CH 22: Everyone Lives(2)

As Astrid continued her search for the perfect hiding spot, she slipped through a narrow gap in the rocks. Suddenly, she saw a massive pond nestled between towering natural rock walls.

Astrid's eyes lit up. 'Why has no one found this place?' she thought in delight, climbing down the steep slope.

"This place is just perfect," Astrid muttered, gazing around at the serene beauty of the pond. But her happiness was short-lived.

A notification from the Chat Group System popped up, shattering her moment of peace.

[Bewilderbeast prefers to live in water]

Astrid froze, her gaze fixed on the message in disbelief. 'Why didn't you tell me that earlier? I would have gone to the sea,' she thought, turning to leave. But then, she remembered the egg was still small, and her eyes lit up again. She saw the pond in a new light.

Astrid walked towards the pond, crouching at the edge to check its depth. To her surprise, she even saw fish swimming within its clear waters. 'This place just keeps on getting better and better,' she thought enthusiastically.

"How long before the egg hatches?" Astrid whispered, peering into the pond, wanting to assess its depth.

[00:26]

'It's enough time,' Astrid thought, quickly stripping off her belt and leather skirt. She jumped into the pond, diving into its center.

The pond was deeper than she had imagined. She dove deeper, finally spotting a huge hole leading to an underground cave, a place where fish would go in and out.

Astrid hesitated for a moment. It was too risky to explore the cave now.

She swam upward, breaking the surface with a gasp of air. She swam back to the edge, shaking her hair to get rid of the water. 'I need to explore that cave. There shouldn't be any dragons seeing the fish coming and going so calmly,' she thought, trying to dry her hair with her hand.

"How much time before it hatches?" Astrid asked, squeezing the water out of her hair.

[00:11]

Astrid nodded, her mind already racing. She opened the Chat Group System and contacted Ragnar.

[Viking Warrior]: @Wyrmling Since you know about information about our world, do you know any information on how to take care of a dragon?

Ragnar, who was eating his breakfast, widened his eyes slightly. 'Looks like she's going to hatch the Bewilderbeast,' he thought, shaking his head with pity. He remembered that Astrid had wanted to send the dragon to him at the start.

[Wyrmling]: What do you want to know?

[Wyrmling]: If it's about Bewilderbeast, it's an aquatic dragon. I recommend you to raise it in the ocean or sea.

Astrid paused, her brows furrowed. 'Aquatic Dragon?' she thought. It was the first time she had encountered something like that. The dragons that attacked Berk were always flying.

[Viking Warrior]: I know the System Advised it as well.

[Viking Warrior]: I already found a place to put it. There is a pond and natural rock walls perfect for hiding a dragon.

[Wyrmling]: Pond? You're not going to raise a Bewilderbeast on a pond, right?

[Wyrmling]: Your Dragon is going to grow up a hundred times bigger than any Dragon you have seen.

"What!" Astrid blurted out in shock, her eyes widening. She couldn't even imagine a colossal dragon. 'Could Berk even survive an attack from that kind of dragon?' she thought horrified.

[Viking Warrior]: @Wyrmling Is there any Dragon that is huge close to Berk?

[Wyrmling]: It's not a Bewilderbeast, but it's huge as well.

Astrid stood up, her excitement growing. She hurriedly questioned Ragnar for answers.

[Viking Warrior]: Where? Where is it?

[Wyrmling]: I can tell you. I can even tell you how to defeat it, but we need to agree on a deal first.

[Viking Warrior]: You Greedy Dragon!

Astrid was frustrated. She picked up a stone on the ground and threw it into the pond, making the water splash from her strong force.

[Viking Warrior]: What do you want?

Astrid calmed herself. She needed this information. 'The whole of Berk needs this information,' she thought.

Ragnar, who had already expected this reaction from Astrid, showed a sly smile. He knew she wouldn't be able to help asking for the information, even if she didn't want to.

[Wyrmling]: I actually just want one dragon.

[Wyrmling]: A Night Fury.

Astrid's jaw dropped. She knew what a Night Fury was. She had heard tales of these elusive, powerful dragons, but she had never seen one, no one had seen one alive.

[Viking Warrior]: I think you have forgotten that we can't send anything Alive in the mail!

Astrid replied as she thinks about items that she could trade with Ragnar knowing she couldn't catch and trade a Night Fury.

Ragnar who was about to happily put the food on his mouth, froze in shock, 'I forgot about that,' he thought before pondering for a moment.

[Wyrmling]: When the Chat Group System Upgraded maybe we can send something alive right?

Astrid sighed seeing Ragnar's stubborn reply, 'How did you even catch one of those?' she thought as she hadn't seen anyone surviving or escaping from a Nightfury's attack as it never missed.

Responding from Astrid's thoughts the Chat Group System Released a Mission.

[Major Destiny Detected]

[Mission 2: Catch the Nightfury before anyone can!]

[Reward: Night Fury Egg, Dragon Connection]

[Destiny Detected]

[Mission 3: Be the first Viking in the Berk to tame a Dragon!]

[Reward: Dragon Riding, Dragon Language]

Astrid eyes widened realizing the Night Fury was more important in the future of her world.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

Serafall presented three rings and three pairs of earrings, their shimmering surfaces catching the light.

"What do you want in exchange?" Sona asked, placing the jewelry in her hand then making the rings and earrings vanished, as it was sent to Ragnar through the Mail function of the Chat Group System.

Serafall's eyes narrowed. 'No magic energy, or Demonic energy. How did she do that?' she wondered, but she didn't ask. She knew Sona would tell her if she wanted to.

Sona saw the inquisitive look in her sister's eyes. She didn't plan on hiding it, knowing that the only person she could truly trust in the entire world was her sister.

"Mou~" Serafall tapped her lips, tilting her head as if deep in thought. Then she looked Sona in the eyes, a mischievous glint in them. "How about a kiss, So~tan?"

Sona just smiled, pushing her glasses up before crossing her arms. "You can leave if you want to."

"Don't be like that, I pestered Ajuka for the things you want!" Serafall said, disappearing in a flash of magic before reappearing behind Sona, hugging her waist. She rubbed her head against Sona's cheek.

Sona released a tired sigh, but she didn't push her sister away. "Aren't you gonna ask about what I just did?"

"Why? Are you gonna tell me?" Serafall asked, her voice laced with playful annoyance, as she continued to nuzzle against Sona. She knew that Sona would reveal her secrets when she was ready.

Sona stayed silent for a moment, clenching her fist. But she didn't say a word.

"See? That's why I'm not gonna ask. You will tell me at the right time," Serafall said with a smile, letting go of Sona, but then she sneakily kissed Sona's forehead.

"Levia~than is going to work," Serafall said, waving towards Sona before a magic circle appeared on the floor, and she vanished.

Sona wanted to scold her sister, but she just showed a wry smile, looking at her fist. 'Looks like I need to get stronger,' she thought, her eyes flickering with determination. She would do whatever it took to get stronger, and trading with Ragnar for more information seemed like a good place to start.

She knew that she was walking a dangerous path, but she was willing to take the risks. She had to protect those she loved, and that meant becoming stronger than she ever thought possible.

•-----•-----•-----•-----•

"Both of you can't escape!" the Soul King shouted, a cruel grin spreading across his face. He and his companions charged towards Huo Yuhao and Huo Yutong, who were desperately trying to put distance between them.

"Fifth Soul Skill: Wind Storm Arrow!" The Soul King roared, his fifth purple Soul Ring flickering as a wind element arrow converged on his bow Martial Soul.

Huo Yuhao, hearing the man's arrogant shout, hurriedly pulled his mother behind a sturdy huge tree.

"Do you think you'll be safe behind a tree?!" The Soul King laughed in disdain as he released the arrow, its tip a blur of purple wind.

SWISH BOOM

The Wind Arrow slammed into the tree, shattering its trunk. The tree exploded, sending splinters flying through the air like deadly projectiles.

Huo Yuhao and his mother were thrown backwards by the force of the blast, tumbling across the ground, their bodies bruised and aching.

"Take them both! The Duchess wanted them both alive!" The Soul King yelled, his Martial Soul disappearing as his companions moved to capture Huo Yuhao and his mother.

The Soul King walked towards Huo Yutong, his grin lustful. "Now, the Duchess didn't say anything about not allowing us to have fun with you," he whispered, crouching down beside her, his hand reaching for her hair. He pulled her head back, forcing her to look at him.

"Let's see if your fiery gaze is still there after I'm done with you," the Soul King said, licking his lips, unfazed by Huo Yutong's furious glare.

Just as the Soul King was about to tear off her clothes, he heard a deafening explosion, a sound that echoed through the forest, silencing his lecherous intentions.

Bang

The Soul King turned around. One of his companions lay on the ground, his face mangled, half of it missing.

He hurriedly stood up, but another explosion ripped through the air.

Bang

This time, his last companion was dead, his chest destroyed, a gaping hole where his heart should have been.

The Soul King looked up, his eyes filled with fear and confusion. He saw Huo Yuhao standing there, holding a large metal stick, aimed at him.

"Soul Tool! How did you have that?" The Soul King shouted, his voice filled with horror. A cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He didn't receive any information that Huo Yuhao got a Soul Tool in possession.

"Leave!" Huo Yuhao roared, his voice echoing through the forest. He raised a shotgun, its barrel aimed at the Soul King's head.

"I– I know," the Soul King stammered, his voice trembling as he backed away.

"If I don't, what would you do?" he asked, his eyes narrowed, as he began to realize something when Huo Yuhao didn't kill him already.

"Then I'll kill you!" Huo Yuhao shouted, pointing the shotgun at the Soul King's head.

"Huh," the Soul King scoffed. He took a step forward, then another, his pace quickening. "You see, if you can kill me, you would have already done it by now."

Huo Yuhao's face turned ugly. He realized the truth of the Soul King's words. His shotgun was empty, the two shots he had fired earlier were all he had.

Ragnar, who given the shotgun to him, already informed him of the gun's limited capacity.

"Mom," Huo Yuhao called out to his mother, his voice filled with desperation. He needed her help.

"Boy, your mother couldn't help you!" the Soul King laughed, a cruel glint in his eyes. He had information about Huo Yutong, and he knew she wasn't even a Soul Master.

"We'll see about that," Huo Yuhao said, a steely glint in his own eyes. His Martial Soul flared, a wave of golden light engulfing him as a huge Platinum Soul Ring appeared behind his back.

"First Soul Ring: Mental Shock," Huo Yuhao whispered. He activated the reward he had gained through the Chat Group System: Conscious Space Control: allowing him in channeling Tian Meng's power without any problem.

The Soul King was stunned. He felt a searing pain shoot through his brain, his thoughts scrambled and his movements frozen. He was trapped, his mind overwhelmed by Huo Yuhao's powerful mental assault.

"You–" The Soul King managed to gasp out, his face contorted in agony. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey. He saw Huo Yutong standing in front of him, her dagger, dripping with blood.

Then he felt a sharp pain in his throat, followed by a wave of dizziness. His blood gushed out, staining his shirt crimson.

Finally he fell to the ground, clutching at his throat, before succumbing to his wounds.

"Blegh," Huo Yuhao and Huo Yutong puked at the same time. The adrenaline that had fueled them during the chase had worn off, leaving them drained and shaken as they stared at the corpses of the Soul Masters they had just killed.

"Come on, let's go!" Huo Yutong said, her voice was raspy. She pulled Huo Yuhao away from the scene, her face pale with the horror of what they had just done.

"Are you sure we have to go there?" Huo Yutong asked worriedly as they stood on the outskirts of another empire.

"Yes, that sect will help me get stronger in the future," Huo Yuhao said quietly, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.

Huo Yuhao checked his Mission Log, looking at the mission that appeared because of the information he got from Ragnar. It was a mission that had the potential to change his fate.

[Mission 2: Join the Body Sect/Ben Ti Sect]

[Reward: Soul Tool Knowledge, Soul Forging Technique]

"Then let's go. We don't have anything waiting for us here," Huo Yutong said, her voice tinged with bitterness. She looked back at the direction of the Star Luo Empire, knowing that they wouldn't have a better life even if Dai Hao returned.

Huo Yuhao and his mother continued their journey, their footsteps echoing through the silent forest, as they rushed towards their new destination, The Heavenly Soul Empire.

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