Red frowned. “You want to possess someone else?”

Aurelia laughed. “Oh no, we are long past that phase. It could have worked before I was bound to the core, but now? It’s impossible for me to leave the crystal so easily.”

“So how do you suggest I should help you in getting a body?”

She smiled. “It’s simple. You can build me one.”

Red hesitated. “… You are suggesting for me to use necromancy?”

“Yes.” Aurelia nodded. “It wouldn’t solve the root problem of being bound to the core, but if you use the crystal to build a body for me, then I will be able to possess it and use it as I see fit.”

“I need the core.”

“And you will have it, as I don’t plan on running away. However, in the state I’m in, the help I can provide you is very limited.” she said. “Once I can interact with the physical realm again, then we will be able to accomplish a lot together.”

Red shook his head. “Even if that’s the case, what you’re asking of me is beyond my capabilities.”

Aurelia smirked. “It might be beyond you, but it is not beyond the knowledge of the necromancer that has been stalking you.”

Red frowned. “You want me to ask them for help in making it?”

She shook her head. “You merely need to ask them how to do it. You don’t need to be that obvious about your intentions, of course. However, you have met with them before. They have always been eager to teach you about necromancy in an attempt to pull you to their side. You can use that to your advantage.”

Red sighed. “And in the process, become a full-fledged necromancer, I suppose.”

“You’re already half a demon.” Aurelia shrugged. “What’s one more cursed title on top of it?”

Red fell silent in deep thought.

Almost ten seconds later, he spoke up again. “I need time to think.”

There were so many things he needed to consider and think through about this whole interaction that he didn’t feel comfortable giving her an answer yet. Red would be foolish to believe her at face value, but some of the things she said made the youth rethink his outright denial and now consider what a collaboration between them might entail.

Still, he was reluctant to accept the help of yet another individual more powerful and knowledgeable than him. It was just giving out more of what little sense of freedom he had and adding another dangerous factor in his life.

Aurelia didn’t look upset at his rejection. “I know the kind of person you are, Red. You may look very cold and logical on the outside, but I know you are stubborn to a fault. You want to do things your own way for as long as you can, even if it comes at great risk for your own life. Until you can verify my words through your own experiences, you won’t be fully convinced. ”

Red frowned but didn’t say anything.

Aurelia smiled. ”Are you surprised? I know you well because I was once like you too, which is why I’m offering you my advice.”

“… I need time to think.” Red repeated his words.

“That’s fine.” She nodded. ”However, I am still here at your disposal should you need my help.”

The woman continued to stare at Red with an enigmatic expression and a smile that tried to convey sincerity but only succeeded in making the youth more suspicious. Still, he wouldn’t say no to her free help.

‘Now that she mentions it…’

“The curse, do you have it too?” Red asked.

“Not in the same way as you.” Aurelia shook her head. “I can feel the energy draining from the core every time the New Moon appears, but thanks to my… helping hand, the rate at which the core can grow is higher than the rate at which it loses its energy. You do not have to worry about the core disappearing, if that’s your concern.”

‘So that’s why the core has been increasing in strength.’

Red didn’t think Aurelia was doing that out of the kindness of her heart. If her existence was tied to the crystal, then as the crystal grew stronger, she would probably benefit even more from it. The youth never heard of a core that could grow in strength outside of a monster’s body, but considering the origins of this one, it wasn’t the strangest thing about it.

There was another matter Red was curious about, though.

“Can you see it?” Red asked.

Suddenly, the woman’s whole countenance changed as her expression became serious. “… See what?”

The youth was surprised at this sudden change. “The thing on the Moon, of course.”

Aurelia’s frown deepened. “I haven’t looked, and neither should you.”

Red was at a loss. “Why?”

“Let me just make this clear to you. If I so much as take a glance at the Moon, I am certain that I will immediately die.” she said. “I have felt this since I was bound to the crystal, so I decided to follow my instincts. The fact you do not feel the same is all the more reason for you to be concerned.”

The youth frowned. “What is it?”

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Aurelia’s expression continued to worsen. “I do not know, and I do not want to know. Stop talking about it.”

Red fell silent. He recalled the fact undead were often connected to the Moon and derived much of their power from it, becoming stronger the brighter the celestial body became. The being on the Moon was the exact opposite, becoming weaker the brighter the Moon became.

The youth often wondered why that was the case, but he theorized the being might be deeply connected with the existence of the undead, and not in a positive sense. Aurelia’s reaction only reinforced that in his mind, as she seemed unwilling to even discuss the topic.

Still, Red decided this was a good opportunity to test the boundaries of the help this ghostly woman was willing to provide.

The youth sighed. “Is this the kind of help you are willing to provide me? Telling me not to pursue the topic that is of most interest to me and only offering vague explanations as an excuse?”

Aurelia frowned. “If they involve my own survival, then yes, I will reserve the right to not discuss these matters.”

“Then how exactly can you help me?” Red asked.

“I can teach you cultivation.” the woman said. “I have a plethora of knowledge from my time in my sect and techniques that will certainly serve you.”

“I have a manual with techniques up to the Spirit Core Realm. I am not in need of techniques or cultivation methods at the moment.”

Aurelia scoffed. “You really think a random cultivation manual is comparable to the techniques I learned in my sect?”

“You have probably read some of the pages of the manual yourself while you were spying on me.” Red said. “You tell me how they compare.”

He didn’t know if the woman was aware of who his master was, but he had absolute confidence in the technique he acquired from the trial. After all, at some point, his master defeated all the sects, so how could his techniques be inferior?

It seemed that Red was right in calling Aurelia’s bluff, as her expression twisted in annoyance. “Just because your manual is useful, it doesn’t mean that the techniques in it will suit you. I know hundreds of techniques from my sect’s vault that I can provide to better suit your needs.”

Red nodded. “That might be the case, but for now, I don’t see the need for them.”

The hawk explained to him that even if Red’s elemental compatibility with the Storm’s Blessing arts wasn’t good, there was a way to raise that in the future, so the youth was not in a hurry to look for other cultivation methods.

Aurelia looked insulted at Red’s refusal, but she held back her anger “I can teach you weapon arts, too, which will be more promptly useful. I am certain that the techniques in that manual of yours involve mostly spells, so that is an area you are lacking in.”

Red shook his head. “Domeron is already teaching me weapon arts.”

“You moron!” Aurelia glared at him. “Do you mean to compare a mortal’s teachings to the knowledge I can provide you?!”

“His teachings have served me well enough for now.” Red said.

“You…” Aurelia’s eyes twitched in annoyance. “I know what you are doing, so stop beating around the bush! What is it that you want?!”

Indeed, the knowledge the woman offered in techniques was very tempting for the youth, but it wasn’t the thing he needed the most at the moment.

“Tell me how to avoid the Imperial’s tracking devices.” Red said.

This was what concerned him. As long as the imperials could track his location, then Red would never feel at ease to do as he pleased.

Aurelia scoffed. “Is that really what you wanted to know? Why not just ask from the beginning?!”

‘If I just asked, I wouldn’t know how much you were willing to offer.’

“Can you help me or not?” Red asked.

“Of course I can!” the woman said. “The method they used to track you is called Spiritual Signal detection. It may be unknown to the common mortal, but sects have been using it for thousands of years already.”

“What does it consist of?” As she said, Red indeed never heard of this method before, not even in books.

“It’s simple. Every single living being in this world, whether they be a mortal or not, influences the Spiritual Energy around them to a certain degree, and each individual person influences it in a different way. That is to say, everyone emits a slightly different kind of Spiritual Energy emissions around them.” Aurelia said. “That means that as long as you know what someone’s Spiritual Energy emissions are like, then you can track them through simple Spiritual Energy detection.”

Red frowned. “Is it easy to acquire that kind of information?”

“It depends. A strong cultivator can discern and memorize that with a single glance. Mortals can also use the method, but that requires a long period of close observation of the target and the assistance of treasures like the one you destroyed. It is not the kind of method that is readily available to just anyone, but almost all large factions use it to some degree.”

None of these options were good news to Red. It meant that there was either a strong cultivator around town, or the youth had been more closely monitored than he was expecting.

“How do you counter it?” Red asked.

“Either you use a treasure to mask your Spiritual emissions or cultivate a Spiritual Art that can do the same.”

Red frowned. That would require the youth to be in the Lesser Ring Realm.

“How hard is it to find or make this treasure?” he asked.

Aurelia scoffed. “It is most certainly beyond your capabilities at the moment.”

“Just tell me how. I do not really have a choice but to look into it.”

After all, letting the Imperials know his location at all times just wasn’t a viable option. Even if he couldn’t do anything himself, perhaps Hector would be able to help him acquire such a treasure.

Aurelia shook her head. “You don’t need to worry about it. I have already taken care of that problem for you.”

Red was confused. “What do you mean?”

“I told you I was bound to the core.” she said. “I can’t interact with physical matter, but I can use some of the Spiritual Power in the core to execute some very simple arts. As it so happens, masking one’s Spiritual emissions is not a difficult matter in the first place. The Imperials aren’t going to be able to track you any longer.”

Red fell silent.

Aurelia smiled. “What is it? Not even a thank you? I helped you without even asking for anything in return. If that doesn’t prove my sincerity, I don’t know what will.”

“… You just did it because you don’t want to be caught by the imperials.”

She laughed. “That too, of course, but it still helped you in the end, didn’t it?”

The youth couldn’t feel happy with the circumstances. The fact she was able to mask his emissions meant she could also unmask them without his knowledge. He would be at her mercy if she ever decided to betray him, which is why Red would seek one of the treasures she mentioned as soon as he returned.

“Now, don’t sulk too much.” She said. “I know what you’re thinking, but you have to remember we are in this together. As long as I’m bound to this… form, then I need your help to keep me safe. If I fell in the hands of those imperials or the necromancer, who knew what would happen to me?”

Red sighed. “In the end, you still haven’t really done anything to help me that wasn’t in your self-interest.”

Aurelia frowned. “You are the one that is not interested in the techniques I want to teach you!”

“I need things that can help me right now, not in a few months or years.”

Just learning a new weapon art wouldn’t save Red from the necromancer or the imperials if they decided to attack him.

Aurelia scoffed. “Right, then how about this…” She pointed in the direction of the cave the youth had blocked. “How about I tell you how you can use that egg?”

Red’s interest was finally piqued.