"Are you a candidate priest of the tribe?"
The dry, raspy voice suddenly sounded from the neighboring cell, making Freya instinctively wary. She demanded, "Who are you?"
The voice replied, "You can call me Fraspens."
Fraspens!
Memories flashed through Freya's mind. Shocked, she asked, "Are you Lord Fraspens, the former priest of the Golden Lion Tribe? But weren't you supposed to have died in the jaws of a supernatural creature?"
Fraspens chuckled, coughed, and sneered, "Looks like Chloe arranged for me to meet that kind of end."
Those words instantly triggered realization in Freya.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she speculated, "Lord Fraspens, was it Chloe who imprisoned you here?"
Fraspens snorted, "Of course it was him. Who else would it be?"
His voice filled with indignation as he continued, "Back when I served as the priest, there were three candidates for priest in the tribe. Chloe wasn't the top choice. Although he had talent, his mind was deeply sinister. Allowing him to become the priest of the Golden Lion Tribe would only lead the tribe into darkness."
"But I never expected him to be so ruthless."
"He killed the other two candidates, and I happened to uncover his actions. I intended to expose him before all the tribespeople."
"But I underestimated him."
"By then, his power had already surpassed mine, significantly strong. Instead of killing me outright, he locked me away in an underground cavern."
"And then..."
Fraspens' voice faltered, as if recounting this tale took a heavy toll on him. After a long pause, Freya heard his voice again.
"He sacrificed to the Elder Deity!"
"The Elder Deity sacrificing!"
Freya was deeply shaken. She couldn't help but ask, "Lord Fraspens, does such a deity truly exist in this world?"
Upon hearing this, Fraspens fell silent.
The entire prison fell into a heavy silence.
Eventually, Fraspens spoke again, "I'm not sure. But what I can confirm is that these 'deities' aren't what we typically think of as deities. They are simply powerful beings. Chloe sacrificed to an immensely powerful evil creature. I can't say what it is, but I know that the Golden Lion Tribe has fallen into darkness."
The truth filled Freya's heart with dread.
Despite her disdain for her own role and everything about the Golden Lion Tribe, deep down, she didn't want to see it destroyed like this.
But right now, she felt utterly powerless.
At that moment, Fraspens' voice echoed once again, even weaker than before. He seemed to have done something, but with thick walls separating the two cells, hearing each other clearly was already pushing the limits. Face-to-face communication was out of the question.
Worriedly, Freya asked, "Lord Fraspens?"
Fraspens' voice became intermittent as he said, "Freya, can you save the Golden Lion Tribe?"
This time, Freya fell silent.
She shook her head slightly and said, "Lord Fraspens, I can't."
Upon hearing this, Fraspens remained calm in his tone and said, "I understand. But now is not the time to discuss this. We need to get out."
Get out?
How could they possibly escape?
Freya had never been to this prison before, but she was well aware of its defenses. Not to mention breaking through iron cell doors with her powers sealed, even dealing with the guards stationed at the prison entrance wouldn't be easy.
Just then, Fraspens spoke again, "Hmph, Chloe has set up many facilities in the prison to prevent escape. But when it comes to psychic abilities, although he is very adept, his arrogance has led to some oversights in the prison's design."
"What oversights?"
Freya asked in a hushed tone.
Fraspens instructed, "Freya, press yourself against the wall."
Freya complied.
Then, a surge of immense psychic power came through, activating Freya's own psychic abilities.
She instantly realized Fraspens' plan.
Subsequently, their consciousness communicated and entered a peculiar place together.
It was the world of souls.
"We're still in ruins."
Freya said, looking at the desolate, collapsed buildings around her.
Before her, Fraspens appeared frenzied.
He resembled a wild jungle ape, unkempt from head to toe, with his mental image appearing emaciated, almost skeletal.
Such a mental state indicated that Fraspens was likely in trouble.
Fraspens seemed to sense Freya's gaze. He disregarded it and said, "My life has long reached its end. Being able to do something before I die is worthwhile."
After speaking, Fraspens asked again, "Freya, can you contact others? Our power alone may not be enough."
The soul world was more like a place for communication, allowing only the consciousness of living beings to enter.
Upon hearing this, Freya shook her head.
She didn't have any friends.
Except, of course, Enzo.
Freya was unwilling to disclose this matter to Enzo. She knew well that Enzo's character would likely compel him to rescue her at all costs if he knew she was imprisoned. That would put Enzo in danger himself.
Fraspens was taken aback by Freya's refusal and asked, "So, you're a candidate priest of the Golden Lion Tribe without any friends or allies?"
This puzzled Fraspens.
Freya explained, "Chloe allows candidates only to fight amongst themselves to determine the strongest priest candidate. They have no authority over other matters."
"Cursed Chloe!"
Fraspens cursed angrily, his spirit form in the soul world dimming significantly.
Without cooperation from others, escape seemed hopeless.
...
In the Crimson Star Tribe.
Deep in the night, Enzo suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, looking out the window.
Frowning, he muttered to himself, "What's going on? I have a bad feeling..."
Enzo was very concerned about this strange feeling.
Enzo was highly attuned to danger ever since reaching the Level 5, not just in terms of totemic power but also in his mental senses.
He was certain that something or someone was amiss.
Where could it be?
Enzo closed his eyes slightly and focused. He sensed a vague thought, tinged with reluctance and sadness.
The thought's source — the soul world!
Enzo abruptly opened his eyes.
Though familiar with the soul world, this time he sensed a unique disturbance. His consciousness entered the soul world.
However, what he saw was not ruins this time.
It was a bustling place, with many people gathered and seemingly engaged in conversation.
Suddenly, someone approached Enzo.
This person was tall and thin, with sharp eyes and a smile on his face. He asked Enzo, "Are you new here? Which region do you hail from?"
Enzo ignored him and moved away quickly.
The tal land thin man hurried to catch up, saying, "Friend, I understand your caution, but there's no need for it here. The soul world is vast and dangerous in some areas. If you wander aimlessly, you could easily find yourself in peril. Also, judging by your appearance, are you here to find someone?"
Upon hearing this, Enzo stopped in his tracks.
The thin and tall man's smile grew brighter as he said, "My name is Goring, a traveling merchant of information in the soul world. If you need any information, come to me, and I guarantee you'll find something valuable."
A traveling merchant of information?
Enzo silently noted, then asked, "In the soul world, is there a quick way to find someone?"
"Yes!"
Goring declared confidently, "The rules in the soul world are completely different from the real world. Here, it's the dominion of soul consciousness. In other words, as long as your soul is strong enough, you can accomplish anything."
"That's why there exist supernatural powers here different from the real world, known as spiritual spells."
Goring then detailed a specific spell, saying, "The Soul Gate. This is a spell for rapid travel within the soul world, constructing passages as needed."
"Of course, mastering it is extremely difficult."
"In addition to the Soul Gate, there are many similar spells with comparable effects, but they are rare and difficult to learn. If you need them, there's a price to pay."
Goring smiled, a sly grin on his face.
At that moment, someone nearby scoffed, "Goring, are you deceiving newcomers again?"
Goring defended himself, "What do you mean, deceiving!"
Seeing Goring get riled up seemed to amuse the person, who then turned to Enzo and said, "Friend, don't listen to that guy. The Soul Gate is indeed a powerful spiritual spell. There's a record of it on that stone tablet over there. However, mastering it is extremely challenging. In the entire soul world, only five people have mastered the Soul Gate..."
Enzo didn't wait to hear the rest. He walked swiftly toward the stone tablet.
Since entering the soul world, his perception of the distant thought had become much clearer.
The aura of death within that thought grew stronger.
And Enzo was certain—it was Freya!
What had happened to her?
This urgency gripped Enzo's heart. He quickly approached the stone tablet and began studying the description of the Soul Gate spell. The inscriptions on the tablet were profound and challenging to understand.
Yet, Enzo felt differently about them.
The descriptions and the diagrams for constructing the Soul Gate seemed somewhat straightforward to him.
At least, they were less complex than the diagrams on the Ring of the World.
As a result, Enzo didn't exert much effort to comprehend how to construct the Soul Gate.