The Evolution Of A Goblin To The Peak

Chapter 1096: Seclusion

Souta made the necessary preparations, informing his people that he would be entering seclusion for an indefinite period. He also instructed Kessa to guard him in case of any danger.

Once everything was in place, he headed to the training ground.

Sitting down, Souta closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and entered his inner consciousness.

From this point on, everything depended on him...

When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the physical world. He found himself within his inner consciousness, where a massive sphere of energy loomed in the sky. At its center, a peculiar plant with black-and-white hues pulsed with an enigmatic presence. Several ethereal strings extended from the sphere, seemingly emerging from nowhere. Compared to the last time he was here, the plant had grown larger, and the sphere itself was gradually taking on shades of black and white.

This entity represented Soutaʼs [Douion II].

Beside the sphere, intricate magic circles stretched across the sky.

Focusing his mind, Souta muttered a few words. At once, the scenery shifted.

The atmosphere darkened, thick with an unrelenting killing intent. The air itself felt suffocating, and above him, countless black tentacles writhed in the sky, moving with an eerie, unnatural rhythm. ”Itʼs here... deep inside my mind,” Souta muttered, his eyes filled with determination.

Meanwhile, the vajra sword stood embedded in the ground before him. Sayaʼs consciousness observed from within, aware that this moment was crucial for him. As a monster, there was no escaping this trial.

This wouldnʼt grant Souta an immediate boost in power, but it would carve a path for his future.

Kessa, in her small snake form, slithered across the ground, her eyes fixed on Souta. Her duty was clear-she would guard him at all costs. ...

Somewhere in the Obsidian Desert

A man and a woman stood side by side, gazing at the grand mansion before them. ”We canʼt stay here any longer,” Leonard said grimly.

Maeb gave a silent nod, acknowledging the weight of his words.

They had failed. Despite their efforts, they couldnʼt kill the Blood Lightning Monster. Even a Seventh Shackle Realm warrior had proven no match for him. ”Our group is finished,” Leonard muttered through clenched teeth. ”Those Deadly Sins bastards will come for us... and the Blood Lightning Monster has seen our faces. Weʼre lucky he didnʼt decide to hunt us down.” ”So, weʼre just going to leave our people behind?” Maeb asked, glancing at Leonard. ”What choice do we have?” Leonard replied with a bitter expression. ”If we take them with us, itʼll only make it easier for the Deadly Sins to track us. Even if we admit our failure, those bastards will still hunt us down. We have a little time since the frontlines are getting more intense, so they wonʼt come for us immediately.” He paused, taking a deep breath. ”Maybe theyʼll forget about us... but itʼs better not to take any chances.”

Maeb sighed before nodding. ”Alright, Iʼll follow you.” ”Thanks. Then letʼs go now.”

Without a word to anyone, the two slipped away from their faction in the Obsidian Desert, vanishing into the unknown. ...

In the ancient ruins...

A surge of elemental power erupted, and Aliceʼs eyes snapped open. She stretched out her hand, and in an instant, a cold mist spread across the entire room. ”Finally... Iʼve reached the limit of the Integration Stage,” she murmured.

Her elemental power was on the verge of advancing to the third stage. All she needed now was to break through to the Seventh Shackle Realm, and achieving the Fusion Stage would be effortless.

Leaving the training ground, Alice ascended to the surface, where the people of Astros greeted her with respect.

At the camp, she reviewed the files detailing the distribution of the ancient ruins. This place had been divided among the Nine Heads, a division of immense wealth. The value of the training grounds for elemental cultivation alone was immeasurable.

Of course, not everyone in the Dragon Council had access to these training grounds. Each of the Nine Heads was allocated a limited number of slots. ”Lady Alice, have you completed your training?” a voice called out.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Alice turned to see a tall young man with blue hair approaching. ”Eilan,” she acknowledged, standing up to greet him. ”No need for formalities,” Eilan said with a slight shake of his head.

Alice studied him for a moment, sensing his energy. He had reached the Solidifying Realm- an S-rank level of power. ”It seems youʼve grown stronger,” she noted.

Being the host of an elemental being came with its own advantages. Though Eilanʼs current level was still low, it was only a matter of time before he reached the same power as the elemental beings that had fused with him in the past. ”Itʼs not fast enough...” Eilan muttered, lowering his head. ”Itʼs still not enough. And... Iʼm starting to remember my sister. I... I need to grow stronger and recover my memories.” ”Youʼll achieve your goal,” Alice said with quiet certainty.

Eilan looked up and gave a small nod. ”Thank you. By the way, are you planning to return?” ”Yeah, Iʼve finished training my elements here,” Alice replied with a nod.

With that, she bid farewell to Eilan before departing. He chose to remain in the ancient ruins, determined to continue honing his strength.

After a long urney, Alice finally arrived in Ekatoe City.

The city had changed significantly since she had last seen it-improving in ways she hadnʼt expected. As she walked through the streets, people greeted her with respect.

Before long, she reached the city lordʼs mansion, where she was briefed on recent events. Wasting no time, she made her way to the training grounds, where she found Souta sitting with his eyes closed, deep in concentration.

Alice approached the vajra sword, placing her hand on its handle. ”How long will it take for him to wake up?” she asked. ”I donʼt know,” Saya replied. ”It shouldnʼt take too long-heʼs only completing a framework.

In the meantime, Souta has already arranged something for you and the others. Vashno is out right now, so you can wait for his return.”

Alice nodded and sat down, silently watching him.

Her thoughts drifted back to the time she had entered his mind, where she had seen the manifestations of his negative emotions. It felt as if Souta was still battling those demons even now.

After a while, she stood up and stretched her arms. Souta was working hard, and even though she had just finished training her elemental power, she couldnʼt afford to be idle.

She cast a glance at Kessa. ”Kessa, donʼt let anything happen to him.”

Then, turning to Saya, she asked, ”Can I train in the inner consciousness?”

Saya nodded. ”Souta has already made preparations. All of you can train there as long as you donʼt neglect the affairs of the Astros.”

Days passed quickly...

Alice exited the inner consciousness, making way for Franklin and Eztein to enter. Soon after, Isabella, Torkez, and Yuko followed, alternating their training while managing the affairs of Ekatoe City. Of course, Yuko was excluded from such duties-she was far more likely to create trouble than to solve it.

Recently, a major piece of news had begun circulating-Hono Flaem, the Clan Leader of the Flaem Clan, had reached Hero-rank. After a long period of stagnation, Hall Plains finally had a Seventh Shackle Realm expert.

This development ignited a new wave of motivation among the Nine Heads. They trained harder than ever, and while a few managed to break through to the Sixth Shackle, many remained stuck at the Fifth.

Rare-grade resources had begun to appear in abundance. However, no new legendary-grade resources had surfaced. Given the current state of Hall Plains, rare-grade materials were still the most valuable, providing immense benefits to low-level experts. If legendary-grade resources appeared too frequently, they would undoubtedly draw the attention of powerful forces from outside Hall Plains.

After all, aside from the Astros, only the Flaem Clan possessed the strength to stand against a faction that housed a Hero-rank expert.

Meanwhile, in another part of the continent, deep within the barren lands of the Red

Mountain Range...

Vashno stood atop a valley, gazing at the vast expanse of red-colored mountains stretching before him. He was far from Hall Plains now-so far that even its influence barely reached him. He stood on the outskirts of the Fallen Angelsʼ territory, though even here, he remained tens of thousands of kilometers from their border.

However, Vashnoʼs destination wasnʼt within the Fallen Angelsʼ territory. His goal lay deep within the Red Mountain Range itself. ”Imperium is too vast... Iʼve only seen a fraction of it, even after months of being here,” he muttered before leaping down into the valley.

Of course, part of the reason for this was that he hadnʼt actively ventured beyond familiar territories. He understood his place-his strength was only considered second-rate in Imperium. There were countless individuals far stronger than him... but even more who were weaker. ”According to the information Souta left behind, a large portion of this land belongs to a Fifth Stage monster,” Vashno muttered.

Moving cautiously, he navigated through the dense forest of red-leaved trees.

After an hour of careful travel, he arrived at a small sinkhole. Peering down into the darkness below, he took a deep breath-then leaped.

Whoosh!

He had no idea how deep the descent would be, but he continued falling, a cold breeze rushing past him. Silently, Vashno circulated his mana, preparing for whatever dangers might await in the depths.

After a while, Vashno finally landed at the bottom. Darkness engulfed the space around him, and the silence was almost suffocating. ”Souta said I should be able to handle the dangers here with my current strength...” he muttered.

He stretched out his arm, his palm grazing the rough, uneven walls. Somewhere in the distance, he could barely make out the faint sound of flowing water.

Moving forward cautiously, he soon found himself passing through an invisible barrier. The moment he stepped through, the atmosphere shifted.

Frowning, he turned around-only to find that the path he had taken was gone. ”What?!” Vashnoʼs expression darkened.