A lone boy perched on the thick branch of the towering ancient tree. He sat frozen, unable to form proper thoughts or ideas. The memory of that ominous being still lay fresh in his mind.
Moments passed, and along with the memories of this ominous figure, questions soon began their descent.
'What just happened?'
'What was that terrifying being?
'Why did it leave me alive?'
More and more questions spiralled in the shaken Ash's head, but unfortunately none would be answered... at least for now.
Ash was clever. It took only a few moments for him to connect the dots on who this ominous, shadowy, and terrifying being was. Nothing else could fit the description besides the most feared and terrifying beings in all of Perindo, the Luminaros.
Even as Ash connected the dots, a number of things didn't really make much sense. This Luminaro did not fit the traditional appearance of one. At least if he wasn't speaking about a named Luminaro.
Luminaros in general came in various appearances and constitutions. The formation of Luminaros doesn't just end at humans; it includes all life and all species. Any being with enough negative energy at the time of death could transform into one.
Amongst Luminaros, their are also some born with more than one soul core; these were recognised as named Luminaros. The hierarchy of Luminaros was split into ranks and classes. Ranks ranged from Grade One, the weakest, to Grade Eight, the most powerful.
The classes, however, differ as they are determined by the number of soul cores a Luminaro possesses. The progression begins with a Lurker, which is the weakest and most common with only one soul core, and the cycle continues till we reach the most powerful class, being a Devil with six soul cores.
Ranks can be improved by Luminaros by consuming energy-rich living beings, but classes cannot be changed. No one knows why exactly some Luminaros soul cores differ, but the most plausible reason probably has to do with the amount of negative energy a Luminaro had when they had initially died.
The Luminaros born with one soul core are considered the standard low-risk Luminaros, as even once they have reached the peak of their power, most Grade 4 beings will be able to beat them with mild difficulty, but the same cannot be said about a Luminaro with two or more soul cores, which are known as named Luminaros.
"It is a possibility," Ash repeated under his breath
He was still having trouble processing that he just encountered a named Luminaro, especially in a place overrun with only low-ranked beasts. But the more Ash thought about the encounter, the more sense it made, as the Luminaro didn't even bother trying to consume him.
'It has to be due to my lack of spiritual energy. I mean, what are the odds a Luminaro capable of consuming energy-rich beings bother with a boy who hasn't even awakened his soul core?'
'None. It was most likely just a coincidence, as it might have heard the fight between the bird and me.'
Ash thought about these possibilities but soon realised that their was no use pondering about this, at least for the time being. He could always think more about this once the morning strikes and he starts travelling again.
Ash sighed and prepared to sleep. He took a light, thin blanket out of his bag. He started lying on his side while covering himself with the blanket. It certainly wasn't the most comfortable, but he postured his body in a suitable way, with his right arm acting as a pillow. He inhaled and exhaled in a controlled manner in an attempt to relax his body.
He felt safe under his blanket. The blanket comforted him in the pitch-black darkness filled with a world of hungry beasts encircling him.
***
Four days have passed.
Ash had been repeating the same cycle of walking during the day and finding a safe place to sleep every night. He followed the same steps just before sunset: find a large enough tree, climb it, find a branch with good cover, and sleep.
Progress was being made far faster than Ash expected. He had successfully absorbed multiple soul cores on his journey, although nothing above the Deep Red Core, with a good amount of strategy and abmbush involved in most. He had obviously evaded any danger that was far above his capabilities, with a lone wolf spotting him one evening but luckily not being able to climb the tree. That same wolf was later spotted by Ash as he killed another wolf using wind that would shoot out of its mouth.
It was an eventful night.
Otherwise, everything was looking up; he had fortunately not met any Luminaros yet and would probably continue on this path without encountering a single one.
'I should reach the first village some time tomorrow, around noon.'
During the four days of travelling, Ash had covered significant distance and was now nearing the first of many villages to reach Lesring Peak. Sure, he could have reached there far sooner if he hired a carriage, but would that help him grow stronger? No.
Ash followed the same steps this evening once he reached a suitable branch, but unfortunately he was struggling to sleep.
"Ugh"
Ash was irritated, but instead of lying down and doing nothing, he decided to continue his energy absorption to hopefully relax.
'Its only a matter of time; I can feel it.'
Ash instinctively sensed that he was nearing the second grade, starting with the Deep Red Core. Ash was dumfounded by the speed he had reached this point. He had made more than half a year worth of progress in only a few days.
His body was far stronger, along with his mind also being sharper. If he were to fight himself the day he left the village, he would win by a wide margin, only sustaining minor injuries.
Soul core absorption was a fast track to power, but Ash knew better than to rely solely on strength. Fighting involved far more than just power. Technique and skill are just as crucial as power, with power being outclassed in many instances.
Even a skilled Grade Three fighter could best a poorly trained Grade Four.
In short, technique and skill are just as, or if not more vital, in battle than your pure raw power, especially during large-scale battles with thousands upon thousands battling out, leaving little room for error.
"Hooooaaaah"
Ash yawned and began his descent into sleep.
***
"Another good night's sleep."
As the days passed, it seemed as if Ash's body was beginning to adapt to the hard wood he has been sleeping on. Before, he used to sleep for maybe five hours, but now once he fell asleep, he would stay down for at least eight. The long sleep helped Ash feel far more energetic, which directly helped him cover more and more distance.
Ash repeated the usual sequence of packing his bag, climbing off the tree, and walking on the dirt road. The sun was blazing hot today with a cool breeze helping him stay cool.
Ash walked for another four hours till he began to hear more unique and lively noises. He heard bells ringing, dogs barking, and distant voices. As Ash continued, a large gate came into sight at an intersection with two armed guards on standby along with some carriages and people waiting in line.
Ash joined the queue at the entrance of the village, and in around ten minutes he was up next.
"Good day," Ash greets the guards
"Good day," they responded
They then began to search Ash's bag and made him present all the items he had on him.
"You got any space rings on you?" one of the guards enquired.
"Do I look that rich?" Ash jested.
"You never know," the guard replied with a chuckle.
Both the guard and Ash began to laugh till the guards had finished their search.
"Good luck, kiddo!" the guard who played around with Ash yelled
Ash just nodded his head and entered the gates. He had finally reached the village.
Ash was excited not just because he had finally reached his first checkpoint but also because of how powerful a mere guard of a village was.
'How could mere guards at a village be at Grade 3?'
'Incredible'
Ash was amazed. He didn't have to be an expert to recognise a seasoned veteran in combat and look at the three orange stars labled on his chest, which symbolised him reaching the third grade.
With that out of the way, Ash began to take in his surroundings. The village was immense and somewhat overwhelming for Ash. The village was packed with people, especially on the streets. As Ash walked farther in the village and inspected the people, he eventually met an intersection.
There were three separate paths for him to take. On his right, laughs echoed throughout, seeming to be an entertainment district of sorts. On his left, he saw your usual market filled with merchants selling a variety of goods. Finally, on the path that went straight, he saw groups of people who seemed like warriors with blades and sorecerers with their seals and staffs.
'Arcanists'
Ash recognised that the last street seemed to have something to do with Arcanists—exactly what Ash needed.
This was truly a fitting welcome for Ash into civilisation again.