As Zaber walked, lost in thought, he noticed his foot stepping on something soft. He paused for a moment. A strange, damp sensation rose from beneath the soil. Zaber looked down at his foot.
Bending down as if asking "What is this?", he picked up a dark green, slimy creature. It stretched in his hand, moving slowly; its surface glistened in the light, leaving a sticky trail.
From behind, Luna looked at the slime and said:
"Master, this is called a slime. It is the weakest creature."
Zaber pondered, slowly squeezing the slime between his fingers.
"Oh, is that so… it is quite soft."
Luna hurriedly took a step forward:
"Master, it would be best not to do that. It might swallow your hand. Its digestive ability is very strong."
Zaber casually tossed the slime toward Gobuto:
"Don't throw it away. This is for you. Return it to me later."
Gobuto hurriedly tried to catch it. The moment he extended his hand, it sank into the slime. The damp and cold sensation made him shudder.
Zaber turned to Gobuto and said calmly:
"Don't kill it."
Gobuto barely pulled his hand out, moving it up and down. He looked at his slime-covered palm with disgust.
"This feels unpleasant…"
With those words, he placed the slime in the bag containing their weapons and hurriedly wiped his hand on top. It still felt as if sticky traces remained.
A gentle breeze blew across the green meadow. The group walked for another half day. The path led them across the plain, and finally they came upon a small village.
Zaber stopped and stared at the village.
"Is this a human village?"
Kargal, Gobuto, and Luna also stopped and looked. There were approximately fifty houses; the roofs were low, the walls made of wood and mud. Silence reigned around.
Zaber pondered for a moment and looked at Gobuto:
"Give me the magic staffs."
Gobuto placed the bag on the ground. He took out the two staffs and carefully handed them to Zaber.
Zaber held the staffs, one in each hand. He brought their tips close to the horns on his forehead. He closed his eyes.
Under the dark shadow of the blue night sky
At that moment, the mana stones at the tips of the staffs glowed darkly.
Zaber continued in a low but clear voice:
"Shadow magic, conceal the body part."
As the words ended, Zaber's horns became translucent, as if melting into the air, and slowly disappeared.
His servants looked at Zaber with curiosity and amazement. For a moment, no one spoke.
Zaber removed the staffs from his head and lowered them to the ground. He took a deep breath.
"I used two portions of mana just to hide the horns."
X said with a satisfied smile:
"This is not bad. The magic you learned theoretically is paying off. If we raise your level a bit, you will be able to use the other spells as well, hehe."
Zaber scratched the back of his neck.
"I only know three spells, that is all. Mana blade, concealment, and mana disruption method. That one is not strong either."
X's voice became serious:
"You are the one to blame. Keep complaining."
Zaber did not reply. He handed the two staffs back to Gobuto. Sensing that his servants were still looking at him strangely, he asked calmly:
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Luna answered hesitantly:
"Master… you look like a human now."
Zaber looked toward the village. His eyes dropped for a moment.
"I know."
From behind, Kargal burst into laughter:
"Master, you look very handsome. I envy you. Long, smooth white hair, smooth skin, not too tall stature… Master, I am worried about you. Men might fall in love with you."
Zaber looked at Kargal and lightly struck him on the head:
"Stop babbling."
Kargal held his head and fell to the ground, drawing a line as he collapsed, pretending to be in pain.
Gobuto looked at Zaber:
"Master, are we entering the village?"
Zaber thought and answered:
"No. Not you. I will go alone. The village residents are human. They might not be pleased with an elf, goblin, skeleton, and a young man entering."
Luna asked in an obedient tone:
"What will we do?"
Zaber looked back at the path they had come from:
"You go back three hours. Rest there. Then return tomorrow at noon."
The servants bowed:
"Yes, Master."
After a while, they began heading back.
Zaber walked forward—toward the village.
As he approached the village, a thought came to his mind.
Perhaps these will become sacrifices for creating the soul chain…
Immediately, he turned back and shouted to his departing servants:
"Gobutoooo!"
Gobuto looked back. Seeing Zaber calling, he ran over. Luna and Kargal stopped and watched from afar.
After a while, Gobuto arrived, panting.
Zaber looked at him and ordered:
"Leave the staffs and the mana-restoring elixirs."
Gobuto raised his head. He placed the bag on the ground. He took out the two staffs and handed them over. Then he reached into the bag again, took out two red-colored elixirs, and gave them to Zaber. He stood silently, staring at his master's face.
Zaber looked back, satisfied that he had received what he needed.
"You may go."
With those words, he walked toward the village.
As Zaber approached the village, his eyes fell on an old well in front of it. The area around it was overgrown with weeds, and the stones had darkened and eroded over the years. Zaber went to the well and leaned in to look inside. There was neither water nor moisture at the bottom—it had long dried up.
He took a deep breath.
He carefully placed the staffs and mana-restoring elixirs beside the well, lightly covering them with soil. Then he straightened his waist and looked at the village.
I cannot contain my excitement… — he thought to himself. Whether there are enough resources here for the soul chain or not… I am curious.
X remained silent, watching his every step.
Zaber entered the village.
Inside, children were laughing and running around playing. Their laughter spread over the village like a gentle breeze. The adults were busy with their work—some splitting wood, some repairing roofs, others returning from the fields.
But as Zaber took a few steps, the gazes began to change.
The villagers started looking at him.
Zaber glanced at his clothes.
Dirty, unwashed, torn garments. The bloodstains still had not come out, some areas had hardened. He lightly shrugged his shoulders, his neck stiffening.
After walking a bit, a middle-aged man stepped forward. He was slightly taller than Zaber, his body muscular, his eyes as if burning with fire.
He stopped in front of Zaber.
"I am the elder of this village. May I know who you are?"
Zaber answered in a calm voice:
"I am a traveler. Monsters attacked our caravan. My guards perished. I have been walking alone for a week."
The elder stepped closer to Zaber and suddenly embraced him by the shoulders.
"Do not worry, young one," he said in a sincere tone. "You can rest here for a while. Our village is hospitable."
Zaber narrowed his eyes and looked at his face.
"Thank you, sir. I will repay this kindness one day."
The elder smiled.
"Good. Rest first. We will talk at dinner."
He turned to the side and called out loudly:
"Moha!"
After a while, a young man came running:
"Yes, father?" he said.
"Tell your mother I am bringing a guest."
Moha glanced briefly at Zaber, then turned and ran back.
The elder led the way:
"Follow me," he said.
Zaber followed him. Along the way, he carefully observed the village. Every house, every person—all were potential possibilities for the soul chain.
After a period of silence, the elder began speaking:
"Guest, may I know your name?"
Zaber paused in silence for a moment.
"My name is Zaber."
The elder hesitated a bit:
"Do you not have a family name?"
Zaber's voice grew colder:
"Is my name not sufficient?"
The elder smiled awkwardly.
"Forgive me, guest. Let us continue."
They arrived at the elder's house.
The house was not very large, made of wood, old but clean.
The elder stopped at the door:
"This is my home. You can rest here," he said in a sincere tone.
Zaber entered.
Inside were the elder's wife, son, and a still young daughter.
The wife stood up and greeted the guest.
"Come in, guest," she said with a warm smile.
Zaber looked at the two children standing behind her, then turned to the woman:
"Madam, I hope I am not disturbing you."
The elder returned to the door:
"I will return when it gets dark. Get acquainted until then," he said and went out to the field.
The wife watched her husband leave, then looked at Zaber.
"May I know your name, guest?"
"My name is Zaber," he said.
"It is a very resonant name."
Zaber nodded:
"Thank you, madam."
The woman looked at his clothes and said:
"Guest, if you wish, I can wash your clothes."
Zaber held his clothes and sighed lightly.
"I would be glad of that. In fact, I was feeling a bit embarrassed."
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments. Don't forget to save it to your power stone and library. 100ps 1 bonus chapter