"Sigh, did you find anything else?" Jack asked after a moment of silence for him to organize his thoughts.
Uli fidgeted slightly and looked around before pulling out something from his pockets.
"T-This…I found a lot of these soul stones there. I don't know what their rank is though." He said as he handed the small soul stone to Jack.
Jack didn't think much about it and grabbed the soul stone. However, the moment he grabbed it, his hand released the soul stone and a horrified expression appeared on his face.
For a moment, the only sound that could be heard inside the room was the soul stone falling and hitting the ground before rolling away.
Jack froze in his place like a statue as he eyed the soul stone without blinking even once.
"...." He moved his lips and muttered something but no one could hear him
"What is it, Jack?" Torn asked confusedly as he stood up to pick the soul stone.
"An SSS-Rank soul stone…That's a fucking SSS-Rank soul stone!!" He said twice with the second time being basically a loud shout.
"...What?" Torn couldn't believe him as he walked to the soul stone and picked it up.
His expression wasn't that much different than Jack's as his eyes also widened to their limit.
"It's true. How is that even possible?"
"I don't fucking know. SSS-Rank soul stones should only exist in the core areas of Ecrasia. This is weird…Really weird."
Acht was also listening to the conversation and the term SSS-Rank hit him strongly.
He knew very well how rare an S-Rank soul stone was. So, there was no need to talk about SSS-Rank soul stones since they were nothing but legends found in books.
"The last time these things existed in the Lower World was before the Descension War. How did they end up here?" Jack asked.
"Maybe they have been left there since then." Torn gave his opinion on the matter as he also fell into deep thought.
Jack shook his head as he pulled out a book from his spatial ring and started turning papers until he stopped on a certain page.
"No, according to the book, Soul Stones can't keep their energy inside of them for a long time. SSS-Rank soul stones, being the highest possible grade, could only keep their energy inside them for as long as 30 years at maximum."
He then closed the book and added.
"If this is true then these soul stones were put there not long ago by something…or someone."
His deduction made the atmosphere grow heavier. They all knew what the meaning of his words was.
As they were going back and forth like that, the other Nightingale members came to the bar. The urgent call made them leave everything they were doing and rush to the place.
Even Lenny came back not long after them.
After explaining the situation, Lenny had a huge frown on his face.
"Did some Ecrasia inhabitants come here? How did they even pass…the barrier." As he muttered those words, his eyes lightened up with understanding.
For a second, he forgot the matter of the barrier starting to break, and that made him feel even more troubled. However, the old man still kept his calm look.
So, with that in mind, he stood up and said in a loud and authoritative tone.
"Listen, you all! We have to stop our plans for now and we will go to the northern peaks. This matter is urgent and very important."
Hearing his words, Acht's face turned grim, and stepped up with a calm yet cold tone.
"Don't even think about it." He said.
"What?"
"Those creatures. I know them very well." Acht answered.
He was not willing to say such a secret to them but going to a place where many of those creatures exist was also out of the question. If they somehow awaken and get out of the capsule then death is the only thing waiting for him and every Nightingale member.
"I have seen one of them before. You don't even want to think about meeting one of them. They are just a bunch of unbeatable creatures. I have never seen in my life something as strong as them."
His words kept making Lenny's face turn more and more serious.
Then, his next words were like the last nail in the coffin.
"One of them could probably destroy this whole planet single-handedly. If you have any value for your life and your team's lives, you better don't do it. Or, you can go but don't involve me in it." Acht said as he was about to leave again.
Everyone looked at him with a complicated gaze. They couldn't understand whether he was lying or telling the truth. However, they were also believing his words to a certain extent.
However, Lenny didn't get angry or anything of that sort, he just merely said.
"You know, Acht? If my assumptions are right then this world is on the steps of a war on a massive scale that will rival the Descension War itself. Billions will die and everything will be destroyed. This will also affect you and everyone else."
He then rubbed his beard and continued.
"They could destroy a whole planet single-handedly you say? Well, if that is true then that's even more of a reason for us to go. Look at them, Acht. Do they look like people who fear death?" He asked.
Acht instinctively looked at the other members and could see only two emotions in their eyes, determination, and fearlessness.
"Now, I won't force you to go since you warned us and that's more than enough for us to know what we are going to face. But, we will never stop advancing towards our goal no matter what."
Acht stood silent for a good 30 seconds as he eyed the old man.
"What is your goal, Lenny? What the fuck do you thrive to reach for you to do all of this? What is it that you want for you to do all of this and sacrifice all of this for?" He asked with an angry tone.
He was irritated at Lenny. He hated him with all his heart but he also wanted to understand why he was like that.
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