Kion couldn't believe he had done it.
The fight had been won. There were no cheap tricks, or decoys this time…
The battle was finally over.
He heaved a sigh of relief, resting his back on the prickly grass, allowing the sun's warmth bathe him in yellow light.
His body needed the rest. Afterall, it had been the fight of his life.
To a spectator, it may have seemed like he dominated, using his wits and skill to outsmart an ever-adapting foe…
But Kion knew that was not true.
He had been pushed to his limits.
His body still ached with the messy network of broken bones and torn muscles that lay within them.
On top of that, he had almost died on multiple occasions. Had it not been for the vitality brew's energy and the storm-pill's mana boost, he may have failed.
The very thought of it bothered him.
He had to get stronger.
He sprang to his knees, settling for deep breaths. His brother lay sprawled on the ground from across him. He had never looked worse with his reddened skin and bloated face, but in the end, he was still alive, barely conscious.
Kion confirmed by checking his pulse.
By some miracle, they had both survived. It was a rare scenario, for two brothers to enter the scenery of such a high class monster and still make it out alive.
But Kion knew that they were still as good as dead.
He'd remembered what the Egovore had said.
"Like a cook breaking down his ingredients."
The pink mist…
Even now, it remained in their bodies, fighting its way into their mental psyche. Kion didn't know how long it would take before they were brain-dead, but he didn't want to find out.
He began to pack his things when he saw it.
A glowing green orb right in the pile of sticks that was formerly the Egovore.
He remembered these stones. How precious they were, how rare they were to come across…
Soul cores.
Relics of a soul's essence, a powerhouse of mana that generated and pumped it through their blood.
In his last life, this would have been a score, but he had not the slightest idea on what to do with it especially now that he already had a soul.
Nevertheless, he reached out to pick the treasure. He was sure that something as precious as that would fetch a good price in the black market,
The moment his hands grazed it's shiny surface, the fragment shone with a blinding light, right before disappearing into thin air.
"Wha—"
[Congratulations! You have slain your first monster and claimed its soul. You got a stat boost! Want to have a look?]
Kion willed "yes," and the system shifted to its stat screen.
He read through his stats.
[Name: Kion Everglade]
[Ancestry: Everglade}
{Divine Emblem: Dormant}
{Domain: Fire-Mancy}
[Resonance: Fifth]
{Sub-domain: Lightning-Mancy}
{Vanquished Soul Count: 3}
{Vanquished Soul Essence (Beginner): 401/1000}
{Domain(s) Unlocked: Fire, Lightning}
[New Passive Domain(s) Acquired: Wood-Mancy]
[Reach the next stage of [Vanquished Soul Essence] to unlock passive domain(s)]
[New Dreamscape Weapon Unlocked: The Dagger Of Flame]
{As always, collect more quality souls to unlock more domains}
Kion's eyes widened. The soul core must have been very useful afterall.
His [Vanquished Soul Essence] had gone so high up by one extra kill that he was almost already halfway through the first stage, all due to the powerful soul of an SSS-class monster.
And his resonance had somehow jumped all the way to fifth. Fighting with that monster must have given him a lot of physical experience. It did push him to his limits afterall.
He had also gained a passive domain: wood-mancy, although it was not unlocked yet.
He would have to break his vanquished soul essence limit and move on to the next stage before that could occur.
Incredible.
Kion wondered within himself how this whole soul-stealing thing was supposed to work.
Would he get to use the abilities of his new soul one time, or would it be permanent? Would get to use it in conjunction with his other skills, like some dual-wielding powerhouse?
What exactly was this system offering to him?
His guess was as good as anyone's. For now, he would have to wait till he got a clearer picture, and a more detailed breakdown on what he was dealing with.
He had claimed the soul core, although Kai had other plans for it, which was to break it down and sell it, or give to a sword smith to make a weapon out of.
Either way, he knew that his brother would be asking questions when he woke up. He would just tell him that there was no soul core. If he could not explain the idea of a "SOUL-STEALING SYSTEM" to himself, what was the chance that he could achieve that with his brother, who would most likely take him for a liar and a thief.
In the end, the wrong option was the best and the most peaceful one.
Kion managed to pick himself off of the ground just enough for him to stand.
He could barely walk, so he didn't entertain the idea of carrying his brother all the way back to their camp at the roadside.
Just when he was still contemplating on the next steps, he heard a faint rustle in the trees, and raised his sword.
If there were anymore egovores out there…
"Calm your nerves, my lord. It's just me."
Penelope burst through the thicket and into clearing. She took a once over at Kion's battered condition, along with his unconscious brother and the pile of sticks that littered the clearing.
She smiled. Kion smiled back.
"What would you ever do without me?" She said with a smile. "Boys! They're here!"
Within moments, a group of soldiers burst through the thicket behind Penelope. They took a first glance at the scene and quickly went to work.
The medics worked to heal Kion's wounds, while the others carried Kai on a stretcher to get him back to camp.
Penelope crouched till she was eye-level with her lord.
"May I ask what happened?" She asked.
"Long story." Kion said, his voice husky. "I have reason to assume you didn't stumble on me by accident…"
"Well you are quite easy to track."
"Really? Do tell…"
"All I had to do was follow the sound of arrogance, and it led me right here…"
"You little…" Kion lunged for her, but Penelope skipped away.
Together, they laughed for what seemed to be eternity.
Penelope took a good look at the pile of sticks. "I don't know what madness you two were up to, but those sticks would make for good fire wood. It's just midday but the sun is already behind clouds. We will need the warmth."
Kion looked at the sticks for quite a while.
Firewood.
He remembered the promise he'd given the Egovore.
"Alright then. Wrap it all up in a dry bag and carry it back to camp."
"As you wish, my lord."