Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 35: One wolf, one reward.
Kael rubbed his sore shoulder, his muscles protesting with every movement. Despite the fall, his mind remained focused on one crucial detail: the leader of the wolves.
"If that damn thing didn’t stay down, I need to make sure it won’t get up again," he muttered, looking around to assess his surroundings.
The air around him felt heavy, the shadows of the trees forming winding patterns on the ground. He ignored the pain in his body and began to walk cautiously, his eyes scanning the terrain for any signs of the giant wolf.
There were bloodstains scattered on the stones and the ground, forming an irregular trail that descended along the same slope he had fallen down. "Looks like I’m not the only one who rolled down the hill..." He followed the stains, his heart beating faster as the forest around him seemed to grow denser.
The vegetation became thick, and the sounds of insects and small animals grew louder as he delved deeper into the underbrush. After a few minutes, he finally spotted what appeared to be a large form lying among the trees.
"There you are..." Kael murmured, his eyes locked on the body of the wolf leader.
The dark wolf was lying on its side, its black fur glistening faintly under the filtered light. The body appeared lifeless, but Kael wasn’t going to underestimate what he had seen before. He approached slowly, keeping one hand ready to cast magic if needed.
When he was just a few meters away, Kael stopped, his eyes assessing the corpse. The wolf leader was covered in deep wounds—slashes and burns from his and the adventurers’ combined abilities. But the detail that caught his attention was the strange red glow still faintly emanating from the creature’s eyes, even in death.
"This isn’t normal..." Kael murmured, cautiously approaching. He crouched next to the body, trying to understand what was going on.
That’s when the system activated, a golden notification flashing before him:
[Warning: Residual presence detected.]
[Analysis: Anomalous magical energy traces identified. Origin: Arcane Corruption.]
[Recommendation: Extract the creature’s core to obtain information and resources.]
"Core?" Kael repeated, furrowing his brow. He looked at the creature’s chest and noticed a faint pulsation of light coming from within. The thought of opening the wolf’s body wasn’t exactly pleasant, but he knew he had no choice.
"Alright, system. Let’s do this..." He conjured a small, precise wind blade in his hand and began carefully cutting through the tissue around the wolf’s chest. The red glow intensified as he advanced until he finally found what he was looking for: a glowing energy core, about the size of his palm, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Kael carefully removed the core, feeling the strange energy emanating from it. As soon as he held it, another notification appeared:
[You have obtained: Arcane Corruption Core (Fragmented).]
[This item can be purified or used for advanced alchemy and magical enhancement.]
[Mission "Guardian of the Umbra Forest" completed!]
[Rewards: Rank C Soul Fragment, Title "Reluctant Protector," Increased Affinity with Magical Fauna of the Umbra Forest.]
Kael sighed in relief, though adrenaline still surged through his veins. "So that’s what made you get back up... Let’s make sure that never happens again."
Stowing the core in his backpack, he gave the dark wolf one last glance before standing up. The forest seemed quieter now, as if a weight had been lifted from it. Still, Kael knew he needed to find a way back.
"Now I just need to get out of here... and hope there isn’t another boss hiding around," he muttered as he turned away, his eyes already searching for a new path through the dense forest.
Kael was about to leave the area when an unexpected notification flashed in front of him, the golden glow catching his attention:
[Do you wish to consume the Rank C Soul Fragment from the leader of the Shadow Wolves pack?]
[Potential effects: Increase in physical strength, enhancement of sensory abilities, and resistance to dark magic.]
[Note: Consuming this fragment may result in temporary side effects due to residual Arcane Corruption. Proceed?]
Kael stopped, hesitating as he read the message. He had heard about soul fragments in the system tutorial, but this was the first time the system had offered one for direct consumption.
"This is new... and dangerous." He narrowed his eyes at the message, pondering. "An increase in strength and resistance sounds great, but this ’Arcane Corruption’ doesn’t sound friendly."
He looked at the core in his hand, feeling the faint warmth and pulse emanating from it. The system was giving him a clear choice, but the consequences were still a mystery.
Kael sighed long and hard, rubbing his neck. "System, you always put me in complicated situations, don’t you?" He gave an ironic smile before raising the core to his chest.
"If I’m going to get stronger, I’m not going to turn down an opportunity like this. I just hope this doesn’t turn me into something like that wolf... Consume the fragment."
As soon as he gave the command, the core began to glow intensely. A red and dark energy escaped from within, swirling around his body in dancing spirals. Kael felt the heat invade his skin, followed by a violent impact inside himself.
He fell to his knees, gritting his teeth as the energy spread like fire through his veins. The system was notifying him frantically, but the messages were hard to discern amid the pain:
[Soul Fragment consumed.]
[Processing... Arcane Corruption balance in progress.]
[Temporary effect: Magical Instability.]
Kael felt his senses intensify. The sound of the wind in the trees became deafening, the scent of the forest overwhelming, and his vision became so sharp that he could distinguish every leaf on the branches around him. But along with this, a wave of aggression hit him like thunder.
He forced himself to keep control, breathing deeply. "I... won’t... lose to this!" He shouted, channeling his mana to balance the energy coursing through his body.
Gradually, the pain subsided, and the dark energy stabilized within him. A new notification appeared:
[Rank C Soul Fragment successfully integrated.]
[Benefits acquired: +20 Physical Strength, +15 Resistance, Passive Ability unlocked: Predatory Eyes (Combat Sensory Enhancement).]
[Corruption Status: Neutralized. Side effects mitigated.]
Kael collapsed backward, breathing heavily. His body still trembled slightly, but he could feel the newfound power pulsing in his veins.
"That... was intense," he murmured, wiping sweat from his forehead. Despite everything, he felt stronger and more confident than ever.
Standing up with an effort, Kael took one last look around before adjusting his backpack and starting to walk again. The forest seemed even quieter now, as if the environment itself recognized the change in him.
"If this is the reward for soul fragments, I definitely need to get more." He smiled to himself, determined to explore the potential of his abilities even further.
[Status]
[Name]: Kael Scarlet (11 years old)
[Physical]: Supreme Soul Hunter
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[Strength]: 100
[Agility]: 75
[Intelligence]: 198
[Endurance]: 85
[Mana]: 200
[Blessing]: World Tree (SSS)
[Characteristics]: Charming, Universal Language, Expanded Vision, Mana Sensitivity, Mana Core Blessed by the World Tree.
[Skills]: Soul Absorption (Lv.1), Soul Hunter (Lv.1), Blade Instinct (Passive), Slashing Shadow Dance (Lv.1), Elemental Manipulation (Lv.10), Shadow Manipulation (Lv.1), Predatory Eyes (Lv.1)]
’100 strength... but I don’t seem to be getting any stronger physically... I wonder what those points really are...’ Kael wondered as he looked at the Status tab... ’I need to find out soon...’
