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Chapter 4 - Voices

Two weeks quickly passed since Azelion awoke.

His body, once nothing more than a skeleton covered in skin, now had flesh and visible muscles. They were thin, but they were there.

His face lost the skull-like aspect, gaining some contours and a healthier paleness.

His long silver hair, which reflected sunlight, was now tied with a green vine rope. His old garments were discarded, while others were made using animal hides he had found.

But what stood out most now were his eyes, two square pupils with unknown symbols that burned with their own light and were always alert.

The constant hunger had forced him to return to being an efficient hunter. His cave was now a pantry of meat.

There were rabbits, birds, and even two more boars hanging, all perfectly preserved. Azelion realized that sealing something consumed a lot of energy. But extending the Seal required much less.

So, after the one-day seal expired, Azelion simply touched the sealed animals, making their meat remain unchanged for more days.

In addition, he ended up running other tests. With his new knowledge and strange abilities.

Surviving skillfully in the forest and readjusting to the environment.

That morning, Azelion suddenly left his cave to hunt, now walking completely upright, his senses sharp, his gaze piercing.

At that moment, strange sounds arose.

'Voices?' Azelion thought, hiding behind a tree near the stream.

It was different from anything he remembered. The words sounded strange, with guttural and sung tones that made no sense to him. It was like listening to animals communicating.

Without hesitation, Azelion briefly said:

"Seal the sound."

His breathing, his body, and his steps would no longer make noise. But if he stepped on a branch and the branch broke, they could hear it.

Other than that, if he walked carefully, the chance of being heard was low.

And then he said again:

"Seal the odor."

Every scent he might exhale seemed to vanish, making it easier to hunt animals. He then moved silently closer. His breathing grew slightly heavier.

His body was better now, but if he used too many sealings, he would soon exhaust the energy not only from food but also from his fat and muscles, and finally from his own life.

Like a ghost, he quickly climbed a tree. Watching from above, hidden among the branches.

Two men then entered the clearing below. One seemed younger than Azelion, while the other was already an adult with a beard. They didn't look like hunters. They did not wear the leather clothing he was used to.

Instead, they wore simple but well-made fabric of blue and gray colors. Azelion looked with extreme curiosity.

'How can such beautiful clothes exist? How did they make them?' he thought, genuinely intrigued.

The men's boots were made of fine leather. Not from wild animals. At their waists they carried long swords, with relaxed and confident postures, as if they were on a stroll.

They spoke, laughing about something Azelion truly could not understand.

One of them pointed to the tree Azelion was in. And said something with a smile.

Azelion frowned, thinking he had been discovered, but no, they actually seemed to be looking at a blue plant near the tree.

The older man nodded. They then approached at ease, as if the forest were their backyard.

Azelion observed them for a while. They were not hunting. At least not animals. They were just gathering specific plants at the riverbank, placing them into fabric bags hanging on their opposite sides.

They were agile, pulling the roots with deep ease.

That was when the younger one, upon hearing a bird's sound, suddenly looked up at the tree.

Only to see two silver eyes shining with curiosity at him. But instead of curiosity, for the young man… they seemed like the eyes of an unknown demon staring straight into the depths of his soul.

'Ah, he found me.' Azelion thought, still looking down without blinking.

The young man didn't think twice before screaming in horror.

"BROTHER! A DEMON, THERE'S A DEMON!" He shouted with all his strength while running away.

The other man looked in that direction, worried and narrowing his eyes, only to suddenly see Azelion, who leapt from the tree, landing calmly on the ground and staring at him.

The young one hid behind the older, staring at Azelion strangely.

"Brother. Look, what the hell is that? It's definitely not human." The young man said with some fear as he looked at Azelion's glowing eyes.

"Be quiet, it's not a demon. I think." He said while unsheathing his sword.

The iron blade reflected the sunlight. The man took two steps forward while asking:

"Who the hell are you? Why are you watching us?" He asked aggressively.

Azelion frowned without understanding. But sensing that they didn't seem so friendly.

Even so, he pointed to himself.

"Azelion. My name is Azelion. And you?" He said, pointing to himself and then pointing to the bearded man.

The man immediately furrowed his brow.

"I told you, brother, it's definitely a demon. How could someone not speak our language? There's no one who speaks another tongue except demons." The young man said, trembling, looking even more terrified at Azelion.

"Be quiet, I already said. He's not a demon. Demons have demonic and evil energy in their bodies. Regardless of cultivation. This person doesn't have a single trace of Qi, and if he were a demon, he would've attacked us a long time ago."

"Besides… he doesn't look hostile, just curious, and look properly at his appearance. Even if he's not human, he must be from some peaceful race." The older man said, analyzing Azelion's silver hair and uncommon eyes.

Besides that, he felt something truly strange when looking into the eyes of that thin man dressed in rags, clothes worse than even the beggars of his city wore.

The young one went silent but still gripped his sword in case Azelion did anything.

The older one then spoke.

"I am Mo Chen. He is Mo Lin." The man said, pointing to himself and then to the young one.

Azelion's lips curved slightly as he grew happier in his mind.

'Not being aggressive is already the best start.'

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