Chapter 488 Spiritual energy Cavern
Hubert stretched out his hand, feeling the limited spiritual energy in the atmosphere. The quantity was minimal in this region.
'Hmm, now that Kyle can absorb spiritual energy, he needs an environment rich in spiritual energy.'
Abruptly, he halted in his steps as he remembered the spiritual energy cave he had found in this land a couple of years back while exploring methods to cultivate mana plants in this mana-deprived land.
'How could I have forgotten about that location!?'
It was a vast underground chamber surrounding the planet core that had been sustaining this land, a heaven for those who could harness spiritual energy.
'But... the last time I passed through that place, it was filled with manaless beasts, not to mention...'
He thought for a second and decided to let Kyle make the decision.
"Hey, Kyle?"
Kyle turned back. They had reached the mountain's top and were standing outside Hubert's house.
"Hmm?"
Hubert let out a sigh as he saw Kyle's eyes drooping due to tiredness, yet he still had the audacity to practice so late at night.
"Why don't you enter the spiritual energy cavern? It's quite far from this place, but now that you have learned to use spiritual energy, it will be advantageous for you."
"It will also help you enhance your physique. But... once you enter the cavern, you won't be able to leave until you reach at least (SSS)-rank in spiritual energy. So the choice is up to you because it can take many years for you to just step out from that place."
Kyle blinked twice to shake off the sleep and noticed the old man's blue eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"A cavern?"
Hubert nodded.
"It's a vast underground space filled with manaless beasts and spiritual energy. Also, I can accompany you because I can exit that space at will since I have already surpassed the threshold required to pass through the layer of energy surrounding that place due to the planet's core. This way, I can easily check on the village while training you simultaneously."
"Kyle, in that place, you can boost your spiritual energy stat. I think it's the ideal option for you at the moment. But as I mentioned earlier, the decision is up to you if you want to go or just continue what we are doing right now, as you already know gathering spiritual energy is difficult."
Kyle stared into the air for a moment. He thought about the people waiting for him, but not many faces came to his mind. If it had been a short time ago, he might have turned down the old man's offer. But after knowing the fact that the passage of time in the No Mana Land is different from the outside world, his mind just said that he should go.
"So, worst-case scenario, I would spend a few decades in that place, right? But it's fine I guess... now I don't need to worry about being forgotten by those I know because, unlike me, only a few years will pass for them. They will remember me, and if they do forget me in just a few years, then that means I was not someone significant to them. I shouldn't get too emotional about this because it can be stressful sometimes."
Hubert furrowed his brows when he saw the same expression of nonchalance he would see on Kyle's face from time to time after that incident. It was rare, but Kyle's eyes would also turn detached for a split second now and then. He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Kyle open the house door before heading inside to sleep after sharing his final words.
"I'm not even sure where or who I'm going to search for once I leave this place... Let's head to that location tomorrow morning because it's important for me to become as strong as possible since I want to make someone stronger than me suffer."
Hubert stared at the closed door for a second before gazing up at the sky with a solemn look.
"I shouldn't have made this suggestion. It would have been better for me to focus on training him so he could leave this land as soon as possible. This kid, he's becoming numb at such a young age, I can see it... I hope his loved ones can help him find himself again..."
The next morning, Kyle packed multiple sets of clothes and essential items even before Hubert woke up.
Once the old man was ready, they set off for the spiritual energy cavern, a vast area teeming with nothing but monsters and plants that had lost their color.
After they found a secure and secluded spot within the cavern and arranged their living space, Kyle's routine remained the same as before.
He would engage in physical training in the morning and afternoon, fight the manaless beasts and other monsters, and refine his swordsmanship under Hubert during the night before sleeping under the dark sky.
Though it took a lot of time, Kyle also managed to make his body actively absorb the spiritual energy in the air without needing to sit down and concentrate to allow the energy to enter his body.
Hubert would leave the cavern from time to time to check on the village and his people after advising Kyle not to act recklessly.
But when the old man returned, he would always sense a significant decrease in the number of manaless monsters. Moreover, Hubert had to keep his cool and prevent his jaw from dropping at the abundance of spiritual plants that Kyle claimed to have stumbled upon accidentally during his training and walks.
Unbeknownst to him, Kyle hated the sight of manaless beasts. So, the moment he would leave, the human would have the freedom to go on a killing spree while using his scent perception skill to find as many treasures as possible from the cavern.
Not to mention, after Hubert spent a few more years with Kyle, the old man had to admit with bitterness that the human's luck was unbelievably high for him to bear. How on earth can someone find a treasure just because they went to bathe at a nearby lake??