Everyone had gotten into the car.

Cheng Bin's corpse was left in a pool of blood beside the vehicle.

Sitting in the car, Ning Fan found it difficult to calm his emotions.

This was the first time he had ever killed someone.

Yes, Cheng Bin was killed by him.

Lin Chuan had given him this opportunity.

Even though Ning Fan knew that walking the path of a Marauder meant he would eventually experience such things, he hadn't expected it to come so quickly and suddenly.

His stomach churned, and he felt the shadow dog meat inside his belly constantly stirring. That sour, fishy smell kept rising in his throat.

Despite his poor condition, no one comforted him. Not even a pat on the back.

Once you choose to be a Marauder, don't expect anyone to treat you like a child.

Lin Chuan's brows remained tightly furrowed.

After driving for about an hour, he finally broke the silence in the car.

"Is that the Ghost Mist Forest ahead?"

"Yes, less than ten kilometers to go," Hui Zi replied flatly.

"Turn right, let's rest at that cave where we had barbecue last time."

"Alright," Hui Zi steered the car to a stop in front of a cave.

Ning Fan saw traces of burnt charcoal still remaining in the cave. Just as Lin Chuan had said, they were too familiar with this route. They had even leisurely held a barbecue party in a cave during their last mission.

Everyone got out of the car and entered the cave. The man called Da Zhuang gathered some wood and lit a bonfire.

However, they weren't here for a barbecue this time.

"We've been targeted," Lin Chuan stretched his hands out to the fire, his gaze falling thoughtfully on the flames. "If I'm not mistaken, the [War Bear] people are already waiting for us in the Ghost Mist Forest."

No one spoke, but they didn't show much panic either.

"We have two choices. First, we change our route and take the Snake Tunnel, bypassing the Ghost Mist Forest. Second, we fight our way through."

Lin Chuan raised his head, his solemn face reddened by the firelight. "Seven people vote, majority decides. I'll state my position first: let's fight!"

"Fight through!"

"Fight."

"I don't think it's necessary to be confrontational. We've taken the Snake Tunnel before."

"Safety first."

"We don't know much about [War Bear], a head-on clash could lead to uncontrollable risks."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Six people, three votes in favor of a direct confrontation, three votes for taking a detour.

This result surprised Ning Fan. He had thought that since Lin Chuan had already stated his position, everyone would show some respect for the captain's face. But Hui Zi and Qiao Fei, along with the seemingly simple-minded Da Zhuang, had actually voted against it.

More importantly, now the decisive vote fell on Ning Fan, the newcomer.

All eyes turned to him, waiting for his decision.

Although Ning Fan felt a bit uncomfortable, he calmly said, "Brother Chuan, before voting, I'd like to ask a few questions."

"Go ahead," Lin Chuan nodded.

"What exactly is a Soul Servant?"

Ning Fan had been holding this question for a long time. The ability to use a Soul Servant made a huge difference for a Marauder. He needed to know how to obtain a Soul Servant!

It seemed Lin Chuan had anticipated this question, but he didn't answer directly.

"Do you remember what you saw when we first left the inner district?"

Of course Ning Fan remembered. How could he forget that scene? Corpses everywhere, people dying of starvation all around! The ground was covered in dried brown bloodstains.

"Countless lost souls in the wild," Lin Chuan said softly. "These souls, after accumulating for a long time, become Spirits."

"Spirits have no consciousness, no thoughts, but they can feel the pain from the moment before death! Spirits are the product of gathered souls. The pain of one person's dying moment might be bearable, but what if many souls gather together?"

"So, Spirits need release! And their way of release is to attach themselves to our weapons. We give them a place to reside with our weapons, and in return, they lend us their power."

Lin Chuan raised his knife. "This knife of mine contains a Spirit formed by six gathered souls. It's called Butcher."

"Formed by six souls?" At first hearing, Ning Fan thought six souls were already quite a lot.

"Don't be so surprised. Think about it, what's the most abundant thing in the wild? It's not those strange plants, nor the bloodthirsty Aberrant Beasts, but souls!"

Lin Chuan pointed at Qiao Fei. "Qiao Fei's Soul Servant is formed by seventeen souls. She's the only one among us who has a [Ten-Soul Level] Soul Servant."

Ning Fan suddenly looked at Qiao Fei and saw her lowering her head, polishing her Tang sword. Inside that Tang sword... A Spirit formed by seventeen gathered souls was hidden!

"So, does that mean if the weapon isn't with you, you can't use the Soul Servant?" Ning Fan had no time to marvel.

"Not necessarily. Initially, the Spirit only attaches to the weapon, which is why I just said we borrow power from the Spirits," Lin Chuan explained. "But once you develop enough rapport with the Soul Servant, the weapon just serves as a medium! Even if you change weapons, you can still use the Soul Servant."

Ning Fan roughly understood. "Then how can one obtain a Soul Servant?"

"I can't answer that question," Lin Chuan smiled. "There's a saying in the Marauder circle: when the time is right, a Spirit will come to you on its own."

Ning Fan was a bit disappointed with this answer. When the time is right? This seemed too mystical!

"Could it be related to mental power?" Ning Fan persisted. "For example, is it easier to sense the presence of Spirits when near death?"

"You're overthinking it," Hui Zi pointed to the three scratch marks on his neck. "When I went on my first mission, I almost died out there, but I didn't get a Soul Servant. It wasn't until my third time out that suddenly, as I was walking along, a Spirit came to me!"

It really does depend on chance!

"Kid, don't be impatient. As long as you can survive in the wild, you'll have your own Soul Servant one day."

Lin Chuan patted his shoulder. "Now, let's vote. Everyone's waiting for your decision."

Ning Fan put aside his eagerness to obtain a Soul Servant and started to seriously consider how to vote. He knew his decision would affect the fate of the entire team.

After half a minute of thought, Ning Fan still hadn't given an answer.

"Brother Chuan, to be honest, I think... your approach is wrong."

All six people turned to look at Ning Fan.

This kid, who had just cursed at Brother Chuan, was now questioning him again...

"Kid, trying to usurp power?" Hui Zi raised an eyebrow.

However, this time Lin Chuan didn't show any displeasure. Instead, he tilted his head with interest.

"Top student, tell us your thoughts?" he asked.