By the time Rael return to the camp after his laborious work, he heard rumors about an escapee among their ranks.
He could not help but think if its Lily.
No, it has to be Lily! Rael thought.
Rael dashed on all fours to where the chamber situated. When he arrived at the hall that separated the chambers, he was stopped by a guard at Combatant Authority Level.
As the guards saw Rael, a loud sound echoed throughout the camp.
"Soulless 171 had been found and—" The audio abruptly stopped, and blurred noises replaced the announcement.
"Lily? It is Lily!" Rael was elated, however as the audio blurred, he could not help but worry.
"You germs trying to wiggle your way out of here, get lost! Do you think an insignificant slave like you could outsmart those with authority!?" As Rael was deep in his thoughts, a guard bellowed furiously at his direction.
"Please, I need to—" Before Rael finished, an enormous spear swats him. A might worthy of the combatant's aura pervaded the area. The movement of the spear was only a simple sweep, yet it seems to carry sufficient force to kill him on the spot.
Suddenly, as if an invisible force guiding him, his arms suddenly moved on its own to block the sweep of the spear; however, due to his lack of physical strength to rival a Combatant with a spear at that, he ended up with a fractured arm.
The guard was startled on how things escalated.
"You crippled rat! You dare speak the language of humanity?! and you even dare to dirty my spear with your nasty hands?!" The guard flickered her eyes with profound hatred, with the glow of the guard's forehead, Rael knew his death looms around the corner.
Talent Seed Manifestation! Physical Prowess 20%!
Cultivators of the power of authority divide the authority rank into five known realms. The Combatant Authority holds the cultivator's survival foundation. Strenuous errands that Novice Authority can do turns to basic task for combatants. This realm also amplifies one's 'Survival Instincts' and 'Morphed Might'; which could be a pivotal point of victory in battles.
If put into an analogy, an infant would be vulnerable to the world due to its pure and basic senses. Meanwhile, an adult has the knowledge and reflexes to sense and conceal the powerful intent of one's attack.
In the end, an infant would be an infant!
The unfavorable part in all this fiasco was Rael is a Soulless!
Rael's back started to cascade sweats sufficient to fill a dam, he closes his eyes and waits for his impending doom.
Then he heard the sound of two metals clashing.
...
Outside the camp, a maiden could be seen scurrying away. It was Quinn.
"Sarane! Let's go now! I found the camp." Quinn hurriedly said, she seizes Sarane's hand, gesturing to leave with her right this instant.
"Where!?" Sarane was startled. Anger was evident in her glare. She wants revenge and would not stop until its quench.
"Don't even think about it! Its unlikely of you to be like this. You're blinded by the circumstance right now, think of the setbacks." Quinn logically stated. It would not be smart for them to go against a whole camp littered with powerful cultivators, possibly armed at that.
"I am not going to ask for the second time, where?" A hint of viciousness flickered in Sarane's eyes. It seems to suggest that Sarane will snap if Quinn spouted words that were all useless information.
Then a mind-boggling phenomenon occurred.
The corpse in Sarane's lap that was supposed to be motionless suddenly trembled. It then proceeded to float in a way that it seems to stand and levitate. Then everything started to lose their color as if they were painted colorless.
"In the end, people are just disappointing are they not? Cultivators or Soulless, you are all still riddled with fear that incapacitates a strong will." One Seven One's 'body' resounded as her eyes open widely. Together with this, a suffocating presence clad them.
Her eyes seem to be deep similar to an undiscovered abyss.
"You have no say to this." With a flick of a finger the surroundings seem to compress, then they suddenly saw the camp moving straight towards them at an alarming speed.
"What in God's authority is this!?" Quinn said, unable to comprehend the logic behind the event that manifested right in their eyes.
Space continued to compress and as soon as they were about to hit the walls of the Soulless camp. Quinn instinctively fortifies herself from what it seems to be an excruciating impact, then something unbelievable happened for the second time.
They phased right away, ignoring the wall as if they were specters.
"What??? Are you seeing this?" Quinn turned to Sarane.
Sarane wasn't stunned by any of this. It was the exact opposite expression Quinn would expect from her as if she had expected this would eventually happen.
"You have no choice but to comply. However, it seems your rationality goes against and suppresses Her influence. Quite impressive for a novice."
"Aren't you a Soulless? and whose influence." Quinn eyed the levitating body.
"You are in no position to question my existence, now turn to your Authority Board." One Seven One's 'body' said. Then the compressing space was put to halt. Then everything went slow motion, Quinn could see everything at a slower rate.
Right in front of them, Quinn saw a Soulless boy fighting a guard armed with a spear.
"Seriously? Very disappointing." One Seven One's 'body' murmured. As the spear was about to hit the Soulless boy squarely, a tiny red thread suddenly latched to the Soulless' hand. The thread then raised the Soulless hands to suppress the spear's force with accurate positioning.
A crack reverberates slowly from the arm.
"Fortunately, no vitals were hit. A cracked bone is far from death's door."
After being stunned by what happened, Quinn suddenly heard a sound in her head.
Ping!
"The Authority Board requests for an emergency task to cultivators Quinn, the young princess of Pendleton Clan and Sarane, the young princess of Von Morgen Clan. An exceptional reward awaits for the hundred percent completion of the task." Then a list of words suddenly emerges from their Authority Board relevant to the task.
"First and foremost the cultivators must stay alive while undertaking the task, any deaths will result in failure."
"Second, the cultivators must find the Crimson Amulet."
"Third, the cultivators must guide Rael to the Crimson Amulet. Under all circumstances, one must not intervene what will arise afterward."
"Fourth, the cultivators must protect Rael with this endeavor."
"Lastly, the cultivators must not kill Rael. Assuming this is the case, the task given would be considered as a failure; and there will be an appropriate consequence given to cultivator Sarane and Quinn.
The Authority Board listed all the prerequisites of the task. Quinn was dumbfounded, and panic starts to overcome her. "No sh*t! What in God's authority is this exactly!? Who is Rael? Crimson Amulet, what the hell is that? How should we locate an item I have no knowledge about!?"
Then as they thought the Authority Board finished its ridiculous task, another notice resounded once more. "The reward for this task is an exclusive item for each realm under the Nirvana-realm. All in all, five random items would be rewarded to the cultivators. May the god's authority bestowed upon you ensure victory by your hands!"
Five random exclusive items below the Nirvana-realm?
Too generous?
"You might think the task offers a very generous reward; this is a reminder for both of you. This task will surely change not just your future, but the whole of mankind. That man would be the key." One Seven One's 'body' pointed to the young man that was arguing with the guard.
"I suppose that's Rael?" All of a sudden, after being quiet for a long time, Sarane inarticulately mumbled.
"You are quick to catch, you are under His influence yes? I suppose you know the gravity of the situation."
"Yes." Sarane impassively said.
"Good, as I undo my spell, everything will recrudesce to the natural laws of the world. If that next attack hits, your future collapses. Good luck, may the god's authority bestowed upon you ensure the victory by your hands." One Seven One's 'body' vanished from their site, and the surroundings suddenly plunged to a world of colors.
Everything went back to normal.
As it does, they heard a powerful bellow.
"You crippled rat! You dare speak the language of humanity?! and you dare dirty my spear with your nasty hands?!" The guard suddenly glowed with hatred, after that the guard swung his spear.
Seeing this, Sarane and Quinn quickly repel the spear.