Right after Corin and Ruri’s departure, the whale got the news that everything was ready. That morning, the group gathered again and set off, crossing the spatial channel twice. This time, they didn’t fall far into the sea; everyone was already trained and prepared, so they landed directly on the deserted beach.
It was still morning, and they could only use Rehvka’s power to hunt at night. But Alm and Bruno chose this moment to return intentionally. Everyone in the group was already aware of their concerns, so they all swallowed the concealment pills after entering the forest and split up.
Through the array, the whale could sense them if they encountered any danger. Everyone searched for any trace of something wrong, no matter how small. They were all cultivators and experienced fighters; they knew how to detect when something done using Qi and Laws appeared.
Even without being able to sense the distant beast like the whale could; when they were within close proximity of 100 meters from it, their physical power and danger would instinctively alert them. They wouldn’t alert the beasts within their territories.
When mid-afternoon came, nothing was found. But Alm and Bruno felt something instinctively and moved silently. The direction they followed led to a deeper region of the forest. They quickly saw signs of a battle on the ground, then halted their steps.
Through the array, using only the power of the soul, they could communicate with the others. Rehvka was called and arrived in minutes. She could hide for a few seconds, even during the day. They pointed in a direction in a potentially dangerous zone, and she could go and come back in less than a minute.
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They could use the soul to sense, but they preferred to play it safe. Something powerful enough to use Qi in this place could easily sense their souls.
When Rehvka returned, her expression was tense. She directly passed her memories to them. Seeing through her eyes, Alm and Bruno took a deep breath. There were indeed signs of battles where they weren’t just using physical means; it could only be something involving Qi and Laws. It was very weak and subtle, but it shouldn’t exist on this continent. A hidden danger was lurking, and it could move and ambush them easily.
’That confirms our troubles; things couldn’t be easy in any way...’ Bruno murmured.
Alm, still immersed in that image, noticed something. ’The death aura is very recent in the place; this happened a few hours ago. The beast that should exist there is very powerful, but the power level in Qi and Laws in the environment is very weak.’
’A bit of Qi and Laws is already enough to defeat a beast without cultivation. You just need a strong physical too,’ Bruno added, and soon his mind understood. ’And if... the enemy’s level is low... he may have fought against the beast without using Qi. Then he saw that he wouldn’t win, or got into some danger; soon he used that to defeat it as a last resort.’
Alm continued, ’It seems to be the case. Trees were broken from above, the beast was of the flying type. I would say it was an ambush. If the hidden enemy is low-level and was ambushed, the beast attacked because it knew it would win. There are no bodies, but there is a lot of blood. I think no one won, and by the destruction, there was a chase.’
’Do you want to go after it?’ Bruno asked, surprised.
Alm sighed dryly. ’It could be an opportunity. Heaven’s Will always throws things in front of us to stumble upon. Either we’ll come face to face with something we have to kill, or something that can be useful to us.’
Bruno agreed. The two had already accepted that they were always being manipulated. They now had methods to escape with everyone and cards to use in the worst situations. And if it’s something from Heaven’s Will, they would demand a quest and rewards that compensated for the risks; or they would just do what they wanted.
It was already late afternoon; it wouldn’t hurt to wait a few more hours for the night. Everyone in the group gathered, and the whale explained its assumptions. Everyone went pale; was he crazy? Was he going to jump into the tiger’s mouth, and the risks were immense? There was hidden danger and a beast capable of cornering him, and the group had little or no information about them.
They didn’t know about the system and the rewards. They had no idea that everything they received from the whale came from it, and that was the most important thing for everyone; much more than the beasts. But none of them said anything... they trusted and knew this round figure; mortal danger and miracles walked side by side with him.
As soon as the dark cloak of night covered the forest, they moved silently together. Everyone passed through the area where traces of the battle were found. The whale looked and felt quickly, then turned in a direction; the chase must have followed that side.
Rehvka went ahead in a straight line, while the whale used its divine soul to sense the sides for signs of any ambush. They ventured deeper into the forest, and even though they were far apart, everyone felt pressure and danger coming from the beasts around.
Close to midnight, the whale stopped its steps and immediately called Rehvka back. In a point to the right, they felt with their divine soul something hidden among the bushes. It seemed to strive to remain concealed, but it didn’t escape their notice.
Rehvka moved stealthily, dagger in hand. But... she quickly called the whale and everyone ran. It didn’t seem dangerous because it was unconscious and injured. It was a humanoid figure; but it was different from all humanoid races they knew.
It was clearly a man, four meters tall, skin completely blue and stained red from his own blood. Two sharp horns protruded from his head, but he wasn’t a demon and had a balance of Yin and Yang in his body. He was muscular like an orc, but there was an aura of ancestry and respect in him; not frenzy and savagery.
He seemed like a humanoid sub-race, but his bloodline didn’t have the same traits as Corin’s; on the contrary, it seemed to be something primitive and as ancient as his. It was similar to many things, but completely different from everything. It was an unknown race that gave everyone a strange feeling.
He seemed one step away from death. Bruno obviously wouldn’t heal him like that; he could be an enemy. So he just used a thread of power from faith, which penetrated his body and restored him a little... enough for him not to die immediately and to be able to wake up.
He opened his eyes almost in surprise, then tried to get up, but only spat a lot of blood and realized his deplorable state. The whale stared at him along with everyone in silence, the figure looked at them for a while, then opened his mouth.
"Humans... you’re the ones who were lurking around not long ago..."
The whale snorted in response. "So it was your race that was watching us? You..."
"Human, I don’t know how you got here... but... you were hunting for precious things, right?" The figure spoke, interrupting the whale seriously. He knew clearly that he wouldn’t last more than a few hours alive; but he wouldn’t allow himself to die without doing something.
The whale just nodded, and he continued. "I possess something precious. My core is a unique ancestral thing of my race. You’re just a mortal on this ascending planet, but if you absorb my core, you’ll be feared even in the divine world."
"Hm? Are you telling me this why? Do you think I won’t go after others of your race to get everything from them?" The whale spoke, while Alm emitted a villainous aura excitedly, but Bruno cut in immediately.
The figure trembled at sensing this, but it was very brief. He thought he had imagined things, clenched his fists, and continued. "There’s no such risk. If someone takes our core without our authorization, upon our death it loses all its value."
Alm and Bruno just looked at him, glimpsing his innocence. So what? Just capture one alive; there’s no shortage of methods, like torture... Well, they just listened to the rest.
"I’m dying and won’t last long; I’m willing to give you my core. But I need a favor. Contact my race and tell them what happened... I’m sure she’s still alive... they can save her." He spoke, losing his strength at the end. But his eyes drew strength from where it didn’t seem to exist.
Everyone felt his genuine sorrow and desire to save someone important. The eyes of everyone in the group trembled with his pain, but the whale’s were full of excitement. They would gain a strange core and still information from the race? They would have a source of this treasure to extract from them, excellent! But cutting through their excitement, a green screen appeared.
[Optional Mission Available 01]
[Save the couple and win over their race]
[Reward 01: +10 Celestial Points]
[Reward 02: +25 Upgrade Points]
[Accept?] [Yes / No]
’Shit,’ Alm dryly cursed.
Bruno nodded thoughtfully. ’Well, we couldn’t let him die... but we have to save her for ourselves if we want to win over the race. Celestial points are rare and scarce, the rewards are good.’
Alm nodded; exactly because celestial points were involved meant it was risky, and at the same time, for the Heaven’s Will, that was important. But... they should have enough to manage... the problem was what would be the cost.
Both just saw the profits, and remembered the sense of danger they felt before... there was no safe or easy route for them, so they accepted the optional mission.