Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Mission E (9)

Silence returned to the place where we were, looking around, there's nothing but trees everywhere. Seriously, Zone 1, although not that difficult, can easily make a person lose their mind. Staring at the same thing all the time can be bad for the mind; the environment doesn't help either; it's always gloomy, no light, nothing but monsters lurking, waiting for you to let your guard down. Looking in the direction where the "Black Apple" group was, I sigh; the truth is, having more company is not bad at all. You have more people to talk and socialize with. Coming alone to this place can be fatal.

This place, truth be told, is not bad at all; it's well-hidden and serene. Looking down, I see Elsa sleeping; she's very tired. She has exerted herself a lot for the first day in this place. I want to think that a day has passed; this mission will obviously be long. Looking at her sleeping peacefully, I take out an orb with a mystical coffee-colored glow; honestly, it looks like a small star. The coffee color moves around the circumference; obviously, it's the essence that is moving; thinking, I realize it has a resemblance to Jupiter, the coffee parts, of course.

"I wonder if Jupiter exists, just like the other planets.", even Earth. In the novels I read, sometimes Earth existed at the same time, just at a very distant location."

Thinking about Earth gives me a bit of sentiment. Although living alone had its advantages—internet, games, and more—my parents were not alive. So, I had no one to mourn my death; a bit sad, I know, but sometimes people simply don't have anyone; a very clear example would be the vagabonds.

Shaking my head with useless thoughts, I look at the orb again. Weapon users need to break the orb, as they can only absorb half. When it breaks, the essence is released and runs through your hands. You only need to absorb the coffee-colored essence part; the black part simply disappears into the air.

Applying a little force in my hand, I hear a crunch.

Bang!

I watch as the essence quickly enters my hand, travels through my veins, and goes directly to my orb. The orb is the door to the soul of every living being; once the door is broken, you can never enter your soul again. I feel cold in my arm traveling through my body; the black essence also mixes with the pure essence. I'm a bit afraid; I don't want to get contaminated.

The small threads of essence reach my mana orb; I close my eyes; I want to observe what happens.

I see the combined essence enter, but the coffee essence entered as fast as it disappeared; it went straight to my soul. On the other hand, the black essence is swirling inside my orb; it spins faster and changes color little by little. I feel the part of my chest getting warm, but I don't feel fatigue. A few seconds later, it's completely coffee-colored and disappears; I feel a slight tingling in my soul; it's in perfect condition, no anomalies, it's safe. Feeling satisfied, I check my experience.

[3100/160,000]

Indeed, my ability is capable of purifying the essence of the orb from a creature. However, it doesn't make me immune to the corruption directly released by a true corrupt one. Even the others of lower rank can corrupt you; it doesn't happen immediately. Also, with the right elixirs, they can save you, although they are very few. Only a small portion is lucky enough to be saved; the others didn't have the same opportunity. They turned into creatures of the same rank. For example, if your rank was emerald, you become a fallen one. Rumors say that all the creatures in this forest used to be humans...

I shudder at the possibility that the rumors might be true. Although it was told in the novel that the war was a thousand years ago, some doubted how true this information was. An interview was conducted with the author, but his response was that it could be true or false. So, considering it might be false means that the story is much deeper than it seems. The mystery behind the creatures is never explained; what's beyond Zone 8? Could the secret to ascending to the divine rank be hidden there? Are there more ranks after the divine? And if this question is real, it could mean that there are more zones beyond 8.

I feel my mood gradually worsening; many questions and zero answers. I realize that nothing is known about this world, only the main plot, nothing more. I am weak right now; I should worry about that first; the rest comes later.

Taking all the orbs from my ring, I see a small starlight forming.

Taking one by one, I break them; the problems of the future for the future.

Sometimes the mind is destroyed before reality.

---

After about an hour, I finish absorbing my 26 orbs.

[5600/160,000]

Looking at my experience, I sigh; I still have a long way to go.

Taking the 25 orbs from Elsa, these, unlike the others, had no glow in them; they were completely black.

Taking one with my hand, I break it; small black threads enter through my hand, performing the same procedure, they spin continuously in my orb until they change color.

After a few minutes, I finish absorbing all the orbs.

[6850/160,000]

Something is something; it's good progress considering it was my first kill.

Activating my senses and not feeling any presence around me, I close my eyes. I'm human too, and I need to rest my body and mind. Having fatigue is not good in this place; you always have to take the opportunity to rest, even if it's a little. Obviously, I never let my guard down, not even when I sleep.

---

Opening my eyes, I realize Elsa is still sleeping; she looks so comfortable. Stretching my arms, I shake off the laziness from my body; I want to keep sleeping, but I know I can't be greedy.

Waking up Elsa, we also got moving; we need to advance more. We still have a few hours for this place to get turbulent again. The place where we were, our smell has been impregnated there, it will attract too much attention. We need a new place and something to eat.

This damn place is always the same; nothing changes; it gives you the feeling that you're walking in circles and never progressing.

We walk for a few more minutes; the atmosphere is changing; the whole place is changing again. Once again, hell is back; those bastards always come out at this moment. I need to find another place to put Elsa safe. I take out dried meat from my ring; I have to eat something to have enough energy.

"Here, eat a little; you'll need it."

I offer a piece of meat to Elsa; she accepts it quickly, just like me. She knows what is about to happen. This time, it's just the two of us; there's no one else to help in battle. It's going to be tough, I know, but for some reason, I can't help but feel excited.

"Damn it, I'm definitely messed up in the head; how can I be happy about something like this?"

"I think I'm more afraid of you than those things," Elsa says with a slight smile.

"Hahaha, I can't help it; you know, my bloodline seems to enjoy massacre and war," I reply with a small smile.

We walked a bit further, and I found a branch slightly larger than usual. With a bit of force, I threw Elsa upwards. She grabbed onto the branch and positioned herself on top, giving me a thumbs-up to signal that she's ready

"WOWOWOWOWKWK"

"HAYY HAYY HAYY HAYAYYAYA"

Hearing multiple sounds and noises coming from all directions, I put a smile on my face; the reason, well, I can feel multiple presences approaching our location.

Shit is starting; hell is falling again in this forest forgotten by God, abandoned by God. No one knows anything about this forest; no one knows why this forest exists, what its meaning is, why it's here—simply nothing.

My smile distorts, becoming even wider; they are getting closer and closer.

I see them; the same bastards with their frozen smiles on their faces.

Drawing my sword from my ring, I grip the hilt tightly.

"Let's have fun again, okay?"