Three of Questionable Morals

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"Hmm? I sense a wee bit of Natural Essence fluctuations in that direction. I believe there's a battle further behind us. Want to go check it out?" a gruff voice sounded from a rough-looking male as his broadsword impaled a beast, seeming to be at least at the late stage of Rank 1.

Despite his kill, he looked at his teammates with a steady gaze. Much like him, they exuded the same vibe.

"I sense it as well. But they're not strong enough so, it shouldn't be a battle between Rank 2 Spirit Beasts. I think it may be Rank 1's. Perhaps we'll be able to extract cores from their carcasses," another male added who appeared from behind a tree. There were numerous throwing knives situated between his knuckles.

"Then let's go, you two. We've already excavated this area. If we want to gather more cores to sell, we'll need to venture deeper. And, we might be able to find what cultivator managed to kill those two Rank 2 beasts like that," a third man voiced, seeming to be their commander. Acting upon the orders, the three rushed towards Apollo's position.

Due to his high-strung state and sharpening senses, Apollo instantly picked up on them. Rather than fleeing the area, he ceased his use of the Partial Shade Silhouette. Instead, he carved the Essence Cores and extracted them without a trace of nervousness to be seen then tossed them in a bag.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A few seconds after he did so, the three grown figures appeared before Apollo with expressions plagued with shock. They couldn't understand why this small child was the only one remaining in their sight. Those fluctuations, albeit weak couldn't have come from him. A silence pervaded between the two parties as they scrutinized each other.

Eventually, the lead member broke the silence after examining some of the nearby beasts, "Did you kill these Spirit Beasts?" Throughout asking this question, his gaze never left Apollo. He examined everything about Apollo—his tattered clothes, unkempt hair, and scarred skin—and came to a conclusion without awaiting Apollo's answer. 'This child, his aura is obscure and he too feels odd.'

[Interesting, they suspect but it also appears that they can't believe that you're the culprit. What do you wish to do?]

'Mm, I'm not sure, but I'll tread carefully for now to test these weird people,' Apollo responded with a thought before opening his mouth, only giving a brief answer, "Yes, it was me."

"I see," stated the leading male before glancing down at the corpses. He took note of the signs. These beasts weren't Rank 0 at all… they were Rank 1! Furthermore, they seemed to be at least reaching the middle stages. 'A child slaying Rank 1 beasts? This means either he is savage beyond his age, trading danger for advancement. Or perhaps… he has secrets.'

"You know, it's not every day you see a lad as young as you slaying a beast lightheartedly. Based on the signs of battle, I assume you killed them before they had the chance to retaliate with their innate techniques," continued the male before ruminating over some telltale signs, 'He must be an agility type with that extremely small frame that would explain the lack of fluctuations throughout the confrontation.'

"I don't know about doing that, but I did indeed kill the beast. Why do you ask?" Apollo answered while feigning ignorance. At the same time, he also raised his guard preparing to retaliate at a moment's notice. As it was now, he trusted no human, especially those who sought to seek the spoils of his personal war.

"Easy now, I'm just curious. If you're capable of holding your own, why don't we open your eyes to the marvels of this forest?? Come journey with us deeper into the Shadowy Forest," the male offered as he pointed behind himself.

However, Apollo remained rooted in the spot with an almost "frightened" expression. Soon after, his lips curled into a displeased frown, "Follow you? How can I do so when I don't even know you? You expect me to follow strangers into unexplored depths? I see no logic in that scenario, so I'll have to decline."

'Oh? This youngin' has an astute mind. He remains untrusting of others. I'm curious as to what propelled him to survive out here. Doesn't he know the unfairness of the cultivation world? Nevertheless…'

"Ahem. If that's the only issue. Allow me to introduce myself; I am the mercenary Krone," the lead male answered. His towering figure approached Apollo as he held out his hand with an unreadable smile. Squinting, Apollo awaited something.

[I sense nothing as of now. If he does harbor ill intentions, it's well hidden. If so, that is a well-trained heart.]

Despite receiving some information about this fellow, Apollo still refused to move before then glancing to the side, "And the others?"

"Hmm?" Krone turned back and gave the other a signal, prompting them to utter introductions.

"Tis' Slaid under the captain," said the lanky male spouting multiple throwing knives between his slender fingers. His cold black eyes inspected Apollo.

"As fer' me, I'm Vren. Nice ta' meetcha," spoke the last stalwart figure sporting an overly large greatsword. On the surface, they all seemed friendly. However, one must remember these were mercenaries capable of surviving throughout the years in the cruel world.

[I sense something from one of them but it is vague. Be on guard, but this decision to follow them is up to you.]

'Ah, I believe it'd be fun to go. If anything, I'll be able apparently one my eyes,' Apollo inwardly chuckled. Eventually, Apollo nodded but, little did they know that Apollo was only thinking of killing two birds with one stone.

"If it is so, then come along," Krone said before walking into the distance.

Meanwhile, accepting to join them gave Apollo the needed information on these individuals.

「Name: Krone

Cultivation: Level 7 Zul Warrior

Health: 3,800 (100%)」

「Name: Slaid

Cultivation: Level 4 Zul Warrior

Health: 2,600 (100%)」

「Name: Vren

Cultivation: Level 6 Zul Warrior

Health: 4,400 (100%)」

After experiencing the estimation of the system for months, Apollo generally understood how to dissect the given information.

'It seems amongst them, Vren would have the highest defenses. Hence, I believe he should be the defender on the team, accepting most attacks. The thin one seems to be along the lines of an agility type with inferior defenses and lastly, the leader would be the typical balanced type,' Apollo evaluated before following behind the others while maintaining a suitable distance.

"Beware, we'll be stepping foot into the edge of the inner ring. There's a higher chance of running into Rank 2 Spirit Beasts. In an event, like that… we'll be unable to protect you," Krone warned as his steps continued unabated.

"I understand. I know how to protect myself," Apollo responded with seemingly cryptic words laced with a hidden meaning. Unbeknownst to both of them, an unsettling smile crept upon their lips. It was unknown between the two who harbored worse intentions!

[I sense it... but what will they be leading you into? It's a shame they are unaware of your abnormalities.]