{It's been three months already, Boss.}
{Can we get our first Soul Ring already?}
{Right, big bro, people here are already thinking we're cripples since we reject the Soul Rings they hunt for us every time…}
Al chuckled as he heard the Meng brothers complaining.
"Well now, I would have liked you all to have a 100,000 year old Soul Ring as your first one, but if you don't think you can wait anymore, sure. Let's start."
{Finally! Where do you want to meet!? We'll get there before you know it Boss!}
He laughed softly at Gao Liu's excited response.
"Somebody's impatient."
{Of course I am!}, Gao Liu responded, {Everyone here thinks Igris is a waste Spirit! Can you believe it? The first elite Shadow of the Shadow Monarch, Shadow Knight Igris! A waste! I…!}
Al shook his head as Ella cut off the telepathic link, neither of them willing to hear him prattle on about the MC of Solo Leveling.
((Damn fanboy.))
Al chuckled at Ella's words. Just then, a faint, illusory phantom appeared behind him, a phantom of a beautiful woman with long blue hair that draped over her back, eyes shining like sapphires, and skin as fair and smooth and delicate as jade.
"Are you going to hunt for Soul Rings?"
Ah Yin's voice contained just a hint of bitterness as she floated behind Al.
"Would you be unhappy if I am?"
"No…not really.", she shook her head gently, "Just…upset, a little, I guess."
"Hunting for Soul Rings…it actually isn't much different from other Soul Beasts hunting weaker ones for food. It's just…well, actually, it isn't different at all. Soul Beasts hunt each other for nourishment, which also helps them become stronger, while human Spirit Masters hunt them either for Soul Rings, a direct way for them to become stronger, or for their bodies, which they can process into weapons, armours, and all kinds of other items."
"Yes.", Al nodded, "In a way, there really is no difference between Soul Beasts hunting other Soul Beasts and humans doing so. Yet, you would still feel uncomfortable if I do so."
"…yes."
Al smiled at her honest answer. Although three months was quite short, considering the two were quite literally 'soul-mates', something which Ella was quite pissed off about when he first uttered the words, three months was also not short.
At least, in three months, Al and Ah Yin's relationship improved quite a bit.
((Ah Yin | Affection : 69))
Ah Yin paused as the faintest of a blush appeared on her cheeks, making her face look all the more charming. As a 'part' of his soul, she could also 'hear' and 'see' the System's notifications, and she is quite aware of what the System's purpose and was and what the words that appeared before them meant.
((Ah Yin | Affection : 70))
"Oh, thank you, Yin'er."
"…*cough*…"
She looked away, flushed, making him chuckle.
((Oi, can you two not flirt so obviously?))
Ella's annoyed and envious voice was ignored as the bell rang, and class was thus ended.
"Big" "brother" "Al."
The Xia twins got up and trotted to him as they looked at him cutely.
"Hunting" "time?"
"Well, I guess you can say that."
He chuckled as he nodded, then looked at his newest 'brothers'.
"Wang Sheng, Du Ze, Fu Lin, Su Han."
""Yes!""
As they all made it back to Room 7, the four stood before Al in upright positions and gave military salutes.
"…who even taught you all that?"
He glanced at the Xia twins, who looked away with a mischievous smile, making him chuckle.
"It's time to meet your other brothers who you've only spoken to from a distance till now."
""Yes, sir!""
Al shook his head as he looked at their respective pages.
. . . . . .
[Wang Sheng]
Race : Human
Age : 9 years old
Sex : Male
Spirit Rank : 10+
Spirit : [Battle Tiger]
Soul Rings : [None]
Soul Bones : [None]
Shared Skills : [Mysterious Heaven Skill(Lv-2)] | [Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer(Lv-2)]
Status : Excited | Healthy | Disciplined
Loyalty : 100
. . . . . .
The other three, Du Ze, Fu Lin, and Su Han, had similar statuses. The only change between them would be their Spirits.
Oh, and the four new perks Al got from them.
. . . . . .
Royal Beast : Emanate an aura that would make all 'Beasts' feel intimidated and subservient towards you. The stronger you are compared to the target(s), the greater the effect. The weaker you are, the lesser the effect.
Thermal Vision : Flip your vision from ordinary to thermal, enabling you to 'see' heat and identify heat signatures.
Spirit Turtle Breathing : Allows you to 'breathe-in' and 'breathe-out' Spirit Power. Also allows you to substitute breathing with Spirit Power alone.
Tracking : Allows you to perceive all 'tracks' and 'traces of / made by target(s).
. . . . . .
Four new perks which were quite useful to Al, especially the 'Spirit Turtle Breathing' perk which made him get a new, fun, and possibly very destructive idea.
"Well, let's go. We'll meet up with the others and get your first Soul Rings."
Just then, Xiao Wu entered the dorm and looked at them surprised.
"Wait, all of you will be getting your Soul Rings?"
The reason for her surprise was quite obvious, after all, just three months ago, the weakest of those present was a mere Rank 6 Spirit Trainee. Now, though, all of them were at Rank 10 already.
"Yeah, want to come along, Xiao Wu?"
Xiao Wu blinked before shaking her head.
"I told you I already got my Soul Ring three months ago. Besides, if we all disappear at the same time, who will do the work? You do remember we are all working students, right?"
"Oh, yeah, now that you mention it."
Al had indeed forgotten that they were working students. Especially after that cliche moment when the paid students tried to bully them all, and ended up with broken noses and bruised faces and even had to promise to do all their work for them.
"But don't they" "do all the work" "for us anyway?"
The Xia twins looked at Xiao Wu suspiciously, making her roll her eyes.
"It's still not good if the whole dorm disappeared, ok?"
"Actually, isn't it fine?", Al smiled, "It'll be like going on a picnic. And you can meet up with the Meng brothers, Tang San, and Guo Liu too."
"Right right" "there's also" "grandpa Jack" "and the old vixen."
"Old vixen? Ah, you mean Aunt, I mean, Big Sis Xia Wuting."
Xiao Wu looked at the three looking at her expectantly, and sighed.
"Fine, alright? I'll tag along…"
""Yay~~""
Al nodded as he smiled.
"Pack your bags then. We're going on a picnic to the Star Dou Forest."
"Picnic?", Ai tilted her head in confusion, making Al pick her up and set her on his shoulder as he smiled, "Yes, a picnic."
"Picnic you say…wait, what?"
Xiao Wu froze mid sentence.
"We're going where!? Star Dou Forest!? Are you mad!? That's too dangerous!"
"Oh it'll be fine."
"No" "problem."
"It's not fine! It's dangerous, you know! Hey! Don't just ignore me!"
Poor Xiao Wu, she has no idea what's about to hit her.