Chapter 9
Rhode, of course, did not mean to leave the fat merchant alone. The reason he left was to look for some loots.
In the previous battle, Rhode had gained a lot of EXP, but he did not get too much loot. To players, those things in the floating ship wreckage were all treasures, and since a lot of people died, there must be some treasures hidden in their bodies. But in the end, he gave up on that idea. No matter what, they had saved his life. It would be shameful if he took their belongings now that they were dead.
Even though loot was important, the most important thing Rhode had obtained was another thing. It was something that he held on his hand at the moment—a black ore. According to the Dragon Soul Continent’s archives, this ore is a condensation of dead souls which would eventually form into a Soul Core. It had strong magic power and had many usages. It could be used as a gemstone for socketing weaponry or dissolved into the weapon itself to create a Soul Weapon. To Mages, Soul Cores were an excellent weapon-crafting material. Moreover, the Soul Core drop rate was very low. That was why their price was astronomical in the Dragon Soul Continent. And to a Spirit Swordsman, it was an irreplaceable existence.
Because the Soul Core was a treasure that was needed to awaken a spirit.
Right now, Rhode was deep inside the forest. He lifted his right hand; it could be seen that the Soul Core that was quietly sitting on his hand was emitting a dark aura. Surrounded by the silence, the gentle breeze swept through the leaves, and the moonlight glistened through the falling leaves. After that, the magic circle on Rhode’s hand started shining. Then, the system prompt appeared in front of him.
“Purify.”
Soon, a dazzling light burst out once again. Streams of magical lines were spreading to each of his fingers, including the Soul Core in his palm. With the help of the sacred power, the previous black mist around the Soul Core quickly melted and disappeared. It finally showed its original appearance— it was translucent and emitting blue light as if the egg-shaped gemstone was trembling and struggling to break out of the shell.
In the game, to unify his guild, Rhode must possess a keen eyesight for detail since most of the players were playing to have fun and not as a responsibility. If he wanted them to keep setting new records and obtain success, it would be very difficult if someone did not have a good grasp of it. Therefore, as the guild leader, it was very important for Rhode to observe his comrades’ emotions and inner thoughts.
And now, it was very clear that Lize needed someone to rely on and so she felt somewhat uneasy about it. Rhode could see that she had received a harsh blow to her emotions because not only her comrades had left her, but there was also the anxiety and fear for her own future.
He had been observing her since the previous battle and thought that she did a pretty good job as a Cleric. She could cast healing spells on her comrades in the shortest possible time and also quickly disperse their debuffs. Lastly, when she cast a barrier on him, it was done perfectly on time. For a supporting class like hers, this kind of reaction time was quite outstanding indeed. Moreover, even in face of danger, she was still full of confidence and could clearly cast her spells accurately without hesitation.
However, the trembling girl before him had completely lost her previous self-confidence and there was only one reason for that.