Ch 26: Courage & Friendship

[Name: Emrys Frazier.

Cultivation: Elementary Bronze Soul Apprentice.

Soul Mark: Walker of the Blue Sky.

Soul Point: 1722.

Unique Skills: Soul Orb Enhancement, Soul Force Extraction.]

.....

Emrys carefully observed the changes in his information. Other than his cultivation, there was no change.

During his breakthrough, he seemed to have sensed something in his soul. It wasn't the Multicolored Orb, which lay hidden deep within his soul. What Emrys sensed was something dark, something that seemed to bind him, but not 'him' exactly. It was a strange sensation, and the feeling it evoked within him was simply too bizarre, making Emrys very uncomfortable.

However, that sensation only appeared for a mere second before disappearing. No matter how hard Emrys tried, he was unable to sense that weirdness inside him again. In the end, he had no choice but to let go of this matter.

Now that he was already an Elementary Bronze Soul Warrior, the next step was to nurture his Soul Mark with the help of Green Soul Orb. Without wasting time, he took out one of the Green Soul Orbs in his possession. It was not an Ordinary Green Soul Orb but an Elite-leveled Green Soul Orb that Emrys obtained after killing a rather powerful Soul Beast with Rohan and Cairo's help.

Unfortunately, he can only look at this orb for a while before keeping it away.

"It is a pity I don't have enough Soul Points to evolve the Elite-leveled Green Soul Orb into a Mythical-leveled Green Soul Orb."

Emrys sighed and smiled bitterly.

To evolve an Ordinary Green Soul Orb to an Elite-leveled Green Soul Orb requires 100 Soul Points. Subsequently, evolving from Elite-leveled to Master Level, then Epic Level, Legendary Level, and finally Mythical Level requires 200, 400, 800, and 1,600 Soul Points respectively.

In other words, Emrys needed a total of 3,000 Soul Points. Currently, he has around 1,700 Soul Points. It was not enough. He could only wait for the time being.

.....

"You have advanced!"

When Emrys walked out of the small space below the roots of a giant tree, he was greeted by paled-face Rohan and Cairo. Both of them seemed to have gone through something horrible, they didn't look good.

"Hmm! What happened to you two?"

Emrys nodded in response and asked back worriedly.

Could it be that they encountered powerful Soul Beasts while he was trying to advance to the next stage?

Rohan and Cairo's mouths twitched. When that shocking screech echoed in the air and affected them, they clearly sensed that it was coming from the small space below the roots of the giant tree.

Doesn't it mean the phenomena appeared due to Emrys's advancement?

What kind of Soul Mark did he have to cause that kind of occurrence?

"It is nothing. We just encountered a small situation. We are fine, don't worry!"

In the end, Rohan shook his head, deciding not to talk about what happened earlier. After a while, the three of them started going deeper into the forest.

A few hours later, they arrived at the place where a group of dried corpses were scattered.

"All of them used to be Bronze Soul Masters. Just what happened here that they ended up like this?"

Cairo investigated the corpses and tried to find some clues in the surroundings, only to end up with a disappointing result.

Emrys, on the other hand, tried to extract Soul Force from the corpses, however, the result also disappointed him. He failed to extract even a single trace of Soul Force. Emrys was confused. He could not understand why he was unable to extract Soul Force from these corpses.

Could it be that the Soul Force Extraction only works on the corpses of Soul Beasts?

"These people are really unfortunate. They did not die peacefully. Their vitality seemed to have been forcefully devoured by something."

Emrys and Rohan were stunned when they heard Cairo's words. The danger ahead was evident. If they continued deeper into the forest, they might have to face a threat that had forcefully drained the vitality of so many people.

It should be noted that this group of people was not weak. Emrys, Rohan, and Cairo together might not even possess one-fourth of their combined combat ability. Yet, they had still perished without a chance to struggle.

If the three of them were to encounter the same danger, would they be able to escape?

The three of them looked at each other in the eyes. They could not help but recall Riley's warning.

Looking into the distance, they could see blurry visions of a mountain range. If they continued forward, they would be getting closer and closer to the mountains. At that point, not to mention encountering Advanced Bronze Soul Beasts, there was a great likelihood of encountering Silver Soul Beasts as well.

"What should we do?" Cairo asked worriedly.

Rohan looked at Cairo, then he shifted his gaze to look at Emrys, gritted his teeth, and said, "The danger ahead is indeed great. I don't want the two of you to get into trouble because of me. You two should go back and try to find a way to escape this place. I'll go investigate the situation myself."

It wasn't that Emrys and Cairo sought to praise Rohan's courage, but they were genuinely moved by his words. In this precarious moment, where danger lurked around every corner, Rohan exhibited selflessness. He considered their well-being and attempted to ensure their safety by urging them to leave.

It takes extraordinary courage to act in such a manner.

Pa~

Emrys slapped Rohan's shoulder, saying, "What do you mean you don't want us to get into trouble because of you? I'm not here because of you? Serefina was my friend as well. I'm here for her. Most importantly, how can I leave my friend in such a dangerous situation to walk around alone? Let's go together. If any danger comes, we'll fight together!"

Actually, Emrys was not being brave and fearless, he was betting his life on his Soul Mark. He was determined to hunt down powerful Soul Beasts and gather enough Soul Points to upgrade the Elite-leveled Green Soul Orb into a Mythical-leveled Green Soul Orb. He wanted to see what kind of changes nourishing his Soul Mark with Mythical-leveled Green Soul Orb will bring.

"If a danger arises that we cannot deal with, then we'll face it together. It's not like someone is waiting for me to return. And seeing both of you displaying such courage, what reason do I have to hesitate? Let's go together."

Cairo, who had been silent, suddenly laughed and spoke bravely. Though his voice trembled, showing the fear in his heart, Rohan and Emrys couldn't help but be moved by him. In a moment where they might lose their lives horribly, Cairo didn't show cowardice; he chose to stay with them. Just this act alone was enough to solidify him as their trustworthy and close friend.

"Then let's go together!"

Emrys and Rohan nodded and laughed. Then the three of them picked up weapons and usable rations before walking deeper into the forest.