18 the real Chapter 17

For days I traveled this fuckin' hellhole, Killing some nightmare creatures and avoiding some of the monstrosities that are out here. The only thing that I can count the time with, was the pale sun setting or rising. Giving me enough amount of time to find a hideout, A cave or a badly carved out hole to rest in.

I actually encountered the tentacle freak two more times. It seems as if it's dead set on catching me.

The reason?

Shit, I don't know.

Maybe it wants to add my body to its hentai production gallery. I mean shit, I don't even blame it for wanting me that bad, It has been a while since I gave someone any attention. So it's the perfect time.

Then I stopped in my tracks….

What the fuck am I thinking about?

Did I really just humor the thought of getting ravaged by a nightmare creature?

Maybe there is sides of me that I haven't even found out about yet.

As I was walking in a daze, One particular carapace scavenger was trailing behind me quietly, chittering its feet across the rough ground and slicing apart any bloody vines obstructing its body.

Once it got near me, It lunged at me with a shriek. Stupid fucker was only making himself that much more obvious as my hand holding the sword tightened its grip before blurring through the idiots neck. Cleanly severing its head off in a trail of white light.

[You have slain an awakened beast! Carapace scavenger.]

I ignored the notification, already used to it ringing out and out from time to time, while I robotically carved out its soul shard.

A soul shard of a nightmare creature is a broken soul core that's supposed to Nourish your own core, In turn it makes it stronger and more refined, And more reserves of essence to work with. Every awakened's soul core will replenish its reserves passively once left to its own devices.

That's why people become awakened, You can get more powerful if you have the right people backing you up from behind the scenes. Providing you with soul shards in return for your service to the point that the currency in the awakened society is currently soul shards.

But there are a few different individuals between these people. Individuals like me, Sunny, and Nephis who all have a very distinct road of evolution before us.

we can have multiple soul cores in our bodies. When our core reaches its maximum density, our bodies get forcibly evolved to withstand another soul core. Just like monsters have a certain amount of cores. So can we.

So technically we are a bit of both. And with those bits put together, you get a monster in human skin...

I flared my nose up as a smile spread across my face.

Heh, that's just like me.

As I was saying. We become monsters if given enough time to grow, But I'm nearly halfway through my progress of soul cores.

***

[Divergent core]: (3/8)

[Class]: Demon.

[Adaptability Fragments]: (168/4000)

***

Now what you saw here is my current class which is a demon.

A demon class entails that I have 3 soul cores, And once I reach the Devil class. I will have 4 cores nurturing my body with essence.

Though the difference between me and Sunny, and Nephis Is that I could have eight cores in my body. Which is strange considering Sunny's and Nephis's only go up to seven cores.

As a reader of the novel, I noticed one thing about it. The spell had a certain fixation of the number seven.

For example there were seven ranks towards the divine.

There's also seven classes, With the final one being a titan.

So my confusion is accurate according to the novel. But whatever, Everything will reveal itself as time goes on.

As for my adaptability fragments bar. I found out that the more I adapt to things the more the bar goes up. So that's figured out.

But as I was in my thoughts, my senses detected something. No, more specifically, a human.

'No shot….'

Imagine my surprise when I found Cassie in one of the many trenches there is in this hell. She was sitting on the ground, hands squeezing her legs in a fetal position. Her body was trembling as the sound of someone sobbing rang out in my ears, even with the distance between us being vast.

I ran to her in a leisurely manner, while the sobbing got louder and louder, and finally I reached the trench that looked like a small unnatural room born from natural phenomena.

My feet made pitter-patter sounds as I walked into the trench making her body freeze up in awareness.

I let out a relieved laugh "The chances, the chances that I'd find you out here was zero. But I guess I miscalculated, you lucky motherfucker."

Cassie raised her head in shock, showing me her tear stricken face full of snot as the trembling of her body stopped. Then she asked out in a shaky voice tinged with an underlying layer of hope "A-Ariel is that you?"

"Yep the one and only, no wonder you didn't want to talk to me for those last days. Your ass was scared shitless of the grim future awaiting you, But you did a good job concealing it. I will give you that."

But then my body was attacked in the form of a tight, desperate hug. Her face spread snot and tears across my chest as she cried out loud and in relief.

I hesitated before rubbing her back gently with my hands. Comforting her immensely in return as her crying toned down a few minutes later.

After that emotional breakdown, an awkward silence hung in the air. Before being broken by my similarly awkward cough "Uhh, Cassie you do know that both of us are naked and hugging. Though I don't mind comforting a beautiful naked woman. This isn't exactly the right place nor the right time to do these kind of things."

It seems my words finally settled in. Prompting Cassie to hastily untangle her hands around my neck. And back off with a small red flush on her face….

"R-Right I'm sorry for being so sensitive, this isn't a place that's merciful for those that make mistakes. But just know that I'm very happy to finally hear a familiar voice, So…. Thank you Ariel." Cassie tugged her hair behind her ears as she smiled brightly.

My eyes drifted down to her swaying bosom, Before I averted my eyes from her body, saying in a clear tone "we really should find some clothes but there isn't even corpses in this damn place to loot. It's just filled with nightmare creatures and nothing more."

Cassie then covered her boobs with her hands, Causing them to spill out at the top. And with her flushed face, it painted a very lewd image.

'Damn it! It's like she is tempting me, but don't you dare take advantage of a blind, vulnerable girl Ariel. Don't you fucking dare!'

I slapped my dick that was beginning to rise up into the air like a champion, waiting for his turn to shine….

"Bad dick, stay down."

Cassie tilted her head to the side cutely "Did you say something?"

A smile bloomed on my face as I replied "Something was rising and I'm sure it wasn't the shield hero."

"What does that mean?" Cassie asked out again, this girl is very curious, isn't she?

"It's nothing. Just a saying I've heard in the outskirts that's supposed to encourage you once you say it, some bullshit like that." I, of course lied again and said some made up bullshit on the spot.

I then asked a serious question this time "have you eaten anything all this time?"

Cassie looked at me as if I was an idiot, prompting me to shake my head "That was a bit of an idiotic question, I know. But humor me."

Cassie chuckled as she shook her head "No, I haven't eaten but I'm starving now that I've calmed down. Do you have anything with you?"

I grinned before looking at the body of the carapace scavenger that was a bit of a distance away but nonetheless, it was the closest thing to food. So I quickly ran across the terrain like a bullet due to the setting sun.

After a while, I came back with the body on my shoulder as I stated with a wide smile "Cheer up! We're having a special meal today. Which Consists of a shit ton of crab meat."

I took it upon myself to cook us a good meal so "Let me cook ok? You will be surprised.

Cassie smiled expectantly "Is that a promise I hear?"

"A promise indeed."

I then began sparking a fire with some of the red branches that I found laying about, For cooking and to at least warm our naked bodies. Although I don't personally need neither food nor warmth, Cassie is another whole matter, She is still a normal human with just a little bit of strength.

...…

"That was such a good meal. I haven't felt this full in a while, so thank you." Cassie said aloud in the darkness of the trench with gratefulness in her voice.

We currently had our backs to each other as we spoke about what we did after we arrived in this region.

Again, Cassie was a lucky one. She actually appeared in this trench out of all the places in this region, where neither the dark sea nor the nightmare creatures can reach easily. It sounds absurd, and I agree but I guess this is fate's workings.

This situation hadn't even occurred in the novel, the obvious reason was, of course me not existing. Cause I wasn't supposed to be the one to find Cassie, that was Nephis's role and that's exactly what happened in the novel.

I furrowed my brows, feeling a bad premonition stemming from within me. Warning me of whatever will happen…..

"Doesn't matter, I will figure it out when the time comes." I muttered to myself as I felt Cassie shifting around before I felt a pair of lithe, soft hands on my back as a gentle voice whispered in my ear….

"Can…. Can you cuddle with me until I fall asleep? I really need some kind of anchor to make me sleep comfortably, and you're the perfect one."

Hearing her voice that held a bit of nervousness, I took a breath before turning around and wrapping my arms around her soft body as she made herself comfortable in my embrace. Her breath turning calm and stable after some time passed. Indicating that she was asleep.

I looked at her with a soft smile tugging my lips….

'Again. What a pitiful girl.'

A/N: yo! Thank you guys for the support, and send more power stones! And we are very close to losing firt rank though I don't blame you guys for it. Anyway have a good time reading.