Chapter 38: The Path to the Ruins and Nima’s Practice Battle.

Chapter 38: The Path to the Ruins and Nima's Practice Battle.

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SHE STATED SINGING while packing some snacks into her bag dry 🥕🥕.....

La La La~ 🎶 🎵 

Despite her playful demeanor, she was focused and efficient.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Ready!" she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder.

The siblings set out, they want to come back early before morning, the old man Xian Yu will come in the morning to train kent. They have to come back before morning. 

As they left the city behind, the landscape grew wilder, the air thicker with spiritual energy.

"So, what do we know about this ruin?" Nima asked, hopping over a fallen log.

"Not much," Kent admitted. "Just that it's ancient and dangerous. The map shows some markings around the area, probably warnings or traps."

"Traps?" Nima said, her eyes widening. "Like, 'fall into a pit and get eaten by a monster' traps?"

Kent chuckled. "Something like that. That's why you need to stick close to me."

Nima nodded solemnly, her hand resting on Kent 's hand. Okay I understand. 

As they ventured deeper into the wilderness, the sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal calls grew louder. Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the forest.

Kent froze, motioning for Nima to stay behind him.

Kent crouched in the forest, his senses heightened as the pack of Silver Fang Wolves (Level-E) emerged from the shadows, their silvery fur glowing faintly under the moonlight.

"Well, this is unexpected," Kent muttered, summoning his fire aura on his hand. "Nima, stay behind me."

"No!" Nima said, her voice steady but determined. "I can fight. Let me handle this!"

Kent glanced back, a mix of pride and concern flashing in his eyes. "Alright, but be careful. Use the bear and keep your distance."

Nima nodded, summoning her Soul Bear with a sharp command. The spectral bear materialized beside her, its translucent form now more defined after leveling up.

The pack began to circle, their glowing eyes locked onto the siblings. One wolf lunged at Kent, its jaws snapping.

"Flashing Step!" Kent shouted, activating his movement skill. He dashed sideways, leaving a trail of dust. Then he uses fire aura to engulf the wolf mid-leap. It yelped, retreating with scorched fur.

Meanwhile, another wolf charged at Nima. She reacted quickly, summoning her Soulbinder chains. The spectral chains shot out, wrapping around the wolf and pinning it in place.

"Now, Bear!" Nima commanded.

The Soulbear roared and pounced on the immobilized wolf, its spectral claws tearing into the creature's spiritual energy. 

The wolf howled before collapsing into a faint mist, its essence absorbed by the Soul Orb.

As the fight continued, Nima noticed the Soul Refinement Orb glowing faintly on her. She instinctively reached for it. Why is it glowing Kent? 

Kent said the Soul Orb must have taken the wolf soul. It works this way automatically. I didn't find any way of controlling it. 

Let me check. Nima said. She focuses her spiritual energy and sense into the Orb. She can feel the orb responding to her. 

She said Kent I can control the Orb. I can choose which soul to keep. I guess it's because you don't have talents like mine. That's why you couldn't do it. 🤭

.... 🍃

Meanwhile, Kent defeats one wolf. 

The orb glowed brighter as it absorbed another wolf's soul. Nima felt a surge of energy, a new connection forming between her and the orb.

"Let me see if I can throw out the wolf soul or not." Then the newly collected wolf soul is thrown out by her command.

"It's working!" she called out to Kent. The soul refinement orb now fully listens to me. I can even throw out a soul from the Orb. 

"That's my genius sister!" Kent shouted, launching a fire-infused punch at another wolf. "Keep going!"

+999 SP copied from Nima. (Pride)

As the remaining wolves attacked, Nima grew more confident, Defeating them and using the orb to selectively absorb their souls. 

She managed to direct the orb to avoid weaker souls, focusing only on the strongest ones to benefit her Soul Bear.

Within minutes, the pack was defeated. Nima feeds the Orb to the Bear. Quickly absorb all the Souls. 

The Soulbear stood victorious, its translucent form glowing faintly from the absorbed energy.

Soulbear Level Up: E (Lower) → E (Middle).

The bear let out a deep growl, its form becoming more solid and menacing. Its claws lengthened, and a faint aura of spiritual energy surrounded it.

"Wow," Nima said, staring in awe. "It now reaches the same level as mine."

Kent approached, a proud grin on his face. "Not bad, Nima. You're learning fast. And the orb… you've mastered it already."

Nima smirked, crossing her arms. "Of course. I'm a genius, remember?"

+199 SP copied from Nima (Pride).

Kent laughed, ruffling her hair. "Alright, genius. Let's keep moving. The ruin should be very close."

The dense forest gave way to a clearing, revealing the ancient structure they had been searching for. 

The ruin stood tall, its stone walls covered in vines and glowing runes. The air around it was thick with spiritual energy, making it difficult to breathe for a second.

"This is it," Kent said, his voice low.

Nima clutched her chest, her face tense. "It's so... heavy. Is this normal?"

Kent nodded, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, ruins like these radiate a lot of energy. Just stay close."

As they approached, Kent's sharp eyes caught movement around the ruin. He froze, pulling Nima behind a tree.

"Guards are coming," he whispered.

Dozens of Nexus operatives, the Watchers patrolled the area, their spiritual energy faintly detectable even from a distance. Spotlights swept across the clearing, and a faint shimmer indicated a protective barrier around the ruin.

"Looks like they're not taking any chances," Kent muttered. Kent and Nima heard two watchers talking to each other. 

Watcher One: We have been guarding this place for over a month now. There's still no sign of opening. What do you think, how long will it take to open? 

Watcher Two: I don't know. It's for hire ups to worry about. Our job is to make sure no civilians can come to this place. 

Kent heard their taking. Then he asks the system. Use Appraisal to check how long it will take to open it. 

Ding! 

1000 SP cost. 

System notifications:

Name: Ancient battlefield graveyard ruin. 

Threat level : Medium low 

Opening time: 10 -15 days (depending on spiritual energy recovery of the world.)

Suggest cultivation : Level C 

After reading the notification, Kent said out loud. The ruin is close. Damn it.

"So... what do we do now?" Nima asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kent frowned, weighing their options. "We can't get in right now. The ruin isn't open yet, and there's no way we can sneak past all of them."

Nima's face fell. "So we came all this way for nothing?"

"Not for nothing," Kent said, pointing out the Soul Orb. "We leveled up your bear and got a lot of strong souls. That's progress."

Nima's disappointment lingered, but Kent quickly shifted gears.

"Let's try something," he said. "You've been practicing the Spiritual Clock, right?"

Nima hesitated. "A little... but I'm not good at it yet."

"Now's your chance," Kent said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Focus on masking your presence. Even if it's just for a few seconds."

Nima closed her eyes, summoning her spiritual energy. A faint shimmer surrounded her, but it flickered like a dying lightbulb.

"Not bad," Kent said. "But it's not enough.You have to learn it. I will teach you properly tomorrow. Here, let me help."

He activated his own Spiritual Clock, extending its range to cover both of them. The world seemed to dim as their presence vanished, blending seamlessly with the shadows.

"Whoa," Nima whispered. "This feels... weird."

"It's effective," Kent said, guiding her away from the clearing. "Let's head back before someone notices us."

The siblings moved quietly through the forest, the Spiritual Clock shielding them from any wandering guards. By the time they reached the edge of the forest, the first hints of dawn were breaking through the trees.

Kent deactivated the ability, exhaling deeply. "That was close."

Nima nodded, her face thoughtful. "We'll go back, right? When the ruin will open."

"Of course," Kent said, smiling. "But next time, we'll be stronger."

As they walked back toward their small home, Kent couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Nima was growing stronger every day, and together, they were becoming a force to be reckoned with.

"Get some rest when we get home," Kent said, ruffling her hair. "You've earned it."

"You too," Nima replied, smirking. "You look like you got chased by a pack of wolves."

Kent laughed, shaking his head. "Touché."

With the ruin marked on their mental map and their skills growing, the siblings knew this was just the beginning of their journey. 

As soon as they enter the house. The old man Xian comes. Kent you wake? Today I will give you some different exercises. 

I am so tired 😩. I have to train now. Kent murmurs. 

Grandpa Xian Yu. Can I skip today's training? 

Old man drags Kent for training. Saying, kids of this generation are becoming lazy. I can't let my disciple be lazy.

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