Coming back to Dray after removing his spear from the slimy remains of the assassin, he took it and slit his palm, allowing his blood to flow out. As his blood dripped onto the ashen soil of the zone, it was quickly absorbed.
Dray's eyes gleamed as he followed the trail of his blood being absorbed. Somehow, he zipped past various beasts without them taking notice of him. He moved further into the depths of the forest, trailing his blood for hours, until he entered another region where dense bamboo plants grew everywhere. These bamboo plants still bore the same crimson traits, but with a notable difference—they had crimson energy lines running through them.
Undeterred, Dray pushed forward through the bamboo forest. A few minutes later, he stopped in his tracks, awestruck by what lay before him.
From his vantage point, he saw a vast pool of blood. The faint, pungent metallic smell of blood wafted into his nostrils, so thick and overwhelming that he had to cover his nose. A thick mist of blood emanated from the pool, bubbling ominously. Squinting, Dray noticed a small wooden bridge leading through the blood fog.
Steeling himself, Dray began to cross the bridge, which swayed with each step he took. He walked carefully for the next few minutes until he reached the end of the bridge, where a small patch of land awaited. On this patch stood an old wooden hut, its two windows wide open. Dray approached the windows and saw a table with a lamp burning with crimson red flames.
Dray frowned; this was not what he had expected. However, he was certain this was the trial ground, as he could feel the spear in his consciousness urging him to enter the creepy hut. He reached for the door, opened it, and stepped inside. He was met with a brilliant flash of crimson light, and as the door shut behind him, the light dimmed back, revealing that Dray was nowhere to be found.
…....….
Meanwhile, Leo could be seen in another region. On his arms were two crimson braces, and his legs were fitted with a pair of greaves that pulsed with power. Knee guards perfectly adorned his knees.
These treasures were what remained of the wolf pack that had attacked him. After taking care of the alpha pack, he had planned on seeking more treasure when he was interrupted by the humming of the sword in his consciousness. It was reacting violently, pulling him towards a path. Leo hesitated for a moment but, thinking about a treasure that could make the sword react so intensely, his eyes flashed with greed. Without hesitation, he followed the direction of the pull.
As he moved through the vast expanse of the forest, he encountered no beasts, which struck him as strange. He continued until he reached a small clearing, and that's when he saw someone.
It was a Phantom Clansman, the one who had been observing him before they entered the zone. The Clansman stood there, his silver hair dancing in the wind, and his green pupils flashing ominous light as he met Leo's gaze.
"I was wondering how long you were going to keep me waiting," the Phantom Clansman announced the moment he saw Leo. He performed a bow and introduced himself, "I'm called Adam."
Leo was confused. He could feel that whatever treasure the odachi was reacting to was on this so-called Adam. But it didn't make sense that Adam would be waiting for him. "How do you know that I would be headed here?" Leo asked cautiously.
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that I have something which you can't resist," Adam replied as a sword appeared in his hands—an odachi strikingly similar to the one in Leo's soul.
As the sword was revealed, the odachi in his consciousness started humming, causing a brain-splitting headache as the once still oceans in his consciousness quaked with waves. He knew he had to get that sword.
While Leo was trying to suppress the sword in his consciousness, Adam unsheathed the odachi and the black polished edge reached for Leo's head. Leo's instincts kicked in, and he ducked. Runes simmered on his mantle as he activated its ability, appearing behind Adam and silently lunging his dagger forward. However, Adam was fast and the dagger only grazed his arm.
But that was all Leo needed, as the veins on Adam's arm rapidly turned green. Alarmed, Adam unhesitatingly cut off his own arm.
After this exchange, the two paused. Despite his sorry state, Adam wore an eerie smile. Looking at him, Leo couldn't help but find this attacker familiar. Just as he was trying to recall where he might have met such a person, a small rustling sounded. Adam, as though he noticed something, threw the odachi towards Leo and said, "We will meet again." Then he vanished.
Immediately after, another person appeared.
Leo caught the sword, confused about why Adam would give it up so willingly. "Leo, is that you?" a voice rang out.
Looking towards the direction of the voice, Leo saw Maya. It seemed fate had reunited them once again.
Maya had just finished battling a fox creature when she heard voices. But upon arriving, she saw only Leo and a withered arm on the ground.
Seeing Leo, the first feeling Maya felt was shame. She still remembered how she had abandoned him the last time, but she quickly suppressed the feeling, reassuring herself that there had been nothing she could do. She called out to him.
Upon seeing her, Leo's eyes lit up. He could feel the sword in his consciousness and its look-alike in his arms resonating. He didn't know what was about to happen, but one thing was clear—he was about to be rendered immobile. Though Maya wasn't perfect, she was the only person Leo could trust to watch his back for now.
"Maya, good timing. Help watch over me; I'll be quick," he quickly stated before he slumped, falling unconscious. The sword in his arms flashed as it turned incorporeal, before moving into his head and vanishing from sight.
Maya stood there, stunned. Of all the ways she had imagined their reunion, she had never expected it to go like this. Her eyes softened; it seemed Leo still trusted her, and she wasn't going to let him down this time.