Chapter 5: Zax's Expertise

With the help of his Soul Sense, Zax detected the Gray Lords approaching, riding on horse like Deformed Beings.

At first, he was taken aback. There were a little over two hundred riders, of which only three were at the Core Master realm while the horse type Deformed Beings all had one, pale scale at the back of their necks, a sign that they can only grow to the Peak of the first realm.

This meant that the Gray Lords possessed more than two hundred potential Peak Mist Lord steeds!

Zax found it hard to believe that three Core Masters can manage this many strong Deformed Beings, and indeed, after his Soul Sense examination he discovered that he was correct.

Scrutinizing the body of the horse Deformed Beings, Zax saw that each of their Pure Cores had a blemish, they were all damaged beyond repair to possibly inhibit their potential growth.

“Mendor, get your men to stay alert of escapees”. Zax said coldly.

“Escapees? Zax, don’t look down on my mercenary band. No man will dare to leave his post and run for his life without my command”. Mendor frowned.

Yes, he was more apprehensive than Zax with dealing with the Gray Lords, but that was only rational behavior and not an indication that he or his men should be underestimated.

Chuckling and looking ahead, Zax clarified. “I wasn’t talking of your men, but the Gay Lords runts. I intend to swiftly kill the three leaders and then concentrate on the remaining bandits. I rather finish the entire group than give them a chance to revenge after we leave the village”.

“Taking on three Core Masters by yourself?” Mendor was stunned and only for the sake of proper conduct in this perilous situation, did he insistently stay composed. “This won’t be like fighting the Black Chrome Alligator. Of the three Gray Lords’ leaders, two can handle a one on one battle with the alligator you killed and the third, I heard, is Advanced phase first level Core Master. Even if you are at the Peak of the second Core Master level, it would be too difficult for you to fight alone the three leaders, much less kill them swiftly”.

From the way he handled the Black Chrome Alligator, Mendor assessed Zax’s cultivation between the Beginner to Advanced phases of the second Core Master level, not higher or lower, and in his opinion that was enough to place Zax as a prodigy on the Martial path.

“If I were a common cultivator, then I would have agreed with you, Mendor. My forte is not in mist cultivation, but soul cultivation”.

“A soul cultivator?!” Mendor did not expect Zax to be one.

Though they were more than bodily cultivators, those who invested their time on specifically soul cultivation were still hardly seen.

Of course, Zax was unaware of the unconventional perception that accompanies soul cultivators in Ercas Mir. From his experience in Kingdom Earth he was already in the state of mind that bodily cultivators were scarce everywhere, but those who cultivated the soul ... He initially just thought to use it as an excuse to cover his lack of use in mist energy, and it also made it a lot easier to explain why he must make direct contact with his opponents in battle. However, from Mendor’s reaction he figured a little bit of the truth.

“Yes. It may sound like that put me in a disadvantage from the start against the Gray Lords, but it actually the opposite. With my unique movement technique”, a lie to cover the explosive strength of his legs that enables him to reach a speed far greater than any Peak second level Core Master, “I will incapacitate the three leaders without anyone noticing the mist fluctuations. Following that, well ... just recall what I did to the alligator”. Zax sneered, to add to his presence and hopefully raise Mendor’s confidence in him.

To kill two hundred bandits on his own was not an impossible task, but to make sure none will run away was a whole other matter.

By recalling how Zax killed that Black Chrome Alligator and hearing him explain his method, Mendor felt as if he was enlightened a little about the young expert who arrived from nowhere.

A cloud of dust emerged from the woods. The Gray Lords galloped on three to five meters tall, gray and black hues horses that trampled everything at their wake, but the Titan Kapok Trees, while the rider themselves were equipped with plates of armor and all kind of weapons.

“Halt!” A shout resounded and the atrocious cavalry stop right at the entrance of Virgil’s Pasture.

Anxiousness was plain clear on nearly everyone in the welcoming party. Zax and a handful of stubborn young village warrior were the only one ready to battle.

“Leonard!” Of the three leading middle aged men, the oldest looking one, with full beard and a scar that stretched from his left cheek down, below his chest armor, called the village head out from behind the line of mercenaries and inadequate village warriors.

Leonard stepped forward, ensuring his reluctant warriors that it is fine with shoulder taps and nods. He walked all the way to Garnet at the front and met face to face the scared Gray Lord.

Bowing, Leonard said. “As the head of Virgil’s Pasture I welcome the great Gray Lords to my village”. He straightened up. “First leader, second leader, third leader, what can I do for you today that you chose to visit my humble village?”

“Humph, Leonard, as if you need to ask. Since you arranged such a miserable group of dirtbags to show off in front of us, I’ll do you the courtesy of not beating around the bush”. The one Leonard referred to as “third leader”, spoke condescendingly. “The Black Chrome Alligator that harassed your village, our scouts informed us that you successfully killed it and obtained its carcass. Bring it out, as well as its Pure Core, now!”

The third bandit leader, who looked not much different than the first and second, was over fifty years of age, but due to the acquired vigor of Martial cultivation, his temperament was quite overbearing.

“Third leader, first leader, second leaders”. Garnet spoke out. “The alligator carcass was something we obtained after spending a lot of money to invite helpers to kill it. Moreover, he further paid a massive price when the alligator mascaraed our villagers and cattle-”

“That’s not our problem”. Second leader interfered after scanning the so called “helpers” and not being impressed by their top experts. “Have you forgotten? We are bandits! We don’t force to pay us taxes, for obvious reasons, but we will take everything else as we see fit!”

An azure aura of a second level Core Master erupted from the second leader; along with it was his killing intent.