The path of the Soul Emperor

Chapter 10

Alex headed to the guild to exchange some of the monsters he had hunted for coins. Afterward, he picked up some dinner and returned to the inn.

He sat across the room from Stella, noticing she seemed wary of him.

This was a new experience for him, as he usually didn't dwell on such thoughts.

"Chicks are the least of my worries; survival's my only focus," he thought, sighing inwardly but maintaining a casual smile while eating.

"A world filled with magic, yet they still rely on wood for almost everything," Alex mused, eyeing his plate and spoon with relief since they weren't wooden. He ate his rice and meat, noticing he was still hungry. "Guess the stronger you get, the more food you need."

Stella, eating on her bed, looked across the room at him and asked, "So, what's next? Got any plans?"

"I'm planning to go to the Juran Forest, but first, we need to increase our strength and gain more experience through guild missions," Alex replied, taking another serving of rice and meat. "Better leave some leftovers."

"Eventually, we'll have to join one of the guilds. But instead of smaller private guilds with limited quests and information, I'd rather go for one of the larger ones spread across the continents," Alex said.

"The White Lotus Guild?" Stella asked.

"That's right. Soon, the White Lotus Guild will probably eliminate other guilds in this empire, becoming the only major one left. Other guilds are already losing influence, but if we join White Lotus and rise through its ranks, we can gain access to valuable information," Alex explained.

"Yeah, that's where I was planning to go, too," Stella nodded, then hesitated. "Do you have any way to cover up my orc features?"

Alex was silent for a moment, consulting with his system. "Is that possible?"

[Yes, but focus on upgrading your meridians first.]

"Right," he agreed. Then he told Stella, "We'll stay in town for about two weeks. During that time, I'll look for a solution to help you hide your orc traits—or maybe even help evolve your bloodline."

Stella smiled, appearing more comfortable around him. They talked a bit longer before Alex began his nightly cultivation, focusing on both his soul and arcane energy, eventually reaching a capacity of 10 in arcane energy.

[Ding! Consuming 10 Arcane Energy]

[Arcane Meridians: Tier 1] Next Upgrade Requirement: 100 Arcane Energy

The next day, Alex noticed that instead of only cultivating one unit of arcane energy daily, he could now cultivate up to 10 units. Opening his eyes, he saw it was already 2 a.m.

[Arcane Energy 10]

"I can recover all my energy in a single day," he said, satisfied. But he had other plans in mind, one reason he had delayed creating skills beforehand. He carefully removed the cloth covering his eyes, revealing a divine glow in his sky-blue, slightly golden eyes.

"System, help me out," he whispered.

[To succeed, we'll need to limit the energy flow. Otherwise, the universe might backlash, and the energy could overwhelm you.]

Alex sighed, pondering this before responding, "Understood. For us to create whatever we want, we must respect the balance. I guess I'm finally grasping the bigger picture."

[Exactly. Since the universe values our energy, we can create things—even those capable of breaking the balance—as long as the system is powerful enough. But those beyond the universe's control cannot interfere.]

"So, those beings… Something I'm not ready to learn about yet, I suppose," Alex mused.

[Apologies, Host.]

"Call me Alex. And I'll come up with a name for you later," he said, settling into a lotus position as Stella continued to sleep on the bed. "I want this energy to serve as fuel for my skills, something I can use similarly to mana, but without it enhancing my body's natural strength."

[Understood.]

At that moment, Alex began manipulating the mana around him, feeling a newfound ease since he wasn't using his life force. Meanwhile, the system controlled his arcane energy to assist, using only a single unit. This process took three hours, and then a notification appeared in his mind.

[Ding! Created New Energy: Arcane Mana]

Restrictions – This energy cannot naturally enhance your body like mana. However, it allows you to break physical limits, requiring more rigorous training to reach higher power ranks. Arcane Mana cannot be cultivated directly; it must be converted from Arcane Energy. No other being can cultivate this energy except you.

(Mana naturally strengthens the body, but to reach peak strength, a person still needs to train. However, Alex will need to train harder than most and Arcane mana can't naturally strengthen the body by having it.)

"What's the conversion ratio?" Alex asked.

[One Arcane Energy converts to 1,000 Arcane Mana.]

"Can it be reversed?" he asked.

[No.]