The forest was too quiet.
Elias knew the rhythm of Star Dou now—the rustle of herbivores, the distant roars of territorial beasts, the buzz of spirit insects. Silence meant something unnatural was approaching.
He coiled beneath a massive tree root, scales dimming to match the silver-blue bark. His senses expanded, reaching out through heat, movement, and spiritual resonance.
There.
Four soul masters.
Two teenagers and two adults. Their steps were clumsy—clearly not from a proper sect. The older one held a crude map and looked exhausted. The youngest was barely older than twelve and already wore a spirit ring on her wrist.
> A hunting group, Elias noted. And not a strong one.
His forked tongue flicked. One of them was bleeding slightly. Fresh.
They had recently fought.
> Are they hunting me? Or just passing through?
Then he felt it—a probe of spirit power brushing against his position. Crude. Arrogant.
They were hunting him.
---
The Trap
He let them come closer.
The leader—a burly man with a stone hammer as his spirit weapon—stepped into the glade where Elias had left a half-eaten Spirit Rabbit carcass. A clear bait.
> "The Silver Snake's near," the man growled. "Fan out. It's only a thousand-year beast. Quick kill, and we bring the ring back to the buyer."
Elias felt something stir inside him.
> To them… I'm just a tool. A ring.
He hated it.
> No. Not today.
He whispered mentally to the Wheel.
> Spin.
The world slowed. The runes turned in his mind—one by one, ticking past. Light flickered.
> [Result: Mirage Bloom]
Effect: Creates illusory duplicates in the area. Target cannot distinguish real from fake for 1 minute.
Perfect.
As the first hunter stepped closer, Elias emerged—six serpents slithering out of the grass, all identical. Each one radiated soul beast energy.
"Spirits above!" the younger girl cried, falling back.
The hammer-wielder roared. "Form up! Defend!"
They attacked the wrong snake.
Elias circled behind, venom glands flaring. One flick of his tail, and the teenage boy—barely Rank 20—was cut across the calf. He stumbled, screaming.
The venom took hold instantly. Not physical—but spiritual. His inner soul power began to slip, leaking like a cracked barrel.
The group panicked.
> "We've been cursed!"
"It's draining my spirit!"
"Which one is real?!"
Elias struck again.
This time, the leader blocked it—but the contact was enough. A line of mercury venom splashed across his hammer and hand. The man screamed as his spirit weapon shuddered—cracks forming in its glow.
The others tried to run.
He let them.
The girl—the youngest—tripped and fell.
Elias loomed over her, venom pooling at the tips of his fangs.
But something made him stop.
---
Choice
She stared up at him with eyes wide with fear—but not hate. Her hand reached into her cloak—
> A hidden weapon?
No.
A dried flower. Violet. Wilting.
> "My mother said these flowers calm soul beasts," she whispered. "Please… I didn't want to come."
Elias stared.
The Wheel spun on its own.
> [Result: Insight]
You glimpse a fragment of her future. A path untouched by war, leading to healing. A Beast Healer.
He pulled back.
The girl blinked in disbelief as the great silver viper slithered past her, hissing low but not attacking.
The forest took her screams as she ran, but Elias didn't chase.
> A healer? Soul beasts have no healers…
The Wheel pulsed again. Stronger this time. And a message appeared in his mind:
> [Fated Thread Established]
[Name: Lin Yuru | Spirit Rank: 22 | Path: Beast Healer]
[Your decision has altered fate.]
Elias froze.
> So the Wheel… can change not just my future. But others' too.
---
Back to the Shadows
He returned to his den beneath the old tree, curling around himself.
> "They'll be back," he hissed. "Stronger ones. They always come."
But for now, he had bought time—and learned something vital.
1. His venom could not only kill, but disrupt spirit weapons and rings.
2. His Wheel could alter the fate of others—not just events.
3. And somewhere out there, a human girl now bore a link to him.
> She's young. Weak. But her spirit is real. I'll watch her. Maybe one day… she'll matter.
He closed his eyes, letting the mercury in his veins settle.
Above him, the moonlight danced across silver scales as the Wheel spun once more… silently, in anticipation.
---