Acquired

The next day, Lander slowly opened his eyelid as he felt something in between his thighs wriggling. Feeling the pain in his wounds, he slowly got up and sat down as he looked down between his thighs.

There he saw a small turtle merrily licking a stone. Lander was astonished, because the stone he saw was actually the stone that the old lady was requiring him to get, the energizing stone.

The turtle was alarmed as it hurriedly hid inside its shell. Lander picked it up and saw a very deep cut in its shell.

"What could actually leave this kind of cut into a turtle's shell?" Lander pondered as he knew that it was very difficult to break a turtle's shell, more so to leave a cut on it.

Then he picked the energizing stone and kept it in his pocket. He looked at the turtle that poke its head out when Lander remembered how he acquired Grey, he immediately opened the bandage in his feet as he let the blood in it flow towards the opening of the turtle's shell.

Nothing happened, but Lander didn't stop as he let the bloods freely flow inside the turtle's shell. Soon, as he has expected, the turtle glowed brightly indicating that Lander has acquired another beast. It was a Rank D beast that became Rank C beast instantly upon tasting Lander's blood.

Also, the deep cut on its shell slowly recovered until only a medium cut can be seen. Lander felt hunger but he knew that he wasn't capable of escaping the danger around him this time. Still, he surveyed his surroundings and sighed that his only way to escape was through the ceiling of the cave which seems so impossible.

Then Lander remembered that he can actually communicate with beasts he has acquired so he tried to communicate with the turtle, "Hey there buddy, do you know how we could leave this place?"

The turtle just hid inside its shell. Then Lander remembered the stone and tried to bribe the turtle with it, "If you will tell me how we can get out of this place then I'll give you this stone."

After a while of silence, the turtle still hid inside its shell, "If you could make the hydra escape in here then you can get out of this place."

"Wait? What? Help the hydra escape this place? Then what if it hurts me after I helped it?" Lander asked bothered.

"Make a contract with him. If you can help it then it can help you too." The turtle suggested.

Lander asked the turtle how he could have a contract with it. The turtle explained that the hydra can only move freely within the lake waters so as long as he was on the shore of the lake, he wouldn't be hurt. But then Lander also pointed the pack of wolves not far away from the lake in which the turtle also told him to have a contract with the pack leader, their alpha.

The wolves were afraid of the hydra and the only thing that the wolves wanted the most was to be able to use their lake again. So Lander used that information to make a contract with the pack leader in which the pack leader agreed as long as the hydra can leave their lake.

Then Lander tried to also make a contract with the hydra. At first, the hydra was so hesitant and it took Lander a whole day to explain things. The hydra told Lander why it can't leave the lake; it was because its master locked it up. Its master was a powerful magician that was being chased down by greedy individuals who wanted to capture his beast- the hydra. Its master told him that he will return after a 100 years but its master never returned again. It has been waiting for already 300 years.

It was due to this story that Lander was able to have a contract with the beast. Lander told it that if its master hasn't returned, then why won't it look for its master? The hydra's eyes brightened hearing Lander's suggestion so it readily agreed.

The next thing that happened was that the hydra told Lander how to remove the barrier. He needed the blood of the hydra, the blood of a human, the energizing stone that he got from the turtle and lastly, the bone of 1000 years old beast. Luckily, the wolves have the 1000 years old bones of their ancestor and they were willing to give it up to regain their cave.

The hydra told Lander the procedure. He has to go to the island in the middle of the lake to perform the ritual.

Arriving at the island, Lander was shocked to see lots of plants that were being required by him to get. Also not far away from those plants were the shining stones that looked exactly like the energizing stone he got.

But he never became greedy as he has to prioritize things first. Every ingredient was neatly placed at the altar then one by one; Lander mixed everything as he chanted a ritual chant, "To the maker of this powerful barrier, guide me, lead me as I erode this barrier of yours to free your friend from this lonely place. I now call upon the eroding power of this world! Activo!"

Then the cave shook slowly removing the barrier that couldn't be noticed easily by the naked eyes. Dusts roamed the whole place blocking the eyesight of the living beings inside.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Lander emerged with his body and hair fully covered with dusts.

Then he stared at the hydra. The hydra just bowed and Lander also removed the soul imprint on the hydra's head indicating that it was free from the contract they made a while ago. After that, the hydra moved away quickly.

The pack leader of the wolves also nodded its head towards Lander expressing gratitude. Lander just smiled as he picked five energizing stones and the plant that Elder Bobby's friend needed. Although there were a lot of the stones and plants there, he just picked up five as he knew that he won't be using it when he goes back.

After removing the soul imprint of the wolves' pack leader, Lander became warry of them but he was able to move out again and continued his journey to the necromancer's place.

Another day has passed, the necromancer who was still feeling the existence of Lander smiled with enthusiasm, "This young man is not an ordinary outcast. He was able to have a soul contract on a Rank B beast and two Rank C beasts. Impressive!"

Then this necromancer decided to welcome Lander to test him. But as he was about to move, he felt the existence of a greater paranormal being. It was heading towards Lander.

This necromancer hurriedly went out of his place to intercept this paranormal being. But as soon as he saw Lander, he was amused because Lander was actually fighting this level 9 ghost on his own.

Using the knife he bought, Lander was glad that the handle was made of iron so he was able to repel this paranormal being. It was only a belief that iron could repel ghosts and Lander just tried it out and he was lucky that it actually worked. Although he was able to repel it, he was getting tired, adding the injuries he has just received from the wolves. He was getting weaker.

Before Lander could exert all his remaining energy, a silhouette of an old man suddenly entered his peripheral view coming straight towards him. He was shocked because even though it was dark, the old man moved swiftly unhindered by the large trees and rocks.

Lander readied himself because he knew that this old man might be another ghost lurking around the area waiting for him to weaken before it attacks.

But Lander was wrong, as this old man chanted a very powerful spell that dispersed the ghost in an instant, "Peris Luminate!"

Lander was shocked but he was still on his knees as he was waiting for the next move of the old man.

"Follow me! And I think that letter should be for me, right?" The old man asked as he didn't spare Lander a glance and just moved along.

Only at that moment, Lander was relieved as he followed the old man. Still, he was acting careful as he was still wary of the old man's intentions.

Soon, the old man led him to his place. It was a small house surrounded by circling torches of fire. It felt like a place of a cult worshipping the devil.

The old man invited him inside. Lander was hesitant but still followed him. Upon entering the house he was awed by the scenery. The inside was well lighted like it was daytime. The arrangements of the well-furnished furniture were like the work of a designer. It gave a very comforting and relaxing vibe.

Lander found himself a seat and dozed off afterwards.