Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 37: Where Am I Really?

Kael sighed as he continued walking through the forest, the density of the trees around him making everything feel more claustrophobic. He removed the backpack from his back, opening it as he walked.

"Let’s see what we’ve got here..." He began rummaging through the items. There were some dried fruits, a piece of old bread, and a nearly empty canteen. None of them seemed particularly useful for his situation.

When he grabbed the map, he looked at it with a grimace. "Great, a useless piece of paper. This place isn’t even on here!" He put the map back with a frustrated sigh. "I think it’s official. I’m on my own."

He kept walking, the scenery around him not changing much. The vegetation seemed to thicken with every step, and the ground grew more uneven, making his journey harder. Kael could feel the weight of fatigue in his muscles, and his mana was still at a critical low, preventing him from using his abilities creatively.

"If only I had some useful tools..." He stopped, leaning against a tree to catch his breath. His eyes scanned the forest around him, trying to find anything—anything—that might help.

That’s when something caught his attention. An almost imperceptible trail of marks on the ground. They didn’t seem natural, as though something—or someone—had passed through there recently.

"Is this my way out?" Kael whispered, adjusting his backpack and standing up. He followed the trail, his eyes sharp for any movement.

Kael stopped for a moment, observing the footprints more closely. They were small, and unlike human footprints, they had visible claws at the edges. He crouched down, studying the shape of the marks, trying to deduce what kind of creature might have made them.

"Not a wolf... And they don’t seem like any of the monsters I’ve faced so far..." He murmured, deep in thought. The worry in his mind grew as the possibility of encountering more unknown creatures became more real.

He stood up, slinging the backpack over his shoulder again, and followed the marks. Something in his gut told him this trail was leading him straight to a new challenge, and he couldn’t afford to hesitate.

The forest around him seemed denser as he advanced, and the sounds of nature grew muffled. The feeling of being watched grew stronger with every step, and Kael couldn’t shake the discomfort. His mind was alert, his senses sharpened, waiting for any sign of movement.

The footprints led him to a darker area of the forest. The environment seemed to change completely there. The trees were taller, their canopies intertwining so densely that sunlight could barely penetrate. Kael noticed the air felt heavier, and a light fog began to form between the trees. He looked around, his hand near the hilt of his sword.

"Something’s wrong here..." He felt a growing pressure, as if the very environment was becoming more oppressive.

That’s when he heard a strange sound. It wasn’t the usual noise of the forest. It was a low, almost inaudible noise, but distinct enough for Kael to hear. It sounded like something dragging on the ground, the sound of claws scraping across the damp earth.

Kael immediately readied himself, the shadows in his mind beginning to focus. He knew his mana was low, but he still had a few options at his disposal. He closed his eyes for a moment, listening intently. The sound was getting closer.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a small creature with a skeletal body, covered by a thin layer of skin. Its claws were extended toward Kael, and its red eyes glowed with a demonic light. It was small, but the way it moved was agile, almost predatory.

Kael took a step back, assessing the situation. The creature resembled a mix between a spider and a wolf, with elongated limbs and a hunting posture. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to face it, and with his mana running low, he’d need to be more strategic.

The creature lunged forward, its mouth opening to reveal sharp teeth like blades. Kael didn’t have time to waste. He quickly used wind magic, creating a powerful gust that pushed the creature back. However, it was fast, reacting with impressive agility, and it repositioned itself with a leap, closer than before.

"Damn it... I need to be faster than this, Kael," he thought, feeling the sweat trickling down his forehead. Every movement of the creature seemed to study his patterns, as if it knew exactly how to attack.

Kael raised his hand, creating a shadow barrier around himself. The creature lunged toward him but was repelled by the barrier, its teeth clashing against the shadowy shield. The impact nearly made Kael lose his balance, but he managed to stay steady.

"Okay, this is going to be harder than I thought," he prepared himself for the next move, his body tense as the creature began to move again, ready to strike.

"Now it’s my turn," he muttered to himself.

Kael watched the creature approaching again, his breath heavy and his mind quick. He knew he couldn’t rely solely on his physical strength or endurance anymore. His mana was running low, and he needed to be more strategic, more clever.

With a heavy sigh, he focused and began to gather the wind around his feet. Every movement he made was calculated and precise. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake. The creature leaped toward him, its sharp claws glinting in the moonlight.

The moment it was a step away from attacking, Kael unleashed the trap. The wind currents he had prepared earlier activated with brutal force, creating an invisible barrier around the creature. The wind formed like a cage of compressed air, trapping it in place.

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The creature struggled, but Kael wasn’t willing to give it another chance. He focused more mana, directing the force of the wind toward the center of the trap where it was pinned. With a swift motion, he made the air around the creature compress, tightening its hold with increasing pressure.

The sound of the creature’s body resisting echoed as it tried unsuccessfully to break free. Kael wasn’t willing to wait any longer. He made one final move, channeling a blast of wind with all his strength toward the creature’s chest. The blast was so intense that the wind cut like a sharp blade, sending the creature’s body flying backward.

The creature’s body was hurled violently, crashing to the ground, motionless. Kael took a step forward, observing the scene. What remained of the creature was a twisted, lifeless form.

"It’s over..." Kael murmured, sweating and panting, but satisfied that he had managed to defeat the monster with his limited abilities.

However, before he could relax, a notification from the system appeared in front of him:

[Inferior Soul Obtained]

[Requires 10 inferior souls to transform into a Rank E soul for absorption.]

Kael raised an eyebrow, surprised by the notification. He hadn’t expected the system to recognize the power he had just used as enough to extract a soul, but it seemed the rules were far more flexible than he had imagined.

"An inferior soul, huh?" Kael murmured, looking at the notification with a faint smile.

He stared at the notification attentively, still surprised. He had no idea how the souls worked in the system, but now, new information was appearing before him. He thought for a moment, processing what the message meant.

"Requires 10 inferior souls to transform into a Rank E soul..." Kael repeated quietly, a spark of curiosity appearing in his eyes. He didn’t know whether it would be easy or hard to gather the required number of souls, but one thing was clear: he could turn weaker souls into something more valuable over time.

"So... I need 10 of these to get something more valuable," Kael thought, feeling a slight excitement. This could change the dynamic of his future battles. If he could gather these souls, he could absorb something of greater power.

He smiled to himself, shifting his focus to what lay ahead. He now had a clearer mission—not just to survive, but to collect these souls and strengthen his abilities.

"Well, seems like the forest has more to offer than I thought," Kael murmured, taking a step forward, his eyes focused and mind determined. "Gotta stay on track." He said, giving his cheeks a light tap...

"Let’s get out of here!"

---

Kael walked through the forest, his gaze fixed on the marks on the ground, trying to find a path that would lead him out of the natural maze. But no matter how hard he tried, something strange kept happening. He always seemed to end up at the same spot, the trees and trails repeating themselves, as if he were trapped in an endless cycle.

"Damn it... This is getting weirder," Kael muttered to himself, feeling the fatigue start to pile up. He looked around, trying to discern something new, but everything seemed the same. The same dense vegetation, the same sounds of the forest that were now growing muffled as the sky, once bright, began to slowly darken.

With a frustrated sigh, he stopped for a moment, breathing deeply. It was then that, suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine. Something was wrong. The wind started to pick up, and the leaves around him began to stir in a strange way. The temperature dropped quickly, and dark clouds formed in the sky.

"No... This is bad," Kael muttered, realizing the sudden change in the weather. He looked up at the sky, seeing the first raindrop fall, and then a torrent of water began to pour down. The rain, heavy and cold, drenched him instantly.

He looked around frantically, now aware that the storm wouldn’t be a passing one. His mana was running low, and the wound on his arm still hurt. He needed shelter, and fast.

Kael ran through the forest, his feet sinking into the muddy ground as the raindrops pounded against his skin. He looked to the sides, his eyes desperately searching for anything that could provide shelter.

That’s when he saw it. At the edge of a small clearing, a rock opening caught his attention. A cave. Small, but big enough for him to take cover from the storm.

"Thank you... finally," he said, almost breathless. With the last of his energy, Kael ran toward the cave, feeling the sharp wind of the storm against his face as his clothes soaked with every step.

When he reached the entrance, he threw himself inside, feeling a sense of safety as he pulled away from the torrential rain. The darkness inside the cave was nearly total, but the sound of the storm outside was muffled, giving him immediate relief.

Kael let himself collapse onto the ground, leaning against the cold rock wall as he tried to control his breathing. He looked at the wound on his arm, the branch still stuck there, and grimaced. It didn’t seem too serious, but it hurt more and more, especially with the cold beginning to spread through his body.

"I really need to get better at survival skills," Kael grumbled, trying to pull himself together.