Triopals
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Chapter 38
🕑 Added 2024-12-06 18:35:38 +0000 UTCNathan hadn't used his skill rolls yet, choosing to save them instead. Partly because his skill pool was already sufficient, and partly because he was contemplating whether he could save them for Tier 2. Based on the current pattern, he could conclude that the system never provided skills he couldn't immediately use. This meant that skills related to mana aspects or mana cores would never appear no matter how many rolls he used.
Tier 1 skills could still be used and synchronized with Tier 2, but except for [Mind of Tranquility] which was quite necessary, he assessed that he was already strong enough. His goal also included obtaining the [Skill Breaker] item to remove [Bad Mouth]. So if he could save resources, he would.
One main reason was the Skill Orb from the Lunar Shadow. He had used it immediately after completing the covenant with Argentius. The Skill Orb, appearing like a miniature starry sky, dissolved upon touching his forehead. Knowledge instantly flooded into every corner of his mind.
Monster Skill Orbs functioned quite differently from human ones. Due to species differences, one needed to personally calibrate the skills it provided. Unlike when absorbing the Berserker Skill Orb, Nathan couldn't immediately utilize the treasure trove of Night Hunter's Legacy.
Crescent Moon Art, Night Walker, and Moon Step were undeniably unusable. Not just because they needed adaptation and adjustment, but also because these skills required substantial mana that demanded a Tier 2 mana core.
The only skill he could inherit was Lunar Resonance. This could be considered one of the foundational skills for each Lunar Shadow. It helped monsters absorb essence from moonlight while receiving immense blessings under the full moon.
Nathan would inherit this, greatly benefiting his future path. He felt somewhat touched by Darkan's painstaking preparations. Lunar Resonance wasn't just for Physical Cultivation but also for Spirit Cultivation. With just mana and some medicinal ingredients to guide the necessary essence, he could coordinate his spirit's growth. Thus, he wouldn't have to worry constantly about Spirit Cultivation making no progress.
That night, he climbed a tall tree, his eyes reflecting the full moon hanging high above. He maintained his balance sitting atop the tree, something quite easy when possessing [Martial Art Mastery]. It took several attempts before he could fine-tune Lunar Resonance to yield results.
By dawn, he had only absorbed a little. However, that was enough to prove he was heading in the right direction. Gradually, he would perfect the method and help himself acquire another essence source besides slaying monsters all day.
Argentius had warned him not to cause too much chaos in the coming days. The Lunar Shadow had truly devastated Moirath Forest's ecosystem too severely. Nathan could hear a hint of remorse in his partner's voice. It shouldn't have let things go this far to properly fulfill its duties.
Nathan didn't object and complied, considering it a favor to Argentius. He spent most of his time gathering materials, brewing wine, and storing supplies. As everything was coming to an end, he should prepare for his return. The items he had scattered throughout the forest, once collected, would fetch a hefty reward when completing missions for Verdant Spire Sect's inner disciples. He truly looked forward to the day he could receive more important and larger-scale missions. Gathering, while earning points and mana stones, couldn't compare to an official mission.
One day, while Nathan was cultivating with moonlight atop a tree, Argentius's angry roar resonated from below.
He startled from his meditative state. Through the invisible bond between them, he sensed the anger Argentius possessed.
Looking down, he realized what was happening. Without hesitation, he lunged downward, his hands creating shockwaves to accelerate his descent.
With a boom, he landed, causing dirt and rocks to fly up around him.
His left hand extended to catch Argentius's charging head. His right hand threw a punch at the sword of the intruder.
Argentius's pushing force made him slide across the ground, but he eventually stopped.
He used both hands to stroke the monster's head, speaking to calm it down.
"Easy there, buddy. Let me handle this."
Argentius snorted in dissatisfaction but ultimately complied. It retreated, its eyes still locked with deadly intent on those behind Nathan's back.
Only then did Nathan turn around, observing the four people who had just entered this area with a smile. It had been a while since he'd spoken to anyone. Hence, he was quite enthusiastic.
"Hello, guys," he said friendly. "Argentius meant no harm, so please forgive it."
The monster heard this and bristled, telling Nathan it had done nothing wrong. Those people came and refused to leave. When they saw it, they drew their swords wanting to fight.
Nathan nodded at the information just received. He could somewhat understand when someone met Argentius, the fight-or-flight instinct could easily be triggered.
"A Tier 1?" the sword-wielding person Nathan had struck spoke with disbelief.
He squinted as Nathan's strike force still made his hand tremble.
"My name is Nathan Reed, inner disciple of Verdant Spire Sect. And you are?"
The young swordsman didn't answer, instead raising his voice.
"I have no obligation to answer that question. Step aside, you lowly Tier 1!"
Nathan frowned, looking toward the other three people. They said nothing. Looking at their attire, Nathan guessed they also belonged to an organization similar to Verdant Spire Sect currently training at Moirath Forest. When he tried to use PsiLink, a notification appeared.
A jammer is detected. You cannot search for personal information right now.
Well, this is new.
Just as he thought this, his PsiLink counterattacked.
Jammer is automatically being used to protect you from leaking information.
Wow, master really spent enough on my PsiLink.
At this moment, the sword-wielding youth furrowed his brows deeper when he couldn't extract data about Nathan through facial recognition. He could only use the name Nathan had revealed to scroll through information pages. When he knew everything, he looked down on Nathan even more.
"Just a lowly disciple under an insignificant elder," this youth continued to insult. "Step aside before I change my mind."
"Brother, if you don't want to die, you should watch your mouth," Nathan warned.
Your grandmother! The person you just insulted is up there. One breath and you'll be meeting your ancestors right now.
Hearing this, the youth became even more agitated, about to point his sword to duel with Nathan.
"That's enough, Callum. Stand down!"
The shout from the remaining young man made even Nathan startle. Within that voice was not only authority but also carried strange energy.
The person called Callum grimaced but ultimately didn't dare to object and lowered his sword. With a hostile gaze, he stepped aside, making way for the person who had just ordered.
He stepped into the campfire's light so Nathan could see his face clearly. Unlike Callum who had a somewhat burly build, this new person was more slender. His height and body proportions would make others envious. His black hair, swept to one side, floated with each gentle and graceful movement. The blue uniform he wore seemed to emphasize his nobility, completely different from Callum who carried just an ordinary appearance.
"I apologize for my junior brother's rudeness, you..."
"Nathan."
"Ah yes, Nathan. We just smelled something fragrant and thought some item was here. Unexpectedly, it was food you cooked."
Nathan looked back at the whole boar roasting over his fire. The Vermilion Apes had fled in fear, abandoning their duty to turn it evenly. The [Cooking] skill was making him cringe as he knew the meal he had painstakingly prepared was about to be ruined. He ordered Argentius to signal the red apes to return to work.
The tiger monster's roar made Callum raise his sword again, but then he involuntarily showed an impressed expression when two Vermilion Apes grabbed the spit to turn the heavy Two-horned Boar.
"Truly impressive. Once again, I hope you'll forgive us." The leading disciple continued speaking.
"Ah, the apology. I accept."
Nathan actually found this group more annoying than anything. This team leader's tone was friendly but thick with pretense. He could have stopped things immediately, yet he let Callum cause trouble all this time before standing out to act dignified and mature. And Nathan was sure he had spoken his name loud enough for everyone to hear. Asking for it again was just trying to say he was above Nathan, and this treatment was already worthy enough.
What made him let it go so easily was the system notification.
Triggered [Tingling Sense]. One credit given.
Since obtaining the two skills [Tingling Sense] and [Adrenaline Boost], he had never encountered a case where they didn't activate simultaneously like now. [Tingling Sense] sent a signal but not entirely a danger signal, more like a sixth sense, as if wanting him to pay attention. And it came from the two remaining people. Looking briefly, they seemed to be two girls.
He didn't care much so turned back to face the person considered the team leader.
"Can I know your name? Or should I just call you 'guy'?"
"You can call me senior brother," he smiled and said.
"Forget it!"
"What? Say that again," Callum spoke up on behalf of his teammate.
Nathan shrugged, his back leaning against Argentius's leg to assert his position.
"Look kids, counting actual age, probably none of you are older than me. But that's not important. What's important is that I'm also an inner disciple of Verdant Spire Sect. I cannot dishonor my sect when I myself am not being respected."
"Inner disciple?" Callum snorted with laughter. "How far has Verdant Spire fallen to accept a Tier 1 into such an honorable position? Or perhaps that position is nothing but trash?"
Nathan laughed loudly. Before, he would have been afraid of such arrogant people. He could forgive Elen, as the boy had truly admired him and seen him as a close brother before turning his back. But with others, who would like being treated as a servant?
"I've shown you all great respect, never once insulting. You provoked my friend," Nathan pointed at Argentius baring its teeth, "yet I still considered this a misunderstanding. Don't think I don't know you were eyeing it. But trust me, you can't defeat it."
Hearing this, Argentius raised its head proudly, sending signals telling Nathan to continue.
His lips twitched. This devil really liked being praised.
"And you think you can defeat it?" Callum laughed and asked.
"No, I'm just good at communicating with them." Nathan obviously wouldn't reveal the extent of his abilities to a group of strangers. "But one more disrespectful word about me or Verdant Spire Sect, and I won't mind testing whether I can make you flee from here or not."
Nathan found his mouth becoming increasingly toxic even without [Bad Mouth]. This skill didn't activate when he needed it, but deep down it was negatively influencing him.
Hearing this, Callum fell silent. He was arrogant but his mind, though slow, still functioned. Nathan's earlier punch wasn't light, shocking his wrist which still hurt now. Especially when blocking the tiger monster, Nathan displayed remarkable physical strength.
A clapping sound rang out.
"Well, it seems I truly didn't know the proper order," the team leader spoke up, still maintaining his smile. "My name is Reza, direct disciple of Azure Lake Academy. It's an honor to make your acquaintance."
Nathan, not wanting to attract more trouble to himself, nodded.
What a pretentious name, he cursed in his mind while smiling and saying.
"Isn't this better? Everyone be a bit friendlier. Very nice to meet you!"
Reza still maintained his demeanor, high and mighty, appearing to object to Nathan's suggestion. He had let Callum probe enough, so he stepped in to resolve things. By his assessment, the whole team together could still defeat Nathan and the tiger monster. However, they would pay a heavy price. And they came here with another purpose.
"Then we'll take our leave," Reza said with his level tone.
Seeing the other party didn't apologize for insulting him, Nathan didn't care much either. Just passing ships. But the feeling about those two girls made him want to know more.
"Would you like to stay for food? As you can see, the boar isn't small."
Reza was about to decline when one of the two girls bounced forward, her mouth laughing brightly.
"Really? Can we join in?"
Seeing the round eyes and petite figure along with the cheerful voice made Nathan unconsciously smile and nod.
"Mirela is my name, you can call me Mir," the girl smiled and said.
Reza saw this and scolded.
"Mir, don't be like that!"
"I don't remember allowing you to call me that, brother Reza."
Nathan already liked this girl.
"I'll give you the best leg portion," he said.
"Hehe, that's why I let you call me that familiarly," Mirela playfully replied, her shoulder-length brown hair swaying with each giggle.
That said, she went back, pulling the remaining girl forward.
"This is my senior sister, Evelyn. You have to give her a portion too."
The final girl finally stepped out to show her face. Her appearance stunned Nathan for several seconds.
Evelyn possessed shimmering blue hair, like the sea surface sparkling under sunlight. Her face had hard and cold features. Yet her eyes broke that distance. The two pupils seemed to be inlaid with ice crystals from the coldest regions. They reflected and sparkled under the moonlight, mixing with the flickering firelight making nothing more beautiful in that moment. Her figure was slender but Nathan could sense the pressure radiating from each step through [Martial Art Mastery].
The white eyebrows narrowed at Nathan's gaze.
"That's enough, brother Nathan," Mirela pouted in reproach.
Nathan startled as if waking from a dream. He wasn't overwhelmed by Evelyn's beauty, but was experiencing [Tingling Sense] overload. Besides that, a hidden signal from his Titan bloodline was also urgently warning.
His skin had been very sensitive since reaching Tier 2, so when the girl came close, despite enduring cold from the surrounding snow, he still felt the temperature drop strangely.
His eyes lit up.
Don't tell me she's the one Orin was looking for.
Ignoring the warnings from his skills, Nathan smiled enthusiastically.
"Come, everyone sit down to get warm. The food is almost ready."
He would naturally pretend to forget his inappropriate behavior just now.
Reza saw this and spoke up, his voice losing some composure.
"You two shouldn't accept invitations from strangers like this!"
"That's right," Callum chimed in, "who knows if this bastard mixed poison in or not."
The atmosphere around suddenly became still. Nathan's glance at Callum made him step back. Clearly inferior to Nathan. He had killed countless monsters by now, and alone at that. So his killing intent wasn't small. He might not kill people, but he wasn't afraid of seeing blood. More accurately, he quite enjoyed it.
Mirela, the small girl in the group, put her hands on her hips and retorted.
"You ignorant fool, Callum. If there's poison and you can't detect it, then you deserve to die!"
She tried to phrase it nicely but essentially meant how could a Tier 1 poison Tier 2s? Using spirit to scan would reveal everything. This was a survival skill taught at all academies and sects.
Nathan wasn't offended at all, considering this his strength. People could misunderstand if they wanted, but with [Cooking] level 2 that he had raised to try new recipes lately, even if he poisoned these people they wouldn't know. This skill initially made him wonder why it was ranked Rare, but now he had the answer. Too comprehensive.
Callum wanted to argue but seeing Evelyn had sat down, he stopped. The people traveling together outwardly seemed led by Reza, but all decisions were influenced by that reticent girl.
Mirela seeing this happily chose a spot to sit next to Evelyn, smiling brightly at the roasting boar.
Argentius growled and sat down near the fire, watching the humans to see who dared steal its food.
Nathan shook his head at his partner's gluttony, then went to the cooking fire. As he walked, his wolf-skin cloak lifted, revealing his body clad only in makeshift shorts with solid muscles underneath.
Mirela blushed. Her hands rose to cover her face, but the V-shape she formed still allowed her to peek through.
"Brother Nathan, please cover up!"
Startled, Nathan pulled the fur on his shoulder back, smiling awkwardly.
"Lunar Shadow?" Evelyn finally spoke, her voice though whispered was quite pleasant and melodious.
The two males, Reza and Callum, stiffened, becoming serious. Lunar Shadow shouldn't be in Moirath Forest. However, whether it existed or not, someone who could use its fur as clothing was certainly not simple. They hadn't paid attention to where Nathan's cloak came from. But they trusted Evelyn's judgment. She spoke as if asking, but was already ninety percent certain.
"Yes," Nathan stroked the smooth fur, "all thanks to my big friend here helping out."
Argentius hearing this snorted. It loved fame but didn't like taking credit for things it didn't do. However, mealtime was approaching, so it would behave.
"Are you a Beast Tamer, brother Nathan?" Mirela asked excitedly.
Beast Tamer was quite a rare profession in the Ehyrian Empire, where Verdant Spire Sect and Azure Lake Academy were located. So if Nathan was a Beast Tamer, he must be quite famous.
"Not exactly, just lucky enough to become friends with Argentius."
He didn't call it 'Argy' to maintain his friend's dignity.
"You're so lucky!"
Then Mirela scooted closer, leaning forward with expectant eyes.
"Can I pet Argentius?"
"Aren't you afraid of it?" Nathan's eyes widened.
"You're here, aren't you? Plus, I possess the lightning mana aspect. Do you know what I'm best at?"
Trying to suppress his admiration for Mirela's mana aspect, Nathan nodded, his face solemn and serious as he answered.
"The most important skill. Running!"
Mirela burst into laughter.
"Right, exactly! Yet everyone keeps saying running is something shameful! Don't you find that ridiculous?"
"If you can't win then run. You don't know how badly I wanted to run from Argentius at first. Look at those jaws, it could swallow me whole!"
"Well I can run, so don't worry. Let me pet it, please!"
Mirela looked from Nathan then back to Argentius.
Nathan told the monster to allow it despite its fierce resistance. Seeing how Mirela had a close relationship with Evelyn, he also wanted to score some points.
After a moment, he gestured inviting Mirela to fulfill her wish.
Reza and Callum sat down at a distance, visibly tense. They had been trying to show off throughout their journey. So it was unexpected that everything would fall apart like this. Especially Reza, his eyes locked onto Evelyn. If anything happened, he would grab her hand and flee first instead of Mirela.
Mirela appeared hesitant despite her earlier enthusiasm. After all, Argentius was overwhelmingly huge.
She slowly extended her hand toward the tiger monster's chin. Slowly touching its fur. Argentius snorted once making her withdraw her hand. But she maintained her courage afterward, or more accurately that hidden desire, touching the fur again. This time, Argentius didn't resist anymore, allowing the small human to stroke its fur.
Nathan laughed. The monster kept protesting but was quite enjoying it. He knew because he wasn't much different from Mirela. There wasn't a day he didn't pet or stroke this tiger. Its fur was truly too amazing.
Mirela got so caught up she forgot she was facing a monster. From its chin she wandered down to Argentius's belly. However the monster didn't mind. After all, this girl had no ill intent from the start, before Nathan jumped down. She had even spoken up in protest so it had goodwill, letting her play around.
When seeing the monster didn't resist, Mirela collapsed onto Argentius's belly, arms spread wide. Her face showed nothing but pure joy.
Evelyn saw this and smiled. But immediately hid it afterward.
Nathan with [Martial Art Mastery] and [Better Vision] always noticed the smallest movements and had seen it. He unconsciously smiled too. He truly hoped one day he could have a forest walk like this with Zeryn and Jessica.
A while later, dinner was ready.
As promised, Nathan cut a leg for Mirela and Evelyn. As for Reza and Callum, he just carved off some random parts and handed them over, considering it sufficient hospitality.
Both accepted it, not caring too much.
Mirela regretfully left Argentius. True, she was infatuated with this giant tiger, but Nathan's cooking was truly too enticing. Just the smell alone was irresistible.
Unlike the others, she showed no hesitation in grabbing it right away, not minding the oil and grease on her hands.
"Hold on there, young lady," Nathan stopped her.
Without letting her ask why, he had already sprinkled a thin layer of powder he had refined on the meat. Besides that, he also placed a plate crafted from Burrower Herds shell for her.
"Now you can eat."
Without fear, Mirela opened her small mouth and took a huge bite as if afraid the leg would disappear. She froze for a few seconds, making Evelyn worried.
Nathan shuddered as everything seemed to drop to absolute zero.
Mirela freed him by immediately chewing enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up like stars.
Eating while talking made her voice sound muffled.
"Eat sis Evelyn. So good!"
Hearing this, Nathan felt proud. Now he understood why his mother always said seeing someone enjoy the food you cook is the happiest moment.
Evelyn paused her movement, bowing her head to signal an apology to Nathan. He waved it off. Then prepared a plate with small slices of meat for Evelyn. He believed she wouldn't be as natural and casual as Mirela.
"Thank you," Evelyn gently replied, both hands accepting the plate from him.
"Enjoy your meal," he smiled, hoping he would create a good impression with the girl.
He returned to his portion of meat, and shared it with Argentius. The Vermilion Apes who helped hunt were also rewarded appropriately.
Mirela both laughed and choked when seeing Argentius chewing contentedly on the remaining Two-horned Boar. When she was full, she gave what was left of hers to the monster. It couldn't help but happily accept, and rewarded Mirela with another chance to cuddle it. When she rubbed too hard, her electric power unconsciously activated, causing small tingling sensations that made Argentius laugh. However, its laughter carried quite noisy vibrations.
The two outsiders seeing Mirela give away her meat showed signs of regret. Although they had tried to resist, they ultimately ate it, and truly wanted more.
"More?" he asked when seeing Evelyn had finished her portion.
"I'm full, no need," she answered.
Nathan nodded understanding, then stood up to cut more meat for her from his portion.
"I said I don't need any," Evelyn raised her sparkling eyes to look at Nathan puzzled.
"Then you can give it to Mirela or your teammates. I can't finish it all."
Of course he was lying. For a Physical Cultivator like him, this was actually too little. It's just that he had been absorbing essence from moonlight these past few days so he didn't need to eat much.
"I'm full," Mirela called out while busy playing with Argentius. "Eat it, sister Evelyn."
Hearing this, Evelyn stopped being polite, using a fork taken from her storage ring earlier to continue eating. She didn't even think about sharing with the two drooling guys. She was also displeased with their decision to want to fight Argentius. Their original agreement didn't include this. If they fought, it would only make their goal more difficult.
"So, are you all here at Moirath Forest for training?" Nathan curiously asked Mirela and Evelyn.
"None of your business," Callum said.
"Chill the fuck out," Nathan tilted his head to look at him, starting to get annoyed. "If you don't want to say that's fine too. I was just asking. Besides, I wasn't talking to you."
"My apologies," Evelyn spoke up, using a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, gracefully returning the plate to Nathan. "We cannot say."
"If sister Evelyn says so then I have to keep quiet too," Mirela's face fell as she said to Nathan.
Right at this moment, Argentius sent him a signal. The group from Azure Lake Academy was carrying an ancient artifact to find a hidden location in the forest. But for the Lord of The Forest, Argentius had this matter in the palm of its hand.
"Is it dangerous?" Nathan asked back through their mental link.
The answer made him shudder.
They're gonna die, that's what Argentius said.
Nathan didn't want this to happen so probed further. The secret location was a deep cave underground, home to the Nightmare Weaver, a monster that evolved after Web Weavers consumed enough Dream Moths. The spider monster had since evolved into a new species. This process took place silently over a very long time. Possessing powerful Tier 3 strength, it could defeat any monster in the forest.
Argentius's position as Lord of the Forest wasn't challenged because Nightmare Weaver ignored everything, only focusing on cultivation after defeating humans who ventured into its territory. Argentius guessed Nightmare Weaver was keeping some item that attracted cultivators. It was just a matter of time before this monster would be caught.
"Can you beat it?" Nathan wondered.
50/50, Argentius replied.
"What about with me added?"
50/50.
"Are you saying I'm a burden?"
49/50 if you put it that way.
Nathan was starting to feel an itch to bonk this monster on the head.
Unless you let that 'other you' appear. Then we'd have about seventy percent certainty.
Nathan shook his head, abandoning any intention of scouting Nightmare Weaver. It seemed even Argentius wasn't clear about the enemy, showing more wariness than usual.
"You shouldn't go," Nathan spoke up to advise. "I don't know what you want to get from Nightmare Weaver, but you need to be alive to use it, right?"
Reza sprang up in one motion.
"How do you know about us wanting to find Nightmare Weaver?"
Nathan saw no need to hide, so he pointed at Argentius.
"My friend here is quite friendly, isn't he?" Nathan smirked at Reza. "Even going so far as to warn you."
"That's because you're both pathetically weak!" Callum sneered.
"Want to test that theory, dung mouth?"
Triggered [Bad Mouth]. One credit given.
Finally decided to join the fun, Nathan silently celebrated.
Mirela, seeing both sides reeking of gunpowder, stood up to mediate. But Evelyn had already done so, the cold radiating from her making everyone pause. Hot blood rushing to their heads instantly retreated.
Evelyn stood up, bowing her head to Nathan saying.
"Thank you for the meal."
Then she turned to her teammates.
"Let's go."
Mirela lingered, reluctant to leave Argentius's fur, but finally departed.
"Hope we'll meet again, brother Nathan."
Nathan absently nodded without trying to stop them anymore, guessing he would see them again soon.
Indeed, after about several hours since he watched the four silhouettes disappear into the forest, a loud explosion rang out.
He immediately jumped onto Argentius's back, heading toward Nightmare Weaver's location.
