Chapter 58: To Valtuz (Final)
Sun rises again where the camp fire is reduced to faint cinders. I slowly wake up, feeling refreshed.
I look at Gris, Noire, and Fennec sleeping near us and I looked back to see anyone were tailing us. I used Perception to scout out any bandits.
[10 rank C bandits detected. 240 feet away from your direction. They have not yet detected you.]
"Mavros." I whispered. Mavros emerged from the shadow to await my instructions.
"Mavros. Rank C."
[Acknowledged. 80,000 EP deducted.]
Mavros trembled as his body gains more power and his aura thickens. He raised his hands as a sign of celebration of his increase in power.
[Mavros is now Rank C.]
"Now, go kill those bandits." I said.
Mavros nodded and dove into the shadows of the trees, hunting for those I ordered to kill.
Hyoran began to wake up from her sleep as well. She yawned and stretched her arms to get rid of her stiffness.
"Morning, Hyoran." I said.
"Morning. Are feeling better?" Hyoran said as she placed her hand on my cheek.
"Yeah, thanks." I replied. Gris, Noire, Fennec, Stein, Flammen, Vampa, Paura, Schwarze, and Burya woke up from our voices.
"Morning, everyone. Ready to start moving again?" I said. I look at the smoldering campfire and used Water ball on it to fully extinguish it.
We began packing up to start our journey again to Valtuz.
{Meanwhile...}
The ten bandits were walking through the forest carrying large packs on their backs. They speak their daily lives as bandits and surviving.
"That camp is done. Every single one of them were killed." one bandit said with a red bandanna.
"That monster must be at least an A rank for sure for it to rampage. But the bull is missing." said a bandit wearing a gray mask.
"It gotta be some Gold adventurers or higher who sniffed it out." One goblin bandit said with a scar across his nose.
"The bigger problem is that we haven't heard nor seen Freddie and Grundel. Even Arzus." one gray wolf beastkin said.
"I heard rumors that a blue haired wolf beastkin killed Grundel. I also saw Noltia having more adventurers out. Even guards are moving around to find strays." one lizardman said.
"Shit, Grundel's dead!? He's almost at S rank!" the red bandanna yelled in disbelief.
"If that's the case, we should let Zaneth know about it." one orc said.
"And risk pissing him off? We barely convinced him to have one of his bulls and now it's gone." the gray wolfkin said.
"Hey! Look!" one bandit said with an eye patch. He is pointing at something, at someone...something floating.
"Holy shit, it's a Wraith! But the sun is in full blast! It shouldn't be out there!" the scarred goblin yelled.
"It's more than that. The Wraith evolved enough to withstand the sunlight." the gray wolfkin said, stepping backwards.
"Yeeeargh!" one bandit yelled and struck down the Wraith with his war hammer. The dirt and debris was scattered upon impact.
"Wraith no more." the bandit said as he rested the war hammer on his shoulder.
*Shoom!*
A mist like trail went by and it seemed that it went past the bandit's neck. Shortly after, the bandit collapsed, limp, lifeless.
"Hey, you okay!?" the bandanna yelled only to see that the hammer wielding bandit is unresponsive and the wraith remained standing, holding a pale bluish wisp. The wraith then crushed it and gained power for its own.
"Oh god...that thing ate his soul!"
"He's not even hurt!"
*Shoom!*
*Thunk!*
An arrow flew by and struck the wraith, but it went through it and hit the tree behind it. The wraith remained unharmed.
"No way...that thing phased right through!"
"Run! We gotta-"
*Shoom!*
Another swipe from the wraith claims another soul. When it comes to adventurers without magic facing a incorporeal enemy, it's a worst possible match up.
Usually, weaker Wraiths float aimlessly and sometimes doesn't attack on sight. However, the evolved ones are territorial and will attack anyone who invades it.
There are other occurrences where Wraiths hunt down someone, but it's only where the Wraith was attacked first and will hunt down the attacker.
But this time, a Wraith decided to hunt down first.
When the bandits realized that they lost two of their comrades instantly, they began running. Strangely, the Wraith was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did it go?"
"Who cares, we're getting out of here!"
*WOOSH!*
A wide swipe crosses 3 bodies, claiming 3 separate souls. Only for the Wraith to consume it whole.
"What?! It was gone before!"
"Look! It can go through shadows! We're already in a disadvantage!"
*WOOSH!!*
*WOOSH!!*
*WOOSH!!*
Multiple swipes cut the bodies and yet the bodies were unharmed. However, the souls of the bandits were taken and consumed by the Wraith.
The Wraith soon turned around and dove into the shadows again, returning to whence it came.
{Now...}
The trees are still packed together as we continued through the forest for a good while. Some have us turn to the side, some force us to go around. At the very least the monsters run at the sight of us since I have multiple going in a group and are strong at that.
[10 rank C targets slain. 500,000 EP acquired.]
[Unique Skill acquired for Mavros. Soul Eater.]
"Soul Eater?"
[Correct, since Mavros is Incorporeal, it can attack the soul. It can also increase its rank by consuming enough souls.]
That makes Mavros even more threatening if done right. It also saves me my already large EP bank. However, it's easy to splurge on weapons and armor, but I still have a problem. I reached the peak of Humanity in this world if not went beyond. I could evolve to a High Human, but since I am not an Outworlder nor blessed by any deity, that's impossible.
*Hwoosh...*
A soft sound of cloth flutter in the air and flew right in front of me. It's Mavros and it seems he's done.
"Mavros, you're finished?" I said. Mavros nodded at my question and dove back in my shadow.
"Where did Mavros go?" Hyoran asked.
"He went to kill bandits that were tailing us." I answered.
"Already? He's finished already?" Hyoran said.
"Yeah, he can sneak through shadows and travel fast so he is able to finish quickly." I said.
"If that's the case, will we be able to take on bandits much bigger than the last?" Hyoran said.
"No, not by brute force, also we don't know where its base at yet." I said. Although I already knew where the base is. However, I need to find a way to thin the numbers of the opponents without spreading too thin. If they're sending out forces piece by piece and space 'em out, I might pull this off.
However, if they bust a load on Noltia and the villages by going all out, it's a problem even with Noire and Gris going all out. I should send Gris, Noire, Mavros, Burya, or Vampa to deliver messages to my village and Noltia together if things were to go south.
{2 hours later...}
The trees began to thin out as we proceed closer to Valtuz, as I look out, it is just as I imagined. This place has multiple wooden houses, some of which have nobles have their houses built on high quality wood. But the big one is where it is made of stone and is three stories high, almost like a castle. That place is where the feudal lord is at where the rebels suddenly went quiet. Also, the gates are open seeing that the rebellion is over and safe to enter.
"Noire, hide in Hyoran's shadow." I said.
"Woof!" Noire barked and jumped in Hyoran's shadow.
"Schwarze, Burya, Vampa, find trees to stay hidden." I said. The three birds spread their wings and flew off of Steinberg's and Flammenberg's backs.
"Fennec, jump in Hyoran's arms." I said. Fennec jumped off of Flammenberg and Hyoran carried Fennec. Fennec then wrapped herself around Hyoran to secure herself. Like a scarf.
"She's so fluffy..." Hyoran said.
"The rest of you wait here. Gris, I might call you, so be ready." I said.
The preparations are almost complete, now I have to find the hideout for the rebels if I want to get in.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
NightlyWinter
NightlyWinter That's the last chapter of Valtuz! This time, the MC will "infiltrate" the city. How will it work out?
Weekly Power Status
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