The path of the Soul Emperor

Chapter 2

A man with silver hair, wearing a plain black and white shirt, wandered through the dense forest.

Despite his seemingly casual stroll, his eyes scanned the surroundings with sharp vigilance.

This was Alex—his strikingly handsome features were so captivating that it felt as though even the air held its breath around him.

He moved with an effortless grace, giving the impression that he was anything but an ordinary mortal.

As Alex roamed, his attention was caught by a tree bearing some unusual-looking fruits.

"Are those fruits?" he muttered to himself, squinting at what appeared to be apples, though they were oddly misshapen and off-color.

"[If you eat that, you will most likely die,]" warned the voice of his system, echoing in his mind.

Alex promptly tossed the fruit aside and continued on his way. "Why do I feel so much stronger than usual?" he mused, flexing his arms and marveling at the dense muscles beneath his shirt.

His physique felt sculpted, as though crafted by the hands of a master artisan.

"[That's due to your bloodline. It has enhanced your physical strength,]" the system explained.

Curious, Alex swung his fist at a nearby tree.

The impact sent tremors through the trunk, leaving a deep imprint of his knuckles.

He grinned, clearly impressed, but then his expression stiffened. Something was nearby.

Without hesitation, he leapt up and climbed a tree, finding refuge among the branches.

His instincts had been right.

A hulking, seven-foot-tall green monster emerged from the shadows, an axe gripped tightly in its hand as it sniffed the air.

"[Good thing you ran, or that orc would have killed you,]" the system said, sounding relieved.

Alex barely dared to breathe, let alone respond.

He kept as still as possible, hoping the orc wouldn't notice him.

The orc sniffed again and spoke in a gruff voice to another figure, "I smell a human, but it seems like he's not around."

The other orc, a female, replied, "Did you check the trees?"

'Damn it,' Alex cursed internally, trying to steady his racing heart.

The male orc looked up, its eyes locking onto Alex's position.

A wicked grin spread across its face.

"Found you, human," it said, swinging its axe in a single, fluid motion that cleaved the tree trunk.

The tree began to topple, but Alex quickly leapt to another nearby branch, dropping to the ground and breaking into a sprint.

The female orc was immediately on his trail. "My little girl is impressive today," the male orc chuckled as he joined the chase.

Gone was the calm, dignified appearance Alex had worn.

Now, he was running for his life, his once-pristine face drenched in sweat.

Panic surged through him, but he was astonished at how fast he was moving—faster than he'd ever thought possible, like a human bullet cutting through the forest.

Feeling the male orc closing in, Alex activated one of his skills, {Six Worldly Eyes}.

Suddenly, everything around him slowed to a crawl.

He could see streams of blue and green energy swirling around, the ax gleaming as it arced toward him.

His eyes shone with a vivid blue and gold glow, but even with his enhanced vision, he could still see the possibility of death looming over him.

'What happens if I die now?' he thought, the world still in slow motion.

"[It will mean true death,]" the system replied coldly.

Alex's heart sank.

The axe was aimed straight for his head.

'Damn it, I don't want to die again,' he thought, adrenaline surging through his veins.

Acting on instinct, he grabbed the shaft of the axe, pulling it down and twisting his body out of the way.

The blade grazed him, cutting into his upper body and sending a spray of blood into the air.

He crashed to the ground, breathing heavily but grateful the wound wasn't fatal.

'I need to survive,' he thought, his vision blurring slightly.

The male orc loomed over him, its black hair and bushy beard framing a twisted grin.

Two tusks jutted from its mouth. 'I can't afford to lose another life,' Alex told himself, his mind racing.

"Father, wait!" called the female orc, appearing behind the male.

Unlike her father, she looked almost human, with delicate, pointed ears and a strikingly beautiful face.

The small tusks protruding from her mouth only added to her charm.

She was the same height as the male and exuded an aura of power.

"What is it, my daughter?" the male orc asked, his voice gruff but attentive.

"Smell his blood," she said softly.

The male orc sniffed the air, and his eyes widened. "What is this?" he murmured, clearly taken aback by the richness of the scent.

In that brief moment of confusion, Alex seized his chance.

Drawing upon his soul cultivation, he forced himself to remain conscious, pulling in the surrounding energy.

"He feels different from other humans," the male orc noted, still puzzled.

"You're right, Father. That just means he'll taste even better," she replied with a sinister smile.

Alex was desperately trying to gather his strength.

He knew he needed at least five minutes to break through to a new level, but the orcs were getting closer.

Drawing on his life force, he manipulated the mana around him, forcing it to explode in a blinding burst.

BOOM!

The explosion sent shockwaves ripping through the forest.

Alex used the blast of green and blue energy to propel himself far away, coughing up blood as he did so.

"Not yet," he whispered, forcing his body to keep moving.

He pressed a hand to his wound, willing his muscles to knit together as he staggered on.

He had managed to flee about 500 meters, but the effort had taken a toll.

Gasping, he collapsed against a tree, still bleeding heavily. 'I need to keep moving,' he told himself, even as his vision darkened around the edges.

Back where the orcs stood, the forest was blackened and scorched.

Only the charred remains of the male orc lay on the ground, a faint outline where he had tried to shield himself.

The female orc's eyes were wide with shock, her expression shifting to one of pure rage.

"Father, are you okay?" she whispered, but there was no response.

The male orc lay lifeless, his body crumpled in death.

Tears welled in her eyes, and then, with a snarl, she turned, brandishing her axe as she charged in the direction Alex had fled.

Four Hours Later

Alex had found a small cave, barely large enough to fit his body.

Night had fallen, the sky blanketed in darkness as he huddled in the cramped space, closing the opening as best as he could.

In a single day, he had been chased by orcs, nearly killed, hunted by wolves, and now he could see levels floating above the heads of his enemies.

He glanced down at his chest, where the orc's axe had left a nasty scar.

It was healing, but the wound was still raw.

"It seems my healing abilities are better than a normal human's," he muttered. "System, how much life force did I lose from that attack?"

"[100 years of life,]" it answered.

Alex's eyes widened. "How much do I have left?"

"[400 years.]"

He sighed, feeling a mix of relief and unease.

"Even my lifespan is far from normal," he whispered, exhaustion settling over him. But there was no time to relax.

"I need to change my current state, or I won't survive much longer," he said, trying to shift into a more comfortable position.

However, it was impossible in the cramped space, so he closed his eyes and began cultivating his soul, drawing on every bit of strength he had left.

{Author's Note}

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