Across the back half of the forest they fought 4 different battles. Two of them were with the mole monsters while the other were a new species of bird monster.
Once out of the forest and on the edge with their rear covered by the trees Aurelian decided to make camp and cook dinner with the wolf monster from the beginning of the forest.
"We'll get one group after dinner then sleep for the night?" Aurelian asked Vel who was cooking. Her cooking was always way better than his so he gave up on cooking for now.
"Yeah I want to try one more ability. Then I'll take first watch and you'll take second." Vel said.
…..
After the dinner Vel was about 50 meters into the forest when she caught Sight of another Moose monster.
It was slightly smaller than the first one giving her the confidence that she could cleanly strike the neck this time.
Vel began to run towards the moose who had seen her. Bringing her scythe up above her head. she covered in a thin blanket of black liquid after taking inspiration from Aurelian changing his power into a solid.
When she side stepped and sliced across the neck of the monster the liquid quickly flowed into the wound.
"MOOIHH." The moose screamed in agony.
Then Aurelian saw the area where the wound was quickly spreading with the black liquid eating skin, muscle, and bone until the neck and up of the monster was complete gone.
It had no traces remaining. 'Truly destructive' Aurelian thought. "Looks like you had your fun, was that easy to control?" Aurelian asked as he examined the remaining body and legs.
"Not as easy as it looked. I had to make sure it stayed on the scythe. I'd say about 85% effort to control it." Vel beamed as she felt like that power could kill anything.
"Let's call it Corruption, just don't use it on me Vel." He smiled at her. "Also the meats not good anymore." He added as if in thought.
'Not very efficient when we're traveling but I'll keep that to myself.' He thought.
…..
Back at the camp a hour later Aurelian fell asleep.
Vel seeing this got distracted from her watch and layed down next to him. Moving the long white hair with her fingers off his face. She just stayed for a while looking at him.
"You were good looking before but now it feels like they changed you to look exactly how I and the world sees a ghost." She whispered
Leaning in towards his face she felt confident and put her lips on his. It was a soft kiss and and romantic until she felt a hand on the back of her head.
"Mmmm" Vel tried to let out a sound but only a mumble came out.
"You naughty princess, I was defenseless." Aurelian said as she pulled away from the kiss.
"You pervert." Vel yelled. "What are you doing kissing me." She said with a fake angry and shocked look on her face.
Aurelian could tell she was acting just like she normally does. Cold and icy when she realizes that she did something romantic with him.
But her face was plastered pink and her breathing was quick as she layed next to him.
"You shift is almost up you should get some sleep. Unless you want another kiss that's fine with me." He said looking into her eyes as he started to sit up.
His head was now higher than hers. Making Vel look up at him with a big question mark in her heart. She didn't know what to do.
"It's okay, next time you get bold again ill gladly do it again." Aurelian said as he saw her contemplation and stood up and stared towards the ice forest.
"Perverted man." She mumbled as she lied down facing away from him and began to fall asleep.
Meanwhile, in the coming hours before dawn Aurelian was thinking about things.
The first thing he thought about as he transported his consciousness into his soul space seeing all the monsters turned anew with the wolves.
'Why didn't I see the god again when I awakened. was it to soon?' Because Aurelian had assumed he'd see the current Holy Ghost every time he classed up.
Going from, Un to awakened. Then to exalted, revered, and above. However he didn't, Aurelian thought that was interesting.
Maybe they can't directly interfere with their lineages as much as wanted. This would could flipping of powers at lowere and middle gods if the chosen are let's say not as smart or strong as others.
'So were the top three always just better at choosing or did they. Somehow influence it so they never regressed.' This he asked himself because from what he's heard the top three were always the same.
Nextly he thought about how to quickly class up to exalted. When he asked Vel about this she told him that to class up they would need to conquer and mark dungeons with their soul power.
This allowed dungeons to grow, and attract a bigger population and more lineage holders. Because the more and or stronger soul lineages tied to a dungeons core are the higher class the dungeon will be.
For example the dungeon in Red ice town. It was currently awakened and he assumed it was unawakened before until someone with a lineage came along and marked it.
So with me and Vels signatures it might class up and we could stay in town longer, since our signatures are the strongest. Aurelian thought
That might attract the person we need to find aswell, but I'm guessing since me and Vel are close in age they might me way older or younger.
Meaning more powerful or non awakened.
Either way it was still good to stress influence and your signature. However Vel had told him that she already marked an unawakened dungeon and her class didn't go up. So maybe it'll take a lot longer.
...
As Aurelian's consciousness was leaving his soul space he noticed a long time had past and the sun was starting to peek over the eastern horizon.
Meaning they should move and get to town by afternoon to get a room and other stuff.
Walking over to Vel and waking her up. "Hey let's get going if we jog we can make it in 3 hours. That'll be quicker than we estimated." Aurelian said as she opened her eyes to see him above her.
'Very Efficient, this will allow me to shop and peek at the dungeon.' He said excitedly in his mind.
After a half and hour of eating then final prep they set off. Additionally their trip was peaceful and without stops. Making them arrive just as the sun passed the midpoint in the sky.