Chapter 524 I forgot I had company
Kyle glanced up at the sky above him. It was getting a bit dark, indicating that night was drawing near. He started running and left the lake behind, even though he knew it was a hot spring from the warm water and the faint scent of sulfur in the air.
He had come to understand that as much as he enjoyed warmth, he found that things just a bit warmer weren't compatible with his cold body. His silhouette darted through the verdant trees enveloping him from every angle, while the mystical spirit desperately clung to his shoulder, trying its best not to be left behind due to the harsh wind that pushed against his body.
Kyle expanded his scent perception skill in all directions to monitor his surroundings. Instantly, a multitude of scents inundated his nostrils, yet he didn't even flinch and extended his skill even further, detecting the diverse array of presences, monsters, and valuable items surrounding him.
His eyes narrowed, and he paused above a rock amidst the grassy expanse because he sensed numerous underground chambers beneath the land he was running on.
Oddly, he could only perceive the presence of these deep underground chambers due to the peculiar scent emanating from them but couldn't discern what these chambers held within them. It seemed as though his skill was unable to penetrate the barriers or energy fields encasing those chambers.
"This place is filled with natural treasures, even though I don't know what they are. I can also detect a myriad of plants all around myself that are emitting pure spiritual energy and divine energy."
He rubbed his chin with a pleased expression. At least, his master had sent him to a better place than he had anticipated.
But it was a shame that his body only needed divine energy at the moment, and even if he got those treasures, they wouldn't be very helpful to him. Also, his spiritual energy stat had a minor breakthrough after the massive tree infused so much spiritual energy into his body, allowing him to engulf the entire tree with his flames.
Therefore, it wouldn't be wise for him to take in more spiritual energy than his body can handle right now, at least until his body adjusted to the previous breakthrough. This was also one of the reasons he held back from consuming the light sitting on his shoulder and saved it for the future.
The mystical spirit on his shoulder shuddered slightly as it sensed a faint ominous aura from the human eyes when they glanced at its form. It couldn't help but wonder if the human had lied to it when the latter said it could stay with him...?
Kyle averted his gaze, but his eyes narrowed as he noticed another floating light approaching him from a distance. He let out an 'Oh' and pointed his finger towards the familiar light before tapping the light on his shoulder.
"Hey, is that one of your family members? Are they looking for you?"
He chuckled and thought to himself that it was all good because he could just put the other light on his shoulder too, not realizing that he would soon regret his decision.
At midnight, Kyle halted in front of a tree that caught his eye because its trunk was giving off a soft glow. He gazed at the two round fruits radiating divine energy hanging from the tree's branches and disappeared from his spot to pick them.
As he vanished, the two spirits sitting on his shoulder were startled, and the duo instinctively flapped their wings to stay airborne after losing their positions.
Kyle settled on his heels atop one of the tree branches and grabbed the fruits. He barely managed to contain the urge to let a smirk creep onto his lips as he watched the two lights rushing towards him from the distance. It somehow felt familiar.
"Oops, I forgot I had company."
The two mystical spirits were incensed at his words, but they once again quietly sat down on his shoulder without complaint, even though they had the power to make this human regret his words. Kyle glanced at them once and then ignored them.
He was feeling somewhat giddy, perhaps because initially, he believed he would only meet the individual he had put a mark on upon reaching the Sacred Divine Land. But now that he was here, he could also clearly feel the second presence he had sensed alongside the first one for many years in the No Mana Land. The presence with whom he shared a bond. He wondered about their appearance.
Were they a human, an elf, or maybe someone from another race? But he knew deep down he wouldn't connect with any of them as it didn't align with his taste. Also, forming bonds with humans and other races wasn't feasible unless it was done using unorthodox methods.
So, they must be a beast, right? A huge, intimidating, and dark beast. That would be his choice. Something robust and mighty enough to catch his attention. He let out a sigh and looked in two different directions, unsure which one to follow, as both were very far from him.
Kyle stored one of the two fruits he had torn from the tree in his mind space and started eating the other while making himself comfortable on the branch. It was getting late, so he opted to spend the night on the tree meditating since he felt the divine energy around the tree was more potent than in other locations.
After taking a few bites of the fruit, he moved it towards the two little lights sitting on his right shoulder, but the light bodies trembled and quickly moved away from the fruit as if scalded.
"Huh... it seems they don't like it."
He gave a nonchalant shrug and ate the fruit before feeling his body fill with divine energy that needed proper assimilation. That's why he closed his eyes to meditate. However, after a while, a crease formed between his brows when he sensed a familiar presence, similar to the two lights sitting on his shoulder, approaching him.
He slowly opened one of his eyes and watched as another light approached him from a distance and settled on his body as if claiming ownership. Kyle's eyebrow twitched at the scene, but he sighed and let it pass since the bugs were not heavy as their bodies were made of light.
He closed his eyes once more, only to be interrupted again by another light that appeared and sat on his forehead.