God of Souls: Attaining the Strongest System in an Apocalyptic World-Chapter 40: Ohhh! so that’s camp

The moon stood high and predominant in the night sky, casting its dim light upon the vast forest.

Night was the most dangerous time to travel—Beasts were more active, their senses sharper. Knowing this, Kael decided to halt their journey, ensuring both their survival.

He stopped by a massive tree, carefully laying Cole down beside him. Then he sat with his legs curled, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness between the trees, his ears tuned for the slightest movement. If they were attacked, he would run with Cole. If things got worse... he would use his Snake Beast summon to buy time.

Come to think of it—there was still a gift from the system he had yet to check.

The Shallow Armor.

He ordered the system to display the information. Instantly, the details appeared before him.

[Shallow Armor]

Your skin is now thicker and cannot be easily pierced by ordinary attacks. This allows you to withstand a significant amount of damage without serious injury.

Kael’s brows lifted in surprise. This was just like wearing armor—except it was lighter, effortless. A passive ability that could be the difference between life and death.

He clenched his fist, flexing his fingers. His skin felt the same, but deep down, he knew it had changed.

Hopefully, it’s as strong as metal.

Apart from this, he had noticed several other changes in himself.

"If only Cole wasn’t here with me, I’d be free to hunt."

Kael’s vision had changed—he could see as clearly in the dark as he could in daylight. Another perk granted by the system. This gave him an enormous advantage; he could spot Beasts before they attacked.

"K—Kael."

The weak voice beside him snapped him from his thoughts. He turned sharply, his gaze falling on Cole. His face was paler than before, his breath shallow, yet he was still able to speak.

"Cole! I’m glad you’re still holding on. Honestly, it’s unbelievable you’re still alive, but I’m glad."

Kael’s voice was filled with genuine relief.

He had no idea that the only reason Cole was alive was because of his brand.

A brand—a cursed mark placed on lower grades who were enslaved. It drastically reduced their chances of dying, but if the cause of death was persistent enough, it would eventually fail.

This was why only slaves had the mark. While it extended their survival, it also robbed them of free will, binding them to the orders of their master. A cruel existence.

"Don’t worry about me," Cole muttered. "Just leave and go back to camp. I’m dead anyway."

His voice held no hope, only resignation.

Cole believed he did not deserve to live. Even though he had saved Kael’s life, he was the one who had endangered it in the first place.

Kael exhaled sharply.

"How could you say something like that?" His voice hardened. "I can’t leave you behind. It’s not my style to abandon people I don’t hate."

Cole flinched at his words.

Kael wasn’t done.

"What’s wrong with you, anyway? Why are you always so scared? Can’t you, for once, be confident? Not everyone will abandon a friend."

That word.

Friend.

It hit Cole like a hammer.

"When was the last time someone called me that?"

But before Kael could say more, something changed.

A low, guttural snarl echoed from the darkness.

Kael’s eyes snapped toward the sound.

There, just beyond the bushes, crouched a lion-like Soul Beast.

It had the posture of a human—its front limbs strangely elongated—and it was staring straight at him.

Their eyes locked.

For a moment, the Beast hesitated.

It was night, and creatures like Kael should not be able to see. Yet, here he was—staring directly into its glowing yellow eyes.

Kael’s lips curled into a smirk.

"Cole, get ready." His voice was steady, controlled. "There’s a Beast up ahead. This might get rough."

He was not planning to run. Not yet.

First, he wanted to test himself—to see how far he had come.

Meanwhile...

Leonard moved swiftly through the forest, the student he had saved trailing behind him.

They had taken too long to return to camp.

From the start, the student had been deadweight—stumbling, hesitating, getting in the way whenever a Beast appeared.

Because of this, Leonard had spent twice the time it took him to leave the camp.

It was frustrating.

And worse—something was wrong.

At first, Leonard hadn’t encountered many Beasts, but now? He had slain more than he could count. He hadn’t even bothered to extract a single Soul Core.

Something felt off.

"Sir Leonard, do you smell smoke?"

The student’s voice wavered. His nose wrinkled as he sniffed the air.

Smoke?

Leonard turned sharply, eyes scanning the surroundings.

I don’t smell anything...

But the unease in his chest grew.

If it was an ability the student possessed, then—

A terrible foreboding settled over him.

They were close to camp.

Yet, there was smoke?

Leonard’s body tensed.

"Are they insane?! Making a fire in a Beast-infested forest is like ringing a damn dinner bell!"

A sudden chill crawled down his spine.

Then—

The stench hit him.

Thick.

Choking.

A putrid mix of burning wood... and something else.

Burning flesh.

Leonard’s stomach dropped.

His pace shifted from a walk to a sprint.

He needed to see.

He needed to confirm what he was sensing.

As he neared the camp, his worst fears clawed at his mind.

He couldn’t hear anything—no voices, no movement.

And worst of all—

No auras.

Except for one.

Death.

His blood turned cold.

"No. No, no, no—"

Leonard burst through the trees—

—and froze.

The camp was gone.

A wildfire raged, consuming everything in its path. The flames flickered wildly, casting eerie shadows across the scorched remains of tents.

And the bodies.

So many bodies.

Students lay sprawled, some burnt beyond recognition, others torn apart.

The student behind Leonard clamped a hand over his mouth, suppressing a scream.

But the horror was already in his eyes.

Leonard didn’t need an explanation.

He already knew what had happened.

A powerful Beast had attacked.

It had slaughtered everyone.

And Alistair...

She had fought to the end—sacrificing herself to buy the students time to run.

Leonard could see it.

He could feel it.

A pulse of rage, sorrow, and frustration boiled inside him.

His fists clenched.

"Fuck."

His jaw tightened.

"Things aren’t going as planned anymore."

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