The path of the Soul Emperor

Chapter 15

Alex and the others stood at the edge of a village, watching as the villagers were held captive in cages by Orcs.

Jack looked over at Alex and asked, "So, what's the plan?"

Alex, deep in thought, considered his motives.

'I'm doing this for Stella, but I don't want to eliminate those Orcs. Why are they capturing people?' These Orcs were part of his larger plan to conquer the Juran Forest.

After a moment's hesitation, he spoke up, "My dear."

Stella turned to him, her expression tense. Alex continued, "I know you hate them, but we're not here to kill all of them, alright?"

Stella frowned, clearly displeased, but nodded. Alex explained further, "The plan is simple—we're just pushing them back into the Juran Forest. Killing them now won't send a message to keep them out of the kingdom."

Mia nodded. "That's true. By killing just a bit over half of them, we can send a message to the other Orc tribes in Juran Forest. It could reduce the chances of this happening again."

Kevin added, "So, should we stop them now?"

"Nope," said Alex, Mia, and Jack in unison.

Jack elaborated, "We follow them and find out why they ventured this deep into these lands, which is unusual for Orcs."

Jack began leading the group, and behind them, Stella looked at Alex with cold eyes.

Alex responded with a warm smile, gently taking her wrist and pulling her close.

He created a sound barrier around them, so only she could hear his next words. "My dear, why kill them when they could be useful to us? I know this hurts, so please bear with my selfish request."

Stella turned her head, not pulling away from his hold. "But if the Orc who killed my mother is here, I don't want him alive."

"I'll kill him myself," Alex promised, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before releasing her. The barrier faded.

Lisa, who had caught this from the corner of her eye, briefly showed a saddened expression before composing herself as Alex glanced her way.

Even with his eyes covered, Alex saw everything clearly, sometimes even too much.

While this ability was useful, it made him feel like he was losing his sanity.

The cloth over his eyes was crafted to limit his insight, though sometimes he wished he'd never had such sight at all.

The group continued following the Orcs until nearly noon when they stumbled upon another village.

Here, the Orcs were building makeshift enclosures for the prisoners—people of various races, many with mana but limited power, some even adventurers.

"We need to find out why they're collecting people before we make a move, Alex," Jack said.

"Lisa," Alex replied. In an instant, Lisa vanished. "We'll leave the rest to her."

Alex lay down under a tree with Stella sitting beside him. "You never asked me about what happened to my mother," Stella said quietly.

"You don't seem like you want to talk about it, so why should I?" Alex replied. "You'll tell me when you're ready."

"Thank you," Stella said with a small smile, resting her head on his shoulder.

[Host, do you want to proceed now?]

'How much will it cost?' Alex inquired.

[100 Arcane energy, Host, since you already have the materials.]

'Good. Go ahead.'

[Ding!! 100 Arcane energy consumed.]

Suddenly, Alex's body surged with energy. His muscles tightened and became denser; his senses sharpened, and a powerful desire took over him, his focus zeroing in on Stella.

Stella, who had just been relaxing, suddenly found herself being held close to Alex, feeling the intensity radiating from him.

[Soul Emperor Activated]

[Arcane Mana Skin Activated]

[Fury Activated]

In a flash, the two disappeared. Jack, feeling a sudden surge of energy, turned and noticed Alex's absence. "What just happened?"

"Was that Alex just now?" Kevin asked.

"Calm down. Alex will be back," said Sofia, who had been silent until then.

"Where did he go?" Mia questioned.

"Who knows," Sofia shrugged, sitting down to wait.

Three hours later, Alex returned with Stella, who had a dreamy smile on her face. A few in the group understood what had happened. Shortly after, Lisa reappeared.

[Bloodline]

[Pure-blooded Human] – Said to be the original humans capable of living 500 years or more, their strength surpassing that of normal humans. Those with this bloodline possess remarkable talent, even rivaling true dragons. They inherit the following passive abilities:

[Adaptation] – The ability to adapt quickly to any situation, even reaching the soul.

[Healing] – A natural healing rate 100 times greater than average, allowing recovery from any injury as long as the heart or brain isn't harmed.

[Beginning] – An innate understanding of Creation and Destruction.

[Cosmic Orc] – Due to possessing Pure-blooded Human ancestry, this Orc bloodline has evolved into something new, unmatched in the cosmos. The bearer gains the following passive abilities:

[Lustful] – A heightened drive surpassing that of succubi and dragons.

[Physical] – Unmatched physical power, as they are natural-born warriors. This bloodline boosts all stats to (D+) rank.

[Power] – Enhanced comprehension and growth, advancing battle instincts to another level.

[Ding!! Two New Skills Acquired]

[(SSS) Pure-blooded Human Transformation] – A transformation that only a few can achieve, granting a deity-like state with a 500% increase in Arcane mana control and a 300% boost to all stats. Requires 50,000 Arcane mana per second.

[(B-) Cosmic Orc Transformation] – A form intended only for those born for battle, enhancing all stats by 150% and reducing damage from elemental attacks by 50%. Requires 2,000 Arcane mana per second.

{Author's Note}

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