Jay knew that the so called Dark Blacksmith who was now reduced to a skeleton was in a bad state and that was why he couldn't possibly ask him to make something for him right now.
However he didn't want to give up on the nine S Rank souls that he had too. So all he did was think of an idea that could benefit both of them.
But as he was thinking, the boy said, "What are you waiting for now? Just get out of here!"
The boy seemed quite emotional for some reason. Jay could see that clearly and that was why he too thought that it was a bad idea to be here right now.
'Sigh, this is fate... what else can I do?', he thought.
He had completely given upon the souls right now since he couldn't preserve them.
So he thought that the only way to utilise them was to let them possess some other monsters.
He knew that by doing this it would actually reduce the piers to the souls and it may affect him indirectly as it seemed as if they were quite loyal to him.
So a decrease in the strength of his own generals would be a decrease of his own strength.
He turned back and started to walk slowly and soon went though both the passages and exited the ruins.
'It was a complete waste of coming here...', was what he thought.
Right now he was just worried about the souls and the hunters who were attached to it.
He couldn't possibly delay and let the souls completely possess the hunters because he didn't know what effects would take place in the hunters.
'If only I had the soul cage...', he thought but then again he couldn't do anything right now.
'Wings Of the wyverns...', he said in his mind immeodyahwt after which the wings appeared again as before.
He then just started to fly instead of dashing all the way till the coast.
His mind had listerally been preoccupied so he wasn't thinking anything properly.
"Tsk, I'll reach the hospital and then think ahead...", was what he said to himself and was about to fly with full speed when suddenly a notification popped up.
'DING'
==========
[ EMERGENCY MISSION ]
[ Save the Dark Blacksmith's Appetentice ]
-> Return to the Smithy and Protect the Dark blacksmith's apprentice.
-> Compulsory Mission.
[ WARNING ]
-> Failure would lead to decrease of all stats by 30%
-> Appropriate rewards will be given on the completion of the mission.
==========
"Ha?", Jay was completely surprised by the mission.
He didn't expect the mission to suddenly pop out in such a way and it was probably the first time he saw something called as 'Emergency Mission'!
"What the heck is wrong now?", he asked himself.
He re-read everything and then understood that something might have happened in the Smithy from where he had just exited.
"Damn... what's with this punishment?", he said after looking at the earning.
Regardless, now that he had received a compulsory mission which he had to fulfil no matter what, he had no other way.
He immediately turned the direction of his flight and returned as soon as possible.
He had almost reached the coast and it took him a matter of Phew minutes to return.
The ruins were clearly visible to him right now and he was about to land but then suddenly he felt something which literally made him tremble.
"Wh-what the..."
His eyes were wide opened and he was completely baffled after landing.
He didn't have the guts to enter the ruins once again for some reason.
"What's with this enormous aura...?", he asked himself.
The aura was quite similar to that of the Makruin but this time there was more than one aura. That was what made Jay shudder with fear.
No matter how strong one grew, there would always be someone stronger and thus the confidence which he had gained after defeating Makruin vanished just by sensing the aura.
He could even get a slight feel of killing intent that was leaking from the ruins.
'This Mission is not as simple as it appears...', he thought.
"Come to think of it... it's difficulty level wasn't mentioned...", he said with nervousness.
"Uhhh... what do I do?", he asked himself.
If he had gone inside then he would have probably lost his life and if he had ran away from the place, then without a doubt 30% of the stats would be reduced and he would become weaker again.
'Yes... even if I get weaker... I can go stronger again!', he thought.
'I can't possibly lose my life there...'
He finally decided that it was the best to run away and save his life and thus he was Aabout to run away when suddenly he saw some foot steps that were entering the ruins.
"These are definitely not mine...", he said.
He could easily recognise the size of his shoes and thus he knew it very well that it wasn't his.
'Could it be... the so called sorcerers that they were speaking off...?'
Earlier the boy and the skeleton said something about the sorcerer and it could have been a possibility that the sorcerers might have arrived yet again.
"Yes... that might be the case..."
"..."
"But I shouldn't get myself involved in such things right now...", he said to himself and was about to use the skill Dash and run away when suddenly he heard a scream which reached outside the ruins too!
"Ahhh!!!"
A lot of pain could be felt just by hearing the scream!
'This voice... it belongs to the boy! Don't tell me, he is the appetentice?'
Jay finally realised the only person who could be the blacksmith's apprentice and that was none other than the boy.
It seemed like he was being trained as a blacksmith in order to follow the path of the Dark blacksmith.
"I... I...", Jay couldn't decide what to do because he wanted to save his life first.
He wanted to leave immediately when suddenly he heard a voice in his head.
'Conquer... Rule... Protect!'
"Huh? What was that!?", he was shocked.
All of a sudden he heard some strange voice which felt quite deep and dominating.
He turned his head here and there only to find emptiness.
"What was that? Conquer? Rule? And... protect?", he asked himself.
He most definitely knew the meanings of the words but he had no idea about why those words were specifically said to him.
He then tried to think about it when all of a sudden he remembered about his aim.
'I want to be the strongest hunter...'
That was indeed his dream and he was definitely trying his best to become that, but then again when he looked back at past, he thought that there was something that was much more important than just some dream.
He could remember the smiles of the people and the hunters whom he had saved. He could even remember others who would find a sense of relief when they would be out of a danger.
The happiness that he would receive while looking at such people was great and no price or anything could replace it.
However he never got such kind of happiness while thinking about his dream.
"Yes... what I must do now is..."
As he was about to finally decide to help the apperentice, he heard another loud scream.
"Ahhhhh!!!", it was the same scream as he had heard earlier and it belonged to the same boy.
Jay without saying or thinking anything else just used the skill Accel and boosted his speed.
He dashed all the way till the Smithy after passing the passages in an instant.
"Huh?", the moment he arrived at the Smithy, he was left with awe and a sense of anger.
The mixed expression on his face was worthy to be noticed though the expression slowly changed to anger.
In front of him, the boy who was hammering just a while ago was kneeling in front of two men who were wearing cloak.
The skeleton was perfectly alright, in fact that was possible thanks to the boy standing in order to protect him.
So Jay wasn't shocked about that, what he was shocked about was the boy.
Jay slowly turned his head a bit towards his left only to find the Boy's right arm lying there.
He then turned towards his right only to find the boy's left arm lying there while covered with blood.
"Wha-what the fuck is all this?", Jay asked while being puzzled.
Both the men who were standing in front of him, with their backs facing him, slowly turned.
"Is he the only you were referring to Jeff?", one of them asked.
A guy with creamy yellow hair who was quite tall and had his face covered with a half mask which left his eyes and forehead visible smiled.
"Yes Fren, this was the one I was referring to", Jeff said.
"Hmm, indeed, he does seem somewhat strong...", Fren who was almost the same height as that of Jay who also had a mask that covered half of his face said.
"So why have you come here?", Jeff asked.
"To enjoy?", Fren too asked.
"...", but it seemed like Jay wasn't ready to answer anything.
He just kept staring at the boy whose face was drenched with tears and his body was covered with blood.
He then turned his gazes towards both the chopped arms that were lying on both the opposite sides.
After that he looked towards the hand of Fren that had a bit of blood stain on it.
"Come on, are you mute?", Jeff tried to make fun of Jay.
"Speak up!", Fren said.
"...die."
"Huh? What did you say?", Jeff asked as he wasn't able to hear what Jay said.
"Fuckers! Prepare to die!!!", Jay shouted.
"..."
TO BE CONTINUED...