God of Souls: Attaining the Strongest System in an Apocalyptic World-Chapter 36: Not really friends

It had been a few hours since the loss of the the students, and the remaining ones were busy setting up their tents and preparing the necessary equipment for their two-day stay in the forest. The atmosphere was tense—whispers of fear passed between groups, but no one dared to speak too loudly. The Red Portal was known to be ruthless, and the chances of survival for those who got lost in it were close to none.

While the students worked, the two supervisors, Alistair and Leonard, stood a short distance away, engaged in a heated conversation.

It was obviously about the missing students.

"Are you insane?!" Alistair yelled, her voice laced with frustration and disbelief. She couldn’t understand why Leonard had chosen to go after them.

"No," Leonard replied, calm yet unwavering. "I don’t think they’re dead, and they won’t be too far. It shouldn’t be a problem."

Alistair gritted her teeth. "That’s just too risky! You know this is a Red Portal—we both know the survival rate for untrained students is nearly zero. Just forget about it. We can’t be taking unnecessary risks!"

Leonard exhaled, tightening the strap of his sword around his waist. "I think I’m strong enough to handle myself. You can manage the camp alone." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

He reached for his dark top hat and placed it on his head before adding, "Besides, I only want to see one person from that group. He interests me. I cannot let this go until I retrieve his body."

Hearing this, Alistair froze, her breath catching in her throat. This was the first time she had ever heard Leonard take an interest in someone. And she knew—without a doubt—he was talking about Kael.

Kael wasn’t the strongest student, nor the most talented, but something about him was different. His unwavering resolve and courage had stood out to her before, and now it was confirmed—Leonard had taken notice as well.

A slight blush crept up Alistair’s cheeks, though she quickly masked it. "Fine," she muttered. "Just make sure you’re back before sunset, or I’ll start worrying."

Leonard gave a slight nod. "It won’t take long."

With that, he turned on his heels and disappeared into the thick undergrowth, following the faintest trace of Kael’s presence.

---

Meanwhile, at the Camp

Jeremy stood upright before the large tent he had just set up, but his face was clouded with unease. His fingers twitched, and his gaze remained fixed on the ground. There was no one around to talk to—no friends to confide in. He simply stood there, frozen in thought.

That was until he felt a presence behind him.

Turning swiftly, he came face-to-face with someone he recognized all too well—Kory Guts, a popular high-grade student in their class.

His eyes narrowed immediately. "What do you want?" he snapped, his usual defensive tone surfacing.

Kory didn’t even flinch. Instead, she lazily glanced around, as if searching for something. Then she spoke. "Where’s your friend with the dark hair? Did he go take a piss or something?"

Jeremy’s expression darkened. His lips pressed together, and a noticeable tension filled his posture.

Kory’s eyes flickered with understanding. "What the hell..." she muttered. "He was one of the ones who got lost in the portal?"

Jeremy remained silent.

Kory exhaled and turned on her heel. "You should already have a good idea of who did this. You were a victim before, after all."

With those parting words, she walked away, leaving Jeremy standing there, his fists clenched at his sides.

His teeth ground together. "That bastard, Eric...!" he seethed under his breath. "I wish I could tear him apart!"

A sudden, sharp burning sensation seared through his neck. He winced, sucking in a breath.

The damn mark...

It was no ordinary burn. It was a curse—a binding spell placed on both him and Eric by the Headmaster. It prevented them from physically harming each other, a forced truce to end their violent history.

’If not for this mark... you’d already be dead, Eric.’

---

Back at the Cave

Kael ran through the endless tunnels at an inhuman speed, his movements sharp and precise. His breath was steady, his muscles fluid. He felt lighter, stronger—more capable than ever before.

The sensation was intoxicating.

’This power...’ he thought, his lips curling into a smirk. ’This is what I needed all along.’

What was once a curse—being thrown into this hellish portal—was now turning into a blessing. Killing beasts made him stronger, and he loved it.

But then Eric’s face surfaced in his mind, and the smirk vanished.

’I’ll kill him when I get back.’ ƒгeewebnovёl_com

The thought was like venom in his veins.

Eric had always been untouchable, but Kael knew... he was different now. Stronger. Faster. If it came down to a fight, he had a chance.

Though doubt crept into his mind, he shook it off and forced himself to focus. His main goal wasn’t revenge. Not yet. First, he had to find Cole.

The tunnels were vast, stretching endlessly in different directions. Kael knew he had covered an impressive distance—far more than he should have in such a short time. He worried that Cole had gotten too far ahead... or worse, that he had already been devoured.

He slowed his breathing and listened carefully.

At first, nothing. Only his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Then—faint, dragging footsteps.

’Cole.’

His pulse quickened. He had to reach him.

As if responding to his thoughts, a notification flashed before his eyes.

> [You can actually increase your speed for a limited time.]

[Using Red Aura, similar to the Snake Soul Beast.]

Kael barely hesitated. "Activate it."

A crimson glow burst from his skin, surrounding him in a fiery aura.

For three seconds, he became a blur—a streak of red racing through the darkness.

Then the aura flickered out.

> [Cooldown: 3 seconds.]

Kael barely had time to register the effect before he activated it again. His speed surged once more, closing the distance rapidly.

But this time, a sharp pain struck his chest—a violent pang that made his heart throb.

Kael grit his teeth. The backlash was real. The more he used the skill, the worse it became.

’I need to be careful with this...’

Finally, he rounded a sharp turn—and froze.

A figure lay curled up in a ball, head down, body trembling.

It was Cole.

His body shook violently, his quiet sobs echoing off the cold walls of the tunnel. His hands clutched at his arms as if trying to disappear within himself.

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