Thanks for your cooperation
Austin meticulously searched the bedroom, methodically inspecting every nook and cranny. He opened drawers, peered beneath the bed, and scrutinized every surface, leaving no stone unturned in his quest for whatever he sought.
After looking around for some time he found nothing and was just a normal and luxurious bedroom for a wealthy person.
Then suddenly his eyes glowed and the runes appeared in them while rotating fast.
'Oh, I think I have found her.'
Exiting the bedroom, Austin proceeded down the corridor adorned with intricate and majestic engravings adorning its walls. The grandeur of the design captivated the eye, while expansive windows bathed the corridor in the soft, silvery glow of moonlight, casting ethereal shadows across the polished floor.
His steps were echoing through the place while walking with only the moonlight around.
After some time of walking he arrived outside the place that seemed like a palace and went to the dusty ground.
It seemed like a training ground.
There he found a woman with dark skin and long pink hair with amber eyes wearing a tight tank top that revealed her sexy six packs and leggings that showed her stunning slender legs and hot hips and ass.
She was swinging the sword in her hands up and down as if she did this many times before with sweat sliding on her dark skin making her more sexy and alluring.
Austin got closer to her without her noticing then stood some steps away from her and observed a little before...
"Why are training so hard?" He asked a very simple question that anyone could ask if seen her swinging this sword on her hands with such intensity.
She didn't stop swinging and answered while in the process not fazed that a stranger appeared out of nowhere.
"Because I need to get stronger."
"And why do you want to get stronger?"
"To protect,"
"To protect what?"
She stopped for moment and seemed thinking about something before she said...
"I don't know, I only know that I need to get stronger to protect, that's it."
Austin didn't say anything after he heard that as he confirmed his thoughts with her answer, and kept looking at her who kept swinging her sword again.
Austin pondered the ramifications of Ingrid's corrupted soul, realizing that it had encroached upon her memories, erasing fragments of her past and leaving her guided solely by external intentions or influences. This realization added a layer of complexity to his mission, compelling him to delve deeper into unraveling the mysteries shrouding her mind.
It wasn't a goal or propose, just intention and wasn't hers but something else and the proof was her answer to his question.
She only knew that she needed to get stronger to protect, but what to protect, she didn't know.
It wasn't her who wanted to get stronger to protect something, but something or someone was making her do it and Austin secretly knew who was the mastermind behind that.
He also knew that there was a dragon sealed inside her and maybe that was the thing that that person wanted her for, he wanted to use the power sealed inside her.
'But if I remembered correctly using the power of the dragon inside her had a dangerous side effects on her soul but I bet that person didn't even give a shit about it.' He thought.
Austin dismissed the thought and resolved to study the corruption further, intent on devising a spell of unrivaled potency capable of swiftly neutralizing its influence with lethal efficiency. Such challenges appealed to his penchant for discovery and mastery over the unknown, driving him to push the boundaries of magical understanding in pursuit of his goals.
So he used his soul magic and started to look for the core of her soul where everything started from.
The runes in his eyes rotated again and then he suddenly smiled.
'As expected, if this place is like a palace, then the core will be at the center of the palace which is the throne room.'
Saying that inwardly, he left the training ground and went toward his next target.
The throne room.
After a leisurely stroll, he arrived at a colossal set of double doors adorned in pristine white with intricate golden engravings depicting a majestic western dragon, its form intricately detailed and imposing.
However, Austin didn't give it a shit and decided to open it and go inside.
When he put his hands on the door, it opened easily which was something weird considering it's huge shape and how it seemed to be too heavy.
Anyway, the door opened enough for a person to come inside, so he entered.
Upon entering, he was greeted by towering marble pillars that exuded an aura of grandeur, their imposing presence commanding reverence. The pristine white walls were adorned with majestic drawings, imbuing the space with a sense of royalty and splendor. A long red carpet stretched out before him, serving as a regal pathway fit for a king to tread upon with dignity and grace.
And at the end of it, a big majestic throne with engravings of dragons on it giving it an aura of majesty and dignity yet arrogance.
The moonlight was enough to make everything clear to him.
Atop the throne, a swirling mass of black liquid undulated ominously, its shifting form hinting at an otherworldly presence.
It was so disgusting that Austin wanted to puke at the moment but he held it.
'So this is the thing that is corrupting her soul and made her in his state. Hmmm interesting.' He thought as he moved closer toward the throne to have a good look at it and try to understand it.
While Austin's pace remained unhurried, the urgency of the situation weighed heavily on Ingrid's plight. With each passing moment, the relentless march of time threatened to seal her fate, for once her soul succumbed entirely to corruption, her autonomy would be lost forever, leaving her at the mercy of unseen forces beyond salvation.
Although he wasn't in a hurry, he decided to make it quick as he didn't want to be the cause of her death.
When he got closer, the mass of black liquid started to make some weird movements in its place while making so weird yet disgusting sounds.
Austin knew that something would happen soon, so he put a barrier in front of him ready for what was about to come.
And it happened, the mass of black liquid shot what it seemed to be a part of its body toward Austin at a very high speed like a bullet, but fortunately for him, his barrier protected him from it.
But then he noticed something strange. The black liquid bullet that hit the barrier stuck on it and moments later cracks appeared on the barrier making him quite surprised.
Although he could make a far stronger barrier that something like this couldn't even cause any damage to it, but he decided to a barrier at low level to see how the attack would affect the barrier but the results made him surprised yet curious, as the small black liquid mass that was stuck on the barrier, started eating it and damaging it that it cracked it.
'No it's not eating the barrier, but corrupting it to make it weak and lose its properties and characteristics making it so weak and crack.' He concluded as he saw the blue color of the barrier changing to dim color along with some weird black smoke coming out of the small liquid on the barrier.
'If someone got hit by something like that, it would end his life in the most painful ways possible, no matter how strong the person was.'
It was so terrible for someone to be hit by this, and it was even more terrible and horrible when someone casted this on a person's soul, especially a woman like Ingrid.
Anyway, Austin seemed satisfied by this discovery, so it was the time to end this.
'Well that was enough information, thanks for your cooperation.'
//
Author note: I'm happy that we made it this far with the first 100 chapters and we will continue with your support.
The next will be a fight and after that fight I will take a rest for some time, but don't worry I will be back again with a package of chapters.
The reason I'm doing this is because I'm in an important stage of my life and I need to concentrate more on my studies so I can get a good degrees for my future plans.
Wish me good luck guys and thank you for your support.
See ya later!