May, who is out of breath and sweating bullets, walk to me. Whispering the "urgent" news she said after she landed.
In fact it really was urgent. I can't believe the Earl would be this fast at apprehending the nobles, now there should be an uproar in the capital. Was he by any chance already prepared to apprehend them? Or was he able to secure a way to communicate to a royal?
"For now, you should go inside and have a rest." I said to May.
She went in though her legs seems to be trembling, I didn't help her since she was giving a vibe saying 'Get away from me if you don't wanna die!'. How scary.
We ate the food and I left after I then went to Earl Jislore's mansion. When I arrive everyone seem to be awfully occupied. A butler who was panting tried to guide me inside.
"You can rest you know. I'll go in by myself I already know the whole layout anyways."
I said that but he is still leading the way, while trying to hide the fact that his exhausted. How commendable.
While following the butler...
[The Goddess of truth, Veritas, will be gone for personal reasons. The Hero's temporary helper will be the God of trickery, Loki]
Huh?
The sphere cloud change color into crimson.
Wait, if Rita isn't here, I won't be able to tell whether people are lying or not right?
"Human, Veritas was ask to do something so meanwhile, I will be your helper. Although, in all honesty I am quite intrigued about you" (Loki)
Knowing that he is the God of trickery, just how can I possibly trust him?
"Don't worry as long as I am your 'helper' I am not allowed to lie to you. My job is basically similar to Rita, I will be telling you when the you are talking to you is lying or not. Just so you know, it was Athena who told me to be your temporary partner. Hehehe!"(Loki)
Yup, I really can't trust him.
The butler led me to an underground room where everything is made up of metal. A bunker perhaps?
"Please continue forward and knock once" (Butler)
"Go ahead there's nothing there, just the person you are looking for" (Loki)
The only reason why I'm going to begin with is because the butler told me to.
I walk forward only to notice when I look back that the stairs was gone. A type of illusion or an endless loop? These kind of things are a huge headache.
Expanding then enveloping the room with my aura I continued to walk, after five minutes a door showed up on both my sides.
Runes? So it was a type of protective rune to entrap a potential invader.
I quickly write all of it down. Now, now, I can't really miss the opportunity of not copying it especially if its something as convenient as this! I basically wasted my aura then.
I open both doors at the same time and there were two Earl's?!
Darkness filled my eyes, losing balance, and a shock from the back.
Ugh.
Opening my eyes as if I just woke up from a deep slumber in a room I've never been. It feels eerie. Despite having immunity to mental and spiritual attacks, what happened?
The door open and the third prince and the earl appeared.
They then explained to me what happened. The stairways was actually a warping gate whereas only pure souls are capable of using, and since I am not 'fully' pure-hearted, it knock me out midway.
I am immune to all kinds of mental and spiritual attacks, additionally the artifact I got that would allow me to stay awake without sleeping. But it doesn't mean that I am immune to things that will make me sleep. If I am somehow knock out that, would still work. Being in a state of 'sleep' does not necessarily mean that I was attack.
Currently we are in the kingdom and I'd rather run than using that warp gate to go back.
(TN: To go back to where Alfred and the others are)
Discussing the plans to what we will be doing for the next days, the three of us brainstorm for a few hours.
I was able to persuade the Earl that the hills will be my property. However it will still be under his jurisdiction for protection purposes. After all, if the land was under a noble, no one would dare to mess with it after hearing that noble was the one who imprison several other nobles of different rankings.
As I go back, there were many monsters. Why do they have to look exactly like the games in my world? Naturally I slaughtered them all.
[Do you want to collect the soul energy?]
Soul energy?
"Humans have soul cores, which is the source of soul energy. Meanwhile animals and beast doesn't and only possess some amount of it" (Loki)
"Well I already know humans have soul cores. The source of aura is from the cultivation of the soul after all"
"Why do you sound like you hate me?" (Loki)
I don't!
I press the "Yes" button.
White clouds started to form into an orb in front of me which were the souls gathering. It was beautiful. As if tiny dew stars were putting a show just for me.
[Where would you like to put the soul energy?]
I don't have any storage or anything like that nor do I have the mana to keep it up like this. If I can manipulate souls, and animals also have soul energy, then I can just put it into an animal. What kind though?
I'll just catch a bird then. Its small and I don't have to feed it much.
I finally got a bird! When I use soul manipulation to get them, they die the instant I do it. How tiring. Good thing healing also restores stamina.
[Putting all the souls into the subject. Would you like to use your skill,
"Yes"
I blacklisted this skill from the beginning since it sounds so malicious. I maybe a madman but I am a pacifist in heart.
[Will you name your first slave?]
That really hurts! Slave?! Poor bird. Can I not just like tame it or something. Does it really have to say the word 'slave'? It did said the word enslavement but...
I give up. It's not like I can change it to something else anyway.
"Nunu. Its name will be Nunu."
continuing my run, Nunu is just resting inside my clothes. Hehehe, now that I look at him like this, his actually cute.
If I remember correctly, tomorrow, I have a match with the prince. Meaning I have to go back again all the way back to the kingdom. Ugh.
"Can I continue feeding Nunu souls?" I ask.
"Yes you can. Doing that, your pet will become stronger. Of course, if it receives a soul of a human which have core, the effects and impact of it will be bigger and better!" (Loki)
I won't kill people just so that I can empower Nunu.
When I got back there was no one in the house. Rather I can feel presence on the training grounds behind the house.
Oh, they're training.
"Hey, I'm back!" I said.
Nrowe greeted me, but the two were so immerse in their fight that they didn't even notice me.
After killing monsters on the way, my level rose to 18. Now I am confident I can win against May on a head on fight anytime. I may actually kill her if I use any martial arts so putting that aside I am confident I can win against her.
After May defeated Alfred, they now notice me. I invoke healing on the two since it also gives back your stamina. Plus, my proficiency would also rise the more I use it.
"Al, I'll teach you how to use aura. Sit here at the center" I said.
He followed my order and cross his legs. I stand behind him to do the ritual.
"First, having aura will greatly benefit you since you can enhance yourself physically and it will be a good use as defensive measures as well since it naturally covers your body. It will be a bit painful are you okay with that?" I ask.
"I am ready!" He replied.
With his unwavering resolve, I then inserted my aura into his body opening all forty-two gateways and unleashing his energy.
It was obvious in his expression that he was in pain so I use my healing to lessen the pain.
"Try controlling your energy like water. Don't stop it, let it flow"
After opening all forty-two gateways. He fainted. It looks like its a success. Normally you need a few years just to grasp aura. This method is illegal even in my world since it is painful. But with my healing and the beast men recovery properties he should have experience about thirty percent what I have experience at most.
I carried him to his room after healing him while Nrowe brought some cloth to dry him.
"Why do you help us a lot like this while knowing we can't pay you back?" Nrowe ask.
She look down, avoiding eye contact.
Hmm, I can't really tell her my reasons though. The normal level cap is 150, however since Alfred has the blessing of the War God, Ares. I can't just let it go by now. Only a few individuals have the blessing of a god no matter what world we are in. Ditching an apostle would be an obviously idiotic move.
"Ah, I don't mean any offensive thoughts to that!" (Nrowe)
"Its okay. My reason for doing all of this is because I can see myself on him when I was younger. I also have a little sister but she died in an accident which is why I can relate why he is desperate to protect you. That's why" I said with a bitter smile.
Of course that's all a lie. I'm an only child to begin with, not to mention I don't socialize as well since anyone who gets near me will have the wrath of my grandfather.
She apologize again and thank me before going back downstairs.
"Do you have fun tricking them? I may not be able to read what it is in your mind, but I got information that you don't even have any siblings" (Loki)
"I don't have fun doing it. Though I can sympathize on their current situation, that is all" I replied.
Night came and the three are asleep and me over here is just preparing for my fight with prince Kaesul.
Doing this in the night is hard. I have to expand my aura everywhere to locate monsters in the dark. Although Nunu can pretty much hunt by himself, he still needs help since he is just an ordinary bird.
I hope it's okay to hunt in another noble's land. Surely no one would be here at midnight...
"Help!"
Seriously? Someone really is here at this time? I went and took a look and saw a woman who is being chased by some men. Assault? She can't be a slave since she is wearing some decent clothes. I'll just listen and stand by first.
While watching closely, they were kidnappers. That would mean that this girl is someone valuable.
I came out and attack the the four men from behind and two were able to dodge. Although the two that I hit weren't knock out and they were still unable to move.
"Who are you?!" (Guy 1)
It doesn't matter who I am. Why should I even give them my name? That will only cause more trouble for me If I do that.
Striking first was pretty much advantageous so taking these two would be easy now.
"Nunu, watch over the other two who aren't able to move." I said.
Nunu chirp and went closer to the two who are laying on the ground.
A battle has started, is what I want to say but these guys are amateurs. Catching them were also easy. After tying them up I begin the interrogation but they suddenly died. Suicide? How stupid are they. Well, since they are dead I will be extracting their souls then. I didn't kill them to begin with so it should be okay. I took three and I gave on to Nunu. I took a look at my stats and all of them raise three each. Does that mean I have to kill people to increase my power? How brutal.
I hit the girl lightly to take her back since talking here where beast and monsters are gathering would be idiotic. And if I don't knock her out, she will just complaint and it will be harder for me who is carrying her.
When I got back Alfred was already awake. I ask him if he can take care of the girl. Since his complexion is better than earlier it should be fine for him to do something like this.
Hahaha! Now my level is 24. After grinding for several hours was worth it. I can't just go to the kingdom now with a low level. I don't want to get humiliated.
[Slave evolution will now commence
Soul rank: normal>rare...
Successful
Species rank: normal
Due to acquiring a soul core. Slave will now receive an ego...
Successful
Slave: Nunu, have acquired ego; arrogance]
Nunu's feathers from light gray turn to dark gray which kinda shine. But the ego is a bit problematic. Arrogance? So it receive the personality of the owner of the soul core. This will be a huge hassle.
[Aura proficiency have increased]