(1 week later...)
Julian jumped from tree to tree, chasing after a flying evil spirit. He was alone, carrying only a shabby wooden bow and a few dozen arrows in his makeshift leather quiver.
He lost sight of the spirit for a moment and closed his eyes to listen. Then, a rustling of leaves caught his ear just a few meters away. Without hesitation, Julian drew his bow and fired.
An arrow zipped through the air and struck a bush.
"SCREEEEEEE!"
A bat-like evil spirit burst out in a frenzy, slamming into tree after tree. He had only clipped its wing, but before it could escape, Julian drew his bow again and fired.
This time, the arrow pierced through the center of its skull, killing it instantly.
[You have slain a dormant evil spirit, One-Eyed Bat.]
Julian exhaled in relief and made his way down to the ugly creature, picking it up by its single wing.
This marked his tenth kill in the Reverie Realm. Admittedly, a bat wasn't much of an opponent, but he wasn't strong enough to hunt tougher evil spirits.
He glanced at his bow.
'I went with the bow since I can't make a proper crossbow yet. Still, it works well enough,' Julian thought with a hum.
He retrieved his arrows and headed back to the camp he and Adam had set up. It was the same spot as before, near the fire. Only now, a wooden barricade surrounded it, making it a little safer.
As always, Adam sat nearby, idly sharpening his longsword with a whetstone he'd found somewhere. Julian didn't bother him and instead cooked the bat before digging in.
As usual, it tasted like shit, but it was nutritious.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Adam finally stopped sharpening his blade.
"We'll be paying a visit to another group of survivors before nightfall."
Julian raised a brow.
"They wouldn't happen to be ghouls, would they?"
Adam shook his head.
"They're humans, like us. But they've drunk the blood of evil spirits. They're a bit off in the head, but we need resources, and they're the only ones who can give them to us."
Julian frowned slightly, remembering what he had read.
Those who drank evil spirit blood usually became a hybrid between an evil spirit and a human, called Daemons. Over time, they mutate and eventually turn into full evil spirits.
"And what kind of resources are we talking about if you're willing to visit people like that?"
After a brief pause, Adam smiled.
"It's personal. But don't worry, if it comes down to it, we'll run."
Julian grew more skeptical, and after standing up, he placed his hand over his bow.
"Say, Adam. Are you also a hybrid? Is that why you're so strong, and is that also why the evil spirits avoid you?"
A short silence followed. The air grew heavy until Adam's low chuckle cut through it.
"You're digging too deep. But I'm not forcing you to come. If you think I'm taking you there to get you killed, or keeping you around as an emergency food source, then leave."
If not for the fact that Julian was too weak right now, he would leave in a heartbeat. However, he still needed to leech more information off Adam. And preferably, he wanted to get his first Soul Artifact.
As if recognizing what Julian's answer was, Adam turned around.
"We're leaving in ten minutes. Make sure you have at least twenty arrows, plus another five."
Julian nodded and did a quick check.
"I've got thirty."
"Get five more."
"..."
After a few minutes, Julian had crafted five extra arrows. With that done, the two were ready to head out.
"Whatever you do, don't draw your bow while we're in their camp. And don't look at them funny," Adam warned.
"Mhm." Julian stretched, and noticing that he was ready, Adam slowly began to jog away from their campsite.
Julian followed as they ran through the forest, heading in the opposite direction from where he'd first arrived. It took a while, but when they reached the edge of the forest, they spotted a snowy region filled with tall mountain peaks, their tops covered in white and standing sharp against the clear sky.
More importantly, despite Julian being so close to the snow, he didn't feel cold. If anything, he still felt the warmth of the forest.
Oddly enough, even standing near the snow, Julian didn't feel cold. The forest's warmth lingered. But when he stepped onto the snow, a shiver ran through him. The cold bit instantly into his senses.
"We're not that far away. Don't freeze to death," Adam said, continuing to walk ahead.
'That's easy for you to say.'
Still, they continued onward, and eventually, they caught sight of smoke. It was coming from the side of a mountain peak, only a few kilometers away.
Naturally, Adam gestured for Julian to speed up, and so he did.
Half an hour later, they reached the mountain's base. A stone barricade surrounded a massive wooden gate, with people stationed in towers, torches burning bright as they looked down on them.
It was like a ground-level campsite, but it looked more like a fortress than a campsite.
Guards rushed from their posts, opening the gate and stepping out. A line of archers formed, each drawing their bows at Julian and Adam.
Three figures wearing thick coats approached—an old man and two younger ones, likely his children. The old man's presence was intimidating, nearly as much as Adam's.
But despite his tough exterior...
"Adam!" the old man called out with a smile. "How have you been, boy? Last time you visited was nearly two years ago. I thought you died!"
"Virion." Adam nodded respectfully. "I was a bit busy searching for a Soul Artifact. That's why I couldn't visit."
Virion smiled in understanding.
"I see, and I take it you found what you were looking for?"
Adam shook his head.
"No. That's why I'm here. I need something from Victoria."
Virion's expression darkened. He rubbed his moustache thoughtfully, then glanced at Julian.
"New companion?"
"Work in progress," Adam replied. "He's good with the bow, though he said he prefers a crossbow. Do you have anything like that lying around?"
At Adam's tone, a faint smile crept onto Virion's face. He gestured for his two sons to head back inside, then waved for Adam and Julian to follow.
"Come in. I believe there's plenty we need to talk about."