Chapter 15

I wanted to see the moon. But the mist is blocking the view. I tried to touch it, the thick purple vapors. This will soon be power storage for me.

I am pretty strong now after killing so many ghouls. But leveling up is getting slower and slower. It seems killing weaker enemies will not be the option for the future. If I want to become much stronger than I am now.

"What are you doing out here?" Lucy didn't whisper, but her voice was so low. Even with all that strength, she feels bored of killing ghouls non-stop. Unless there is no choice, she doesn't want to fight as it seems.

"Feeling the mist!" I tried to replicate her way of talking, lowering the voice enough to be barely audible. But it still came out like a whisper. Rustling sounds can be heard from other houses nearby. We are not alone, but I am not afraid as I would have been a few weeks ago.

"You see," She waved her hands in the mist, "Where I come from, the mist is known as the mist of life."

"Where do you come from?" I was certainly more curious than what my voice made it seem like.

"A different place, I suppose!"

"Different from our world?"

"Yes!" That's all she said before turning and leaving. I didn't ask anymore. She will tell me if she wants to.

I tried to look at the sky again. There is a glow from where the moon should be in the sky. The mist. She said it was called the mist of life? But for us, it's more like the midst of death. People die in the mist.

I left the terrace and reached the street. I had that sword with me. Lucy said it as decoration only, not a real sword. I guess that must be why it was already chipping away. Still, it helps me to kill in one swing. No ghoul needs a second one.

I can feel some other stronger force in here. I can feel it, but I am not afraid. The overwhelming feeling of that massive demon made my senses more active.

I walked in the street. I also learned how to walk without making much noise. No ghoul came at me. I could feel them, but they still didn't notice me.

I was walking by another house when I could hear almost inaudible voices. Some humans might have taken shelter there. Or they might even be the permanent residents of that house. But they indeed aren't smart enough. If I hear them talking, any ghoul that passes by the house will listen to it.

Lucy told me about a different kind of ghouls out in the wild. They are much more robust and faster than the regular ghouls. If one of those came here, this family or group would forever be erased from the world.

I kept walking after passing that house. Looking back, I can't even see it anymore. I am inhaling and exhaling in a regular pattern. This is taking time to adapt. Before, I feared the mist like everyone else and tried to inhale as low as possible when I was unlucky enough to be out at night. This soon became instinct, not inhaling the mist.

Now, thanks to < Touch of Gaia >, I can feel the mist passing through my body and making me refreshed. Although it isn't the same as boosting strength, like when I converted my fats, it still helps me keep going.

After walking for a while longer in the empty road, I soon came in front of what seemed like an entrance to a mine. Looks like it was abandoned at least fifty years ago. From the looks of the gate, it was locked tightly in the past, but now I can feel a strong presence from inside.

This has become a lair of some strong demon.

From what Lucy said, Purple Demons should be the lowest category in the power scale. And the presence that I can feel now is stronger than what I felt right before the fight with that purple demon.

I walked to the front. After leaving the row of houses, two unfortunate ghouls have attacked me and were killed in a single slash. But as I went forward, a ghoul-like creature soon came out of the mine's entrance.

This must be one of the more powerful ghouls that Lucy was talking about. I looked at my hand at the sword. I wasn't too confident on the blade, but let's see!

I activated < Touch of Gaia > after opening the transparent screen. Commanding with the mind works too. As of now, I can absorb power from the ground as long as I am standing on it. I felt kind of like cheating. If the boost on my strength is the same as when I converted my body fat, it would be too overpowered, and every fight in the future will be too easy.

As the skill was being activated, I could feel like a cold surge going from the ground through the legs into my body. It's as if I was drinking from a soda can by my foot. Such a weird feeling. I gritted my teeth as long as it could make me stronger.

"Growl, grrrr!" The advanced Ghoul noticed me by now and Ran towards me. The size of that thing really almost shook my legs. If I was still the old Jurian, I would have pissed my pants by now. But I am not the old Jurian which is why the sword stayed in my left hand as I put my left leg forward in a swift manner to avoid the Ghoul and at the same time send my right arm at the side of its elongated face.

The Ghoul shook a bit. Yes, to my surprise, it just shuddered a bit. My right fist felt like it just hit a dried pile of leather and the feeling on my knuckles wasn't that good.

The momentum of the ghouls running made it pass past me while I almost dropped into the ground before grabbing the sword with my right hand and swinging with all my energy at hand with claws almost as long as my fingers which were coming towards my throat.

I had to fall back and flip after the slash didn't do anything. The black spots on the ghoul's arm are as strong as bones. Damn it!

I gritted my teeth and cursed myself for my stupidity. I could feel more of these creatures inside the mine that looked like a cave as I was a lot nearer to it now.

I suddenly felt a bit of fear. I expected too much from the < Touch of Gaia > skills earth absorption. I guess I can escape safely, but if this thing follows me back to the house, Lucy will have to step out and save me from the mess I have created.

I can't give up just yet! I grabbed the sword tightly. Even a single slash that can kill that thing will be enough to expect from it. I need speed. I tried to absorb more energy from the Earth, but it soon reached a limit.

The Ghoul swung its claws again towards me, I dodged it barely, but then it folded its arm and hit me with the bone sticking out of its elbow. I was blown away, not to mention that my lower abdomen felt like it would burst out in pain. I had to put one arm in there, and another grabbed the sword and used it to stand up.

I need speed. If I cannot get enough power from a single absorption from the Earth, how about I save the energy for a burst speed? Let's try that.

After barely standing, I looked at the Ghoul; it was too close to avoid again. But then the sword slipped, and I fell to the ground. In the meantime, I was splitting my attention to store up enough energy for a burst hit.

By the time I hit the ground again, I suddenly became confident enough to swing the sword again.

I flipped over and crawled away quickly to avoid another claw attack, and then as the Ghoul jumped at me again with its mouth open and a road coming from it, my sword slashed at its neck with all the energy that I stored for a burst speed of my arms.

The sword almost went through, but then it got stuck; I fell down, but I used the momentum to kick at the sword hilt for a final push, and that worked barely as the sword broke as it came out of the ghoul's neck. It trashed about a few seconds before going quiet, and I also stayed on the ground with pain all over my body.

But as my whole body was touching the ground, I suddenly felt that I could absorb more energy from the Earth. But even that didn't give me enough confidence to stay here any longer. I crawled at first, then walked, and ran towards the houses with all the energy I could still have, and I could collect from the ground.