-Deep Inside the Crystal Cave-

We explored the area and just like the dungeon from the forest exploration, really deep and no signs of monsters around here. This place looks just like a good hideout but the entrance can't be controlled and so far we can't find any exit either. I tried bursting out using spells but it won't even leave a scratch.

"Hey Scy, we still haven't found anything yet, should we just go back and wait until the entrance opens up?" Elou suggested because so far, the passage is an infinite way to we don't know what is.

"Well, we've come this far. I think it's too late to go back. Let's try to go on a bit more. Maybe we could find something worthy of this long walks," I am not going back without bringing something back.

We still continued our exploration. The more we walk the shinier the crystal becomes. It's been an hour since we left the entrance.

"Let's rest for a bit guys. I need to try something out," We stopped walking.

"What is it? Do you need to pee? Haha," Elou joked. Jeez.

"No, I just want to consume the Soul stone I have. Anyways you guys rest a bit too,"

I grabbed the black soul stone and focused my mana into it. After that, I instantly absorbed it back and I felt a strong but strange aura that slowly came to me. Ugh! Darkness covered around me, even the crystal lights disappeared... and then after a while, the darkness faded. The black Soul stone became transparent and the color of it disappeared. Just like that, I absorbed the Soul of the Death Shadow.

(Death Shadow's Soul Acquired! Affinity will now increase.)

(Dark Mastery Learned!)

Wow! So now I get to use the soul whenever I want to and I even learned it's element. Though, why didn't I ever get that mastery before.

"If I was able to kill you when we are in the forest, I should be the one consuming your soul..," It hurt my head! A scary voice echoed through my ears! It's the same one I heard when the Chimera was chasing me and when I am near death fighting Zeth! What the hell?

"Who are you? Why are you talking to me? Ugh..," I panicked and said those words while grabbing my head.

"Hey, Scy! Are you ok?!" Elou asked me. He was concerned with what happened to me.

"Yeah, I just got startled a bit. Thanks," Wow, I didn't expect this.

"Who are you? Is this the Death Shadow who's talking?" I asked using my mind.

"A cheeky brat like you don't deserve me. I just saved your life because I need your mana and if you drop me it would be the end of me," This is a good AI... they do have their own way of thinking. This one is into killing me.

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"Yeah yeah. Just shut up, now I'm going to call you Shade. Your full name is too long" He's really annoying.

This time I should consume the other Soul stone too. After consuming it, my body was surrounded by some kind of static energy around my body. It tingles a bit but it stopped after a while. Wooh, it felt different this time. The first one was really strange. It was fear, and uneasiness but right now it felt like there are pins and needles all over my body.

(Thunderbird's Soul Acquired! Affinity will now increase.)

(Lightning Mastery Learned.)

(THUNDERBIRD BOSS RANK: B)

So it was really a monster soul... neat gift, Elf Lead.

"Hmmm. Oh, I already left that crappy looking stone. This time, I'm with this boy's body. Not bad, I can feel how much power you have," This time it's like a girl's voice but I'm still not sure.

"Uhm... Hello? What are you?" I asked myself. It feels really weird talking to myself.

"I'm a Thunderbird and you can call me sexy if you want," Hmmm, I don't know what to say...

"Sorry, not going to happen," I replied. How can I call a bird sexy? It doesn't sound logical at all.

"What a sulky boy, how about a little kiss from your sister?" Did I dig my own grave? This bird is so annoying. Warden said they sometimes talk but this bird talks a lot.

"No, thanks," I replied.

Wow, they do really appear in my masteries, though they are not considered as Main masteries and because of that, they don't add to my total rank. Well, total rank doesn't actually measure our full potential. Anyways, we should better continue and stop wasting our time.

"Hey, guys. Let's go."

"So how are the Souls? Did they already talk to you or something?" Elou asked me.

"Well yeah, they did. One of them is annoying,"

"No, I'm not! Hmp!" The bird replied. Their faces looked shocked. But I don't know why.

"Just like that, she talked again," I told them.

"Yeah, we heard her. You're a mean master you know. You should respect a lady," Akko replied. What the!? Did they hear the bird? I thought it can only talk to me?

"Well I can also talk to your friends but I can't talk to strangers and hostile players. Little boy, focus your mana on top of your head please," Agh... I really enjoy the company of my party members because they don't talk a lot. I did what she told me and then...

The mana transformed into the thunderbird's appearance, but this time it was smaller and looks like a chick. She used my mana I gave her and moving like she was a pet on my head.

"Wow! We can see you now. You are really cute! We will now call you Kyut!" Lili and Akko are really weak to cute things.

They grabbed the little bird from my head and petted it. At least we're not bored, walking straight to nowhere.

"That's a cute name. I like it! But can you feel the tremendous amount of power around here? It gives me the chills," Ugh, calling her that name would be embarrassing. She said she can feel something, does that mean there's something wrong with the place?

"We can't feel it but we are sure that something is out there like the Chimera,"

"Oh, that Chimera is really scary! I saw that but Death Shadow called to you out first and I'm really not in the mood to talk in my Soul stone state, and yeah. I can't really be in this form for too long. I have to sleep soon." Yeah, that was after I got her from the Elf Leader. And good thing that she won't be able to appear anytime she wants.

We moved forward and finally, we reached the end. Ugh! I felt something strange! It was an intense feeling. I ducked and trusted my instincts. I checked the other guys and they are really looking pale and are also lying on the ground hiding without any reason.

The ground shook without any signs of warning. The crystals at the end of the cave started to move and it resembles a body. It was a body of a dragon! I knew it! Something like this really exists here in this place! Thank God our instincts save us or else, just like the Chimera, it would have chased us like crazy.

(WARNING: A High-Rank Entity is nearby.)

(CRYSTAL DRAGON BOSS RANK: S)

"Ok, I think this time we should really head back..." I whispered them.