbers are very few after they were enslaved and many were killed by the common Jinn They are the only ones among the elven race capable of invoking the Oath of Sacrifice. Common Jinn: This type represents the Jinn who evolved their forms to be more fused with their own world, resembling humans in their gatherings.Appearance: Their bodies resemble humans, but they are fully colored (such as pale blue, crimson red, or purple). They possess clear horns, but they may be elegant, decorated, and shorter than the horns of the servant class.Role: They represent the middle class in the Jinn world. They resemble humans in their lifestyle and work (merchants and workers), and from this type comes both the good and the bad. Purebred Jinn: These represent the highest degree of purity and are the closest to the royal lineage that ruled previously.Appearance: They possess bodies that look exactly like humans, but with a single difference: extremely tiny horns that are almost invisible, protruding from the front of the forehead. This purity grants them immense magical power.Role: They are the Purebred race, the closest to kings, possessing great magical and intellectual power and a massive reservoir for the Mind Core. They enjoy sharp intelligence and are often more secretive about their feelings. Most of the seven High Jinn are of the Purebred race.
Argus stealthily approached the massive figure who was looking at the sky. Argus (to himself): Your presence here makes me nervous, you big guy.
Argus covered his feet with wind to move toward him quickly and delivered a strike to the back of the creature's head with a staff he formed from air, saying confidently: "Sorry, man."
The massive person quickly grabbed him and said in a sad voice: "Why did you hit Pola? What did I do to you? I was just relaxing."
Argus, in the giant's grip and in pain: "Sorry, sorry Pola! I didn't really mean it."
Pola said in a sad voice: "But you hit Pola. Did you really not mean it?"
Argus, still in pain: "Yes, Pola, I didn't mean it."
Pola smiled, placed Argus on the ground, and said: "Sorry for not knowing this."
Argus looked at him in wonder. Pola was a massive monster with the mind of a child. Argus clutched his head, feeling a prick of guilt inside him, thinking: Damn, I feel so guilty.
He then stepped toward Pola and hugged him warmly, saying: "Sorry, Pola. I am the one who should apologize here."
Pola laughed with childish innocence and said: "No need to apologize, but tell me... what is your name?"
Argus looked at him and said: "Don't you see something strange about me?" Argus pointed at himself as if saying, Look, I'm a human.
Pola thought for a moment and then asked naively: "I don't know. Are you a famous person?"
Argus shouted in despair: "No, no Pola, I am a human and my name is Argus."
Pola laughed again: "Alright Argus, nice to meet you. But what does human mean?"
Argus was shocked: "My God, you don't know what human means?"
Pola scratched his head, asking curiously: "No. Is it food?"
Argus shouted angrily and pointed his finger at Pola's face: "Don't you dare think about eating them, Pola!"
Argus began to explain the difference between them to the giant, pointing to his head: "Look, I don't have horns like you, Pola."
Pola asked in confusion: "And what makes horns special?"
Argus clutched his head and said: "You are too kind to be born in this world, Pola."
In a vast golden desert, Jasmin was unconscious. The sands played with her hair as she realized nothing. A person approached her quietly, picked her up by her clothes, and departed.
A voice echoed in the place as if it were a faint song: "I wonder who is the one coming? Will you be killed or imprisoned? Will you mend or corrupt?"
Jasmin felt her body moving and heard strange voices echoing in the air. She opened her eyes slightly; in her lack of awareness, she found a person with long black hair carrying her. She hurried to close her eyes and fainted again. She did not know that the one carrying her was the Lord of Destruction, Ashura.
While the wind moved his long hair left and right, Jasmin was on his left shoulder. The voice repeated: "Here comes destruction, destruction, and death to the wicked!"
Ashura raised his finger in the air as a sign for silence and said: "Shhh... if you do not want to die." The voice vanished and Ashura continued his walk.
Argus was lying on his back, staring at the sky with Pola beside him. Argus said, raising his hands to the sky with a tone full of determination: "That is why, Pola, I came to prevent the High Jinn from hurting anyone else."
Pola's features suddenly changed, and he said in a voice full of anger: "I never knew about this before. I heard something like this about the person who took care of me. He mentioned a lot about the High Jinn, but I wasn't listening."
Argus jerked into a sitting position and cried out eagerly: "Where is this man, Pola?"
Pola looked down, thinking for a moment, then shook his head slowly: "I don't know. He said to me: 'If we part, I will find him here'."
Argus jumped with excitement: "Great! Is he coming now?"
Pola scratched his head: "No, not here here."
Argus stopped jumping and looked at Pola in confusion: "What do you mean by 'not here here', Pola?"
Pola answered simply: "He was 'here'... but in another place."
Argus rushed and grabbed Pola's massive shoulders: "Pola, please tell me you know the name of the place."
Pola smiled: "No, I don't remember."
Argus angrily tried to shake Pola's body, but Pola was like a mountain that did not budge. Argus fell to the ground, lamenting his luck: "Why do I have such bad luck? Whyyyyy?"
The giant's heart softened for his little companion, so he approached him and carried him gently between his massive palms, saying: "I can take you there."
Argus wondered while dangling in the air: "Really, Pola? Does this man possess a lot of information?"
Pola thought for a while and then said confidently: "He is extremely smart, so I believe so."
Argus, out of excitement, began moving his hands randomly, then pointed to Pola and said: "Let's goooo, Pola! Let's set off!"
Pola laughed deeply and took his first step out of the river pass, repeating: "Let's set off, Argus."