"What do you mean, 'that's who he is?'" Dyne finally asked.

  "That inkling of corruption isn't the Mist anymore. It's just part of Ginger's soul. Think about the Yin and Yang of Chinese. There is evil in good and good in evil. Seru souls without the Mist are pure white, and Seru's in the Mist is pure bck. This is why Seru's are mad in the Mist, and if a Seru was created before it was exposed to the Mist, it would revert to being white when taken out of the Mist."

  "Then how come this one didn't revert to white?"

  "Because it was born in the Mist. It was originally a bck souled Seru. In the process of you imputing white energy, it created a rare phenomenon. It is no longer a Seru who is not mad outside of the Mist and becomes mad inside the Mist. It now has an intelligence of its own."

  "Right! I felt that! You mean it's because of the bck and white being present at the same time."

  "Yes. If humans are born to be all white, or all bck, would they have free will?" Strafe asked.

  "Hmm... This philosophical question implies that humans who are all white can't decide for themselves..." Dyne frowned.

  "Yes. Because they have no choice, it is their nature to do white. The same thing if a person is all bck. He has no choice but to do bck. Now for the Gimard, that was his state. Until you used the memories of Alos Vasilous, which allowed the soul that made up the Gimard to remember who it was. It gave them a pathway to create consciousness. But to make things self-aware requires it to have a broader nature. If you totally removed all the bck in that Gimard, he would be a useless Gimard."

  "You mean to say... that I can bring this Gimard into the Mist?" Dyne was shocked.

  "Yes. But right now, its consciousness and intelligence are too low. Also, it will be easily driven mad by the Mist. It should be capable of resisting if there is thin Mist in the air, but if there is a thick yer, then it would become mad again unless taken out of the Mist."

  "It's like an animal now, even less capable than the Slimes. They can't think and purely act out of instinct. But if you are able to increase its consciousness and intelligence to the next level, he could fight alongside you for a time in the Mist. Push it further to that of Brod and Bertugo, and he could think for himself and even resist the Mist."

  "Then why are humans weaker than Brod and Bertugo's soul? Bertugo, Brod, and the Slimes spent a long time in the Mist, yet they didn't show any signs of going mad. But humans can't stay that long unless they are freaks like Vahn. You said that Bertugo and Number 1 have souls that are powerful. I understand that, but what about Brod and Number 2?"

  "Bertugo and Number 1 has the soul of a powerful cultivator in Alos Vasilous. But Brod and Number 2 used several Drake Ghost. Which means they have the soul of about ten humans. So while it is weaker than Bertugo's and Number 1, it has the resilience of ten humans' souls made one. And that doesn't mean that you add the time of ten humans."

  "You mean synergy? With all the souls bound up together, it created a soul that can be twenty times as resilient as a human?"

  "Not just twenty, it makes Brod and Number 2 at least thirty times more resilient. Of course, they sted long because of the Drake Water, which was also refreshing them. Mind you. I said resilience. As for potential in strength and growth, Bertugo and Number 1 have more potential to grow stronger as monsters. But never forget, humans have always had the greatest potential. So don't forget about Vahn, Noa, and Ga."

  "I won't." Dyne smiled. He then stood up and turned to the crowd watching him.

  "Sorry! I sensed something about Ginger. But he's alright! And by some miracle, he even got stronger! Right now, he is weak, but soon, we might have the first Seru who can resist the Mist!" Dyne ughed.

  At those words, the vilge cheered.

  Another party occurred that night. Dyne brought out a jar full of Drake Water, which was mixed in the various wines they made and made them taste sweeter.

  Ginger was curiously looking around the vilge. He acted like any other Serus prior to the arrival of the Mist. He was gncing around and wondered curiously. For some strange reason, he only moved near Dyne. The vilgers thought that this was because it was only familiar with Dyne as Dyne had already expressed that Ginger was like Dyne's pet back in Sol.

  Thanks to the Gobu Gobus and Slimes, the expanse of the hunt has virtually taken away the ck of food. And so, unlike the first one, this was a real feast. It had a banquet of food that Rim Elm hasn't seen since the Mist.

  The Gobu Gobus began to talk all night with Bertugo and Brod as to their adventures.

  Dyne even gave in to the festivities and fell asleep very te that night. Most of the Hunters also did so, and when Bertugo announced that the Gobu Gobu would take care of guarding the vilge, the hunters went all out and began to enjoy to their heart's content.

  The night passed quickly, and dawn soon came.

  Dyne wasn't the first person to visit the Genesis Tree. Vahn and Tetsu were already there meditating.

  Dyne could not help but smile at the scene.

  Bertugo soon appeared alongside Brod.

  "How are the Gobu Gobu?" Dyne asked.

  "Oh. And Brod, give the report in english." Dyne ughed. He had been doing this every night to help the Gobu Gobu speak.

  Brod nodded.

  "Gobu Gobus like life here. They want to ally. Agree to betray tribe."

  "How many tribes are there? I pn to get one or two Evil God Totem."

  "Gobu Gobu here belong only to two tribes. Strongest tribe up north, on mountain near Drake Castle."

  "I think it's best to kill one tribe and ally with another. As for the strongest tribe, I think it's better to leave them alive. It's good that they are willing to betray their tribe. Alright. Brod, Bertuog, I will leave you here to guard the vilge." Dyne expined.

  Bertugo and Brod nodded.

  Tetsu soon awoke from his meditation.

  He gazed at Dyne.

  "Young Master Dyne. I don't think it's necessary if we train. Just study on your own. Your understanding surpasses mine by many folds."

  "It seems that you are starting to understand the aspect of Soul cultivation," Dyne expined.

  "Soul Cultivation?"

  "Spirit is just a branch in Soul Cultivation. I don't know what happened, but Lord Biron rose to unprecedented levels in his study of this. This is how he became strong. But that's not important for now. How would you like to have a trip with me to Biron Monastery." Seeker smiled.

  "Biron Monastery?"

  "Yes. If they are alive, won't they need to learn the full power of this? With everything going on in this world and the camity approaching, they have to get stronger." Dyne expined.

  "The vilge doesn't need you to protect it anymore. With the way things are, we can focus on that next mission. Besides, in my scouting, I realized something. The Mist comes from the mountain regions northeast of Drake Castle. Lord Rem gave a strange warning that the Genesis Trees could die when exposed to the Mist. I pn to visit the Genesis Trees nearest to the source of the Mist. I have to find ways to restore it. I think Drake Water can do the trick." Dyne expined.

  "I see."

  "Also... Rem warned me that within Biron Monastery is one who will betray it. Rem said that if I can't do anything, they stand to die." Dyne offered these sobering words.

  Tetsu immediately stood up.

  "What? Betray? Why would a Biron Monk betray them?!"

  "I don't know. But the visions are clear. One in Biron is fueled with hate and greed. It must have been the Mist. Maybe he was slowly corrupted by long exposure. We've seen the effects of the Mist here and how it has changed people to be more afraid, arrogant, or easily angered. They are nearer to the source of the Mist in this Continent. It could be that." Dyne offered an answer.

  Tetsu was silent. He was contempting, and he recalled how he punched Dyne when he lost control. With that memory surfacing, Tetsu believed Dyne's words.

  Dyne didn't know if what he said was true. He knew that Songi, one of the head monks in Biron Monastery, would soon become one of the recurring bosses who was greatly corrupted by his Sim-Seru. But he didn't know if this was because of the Mist or because of his jealousy towards Ga.

  "Then we have to go!"

  "Yes. I suggest that you and me will go with Vahn. This will be good training for us."

  Vahn woke up from his meditation.

  "I am ready!" Vahn asserted before Tetsu could answer.

  Tetsu was silent but turned to Dyne.

  "We'll need to talk about it with the vilge elders. You just got back, and now you will have to leave again. This will be a bit problematic."

  "Let's have the meeting now. We have to get to Biron as soon as possible. Trust me." Dyne asserted.

  And so, Tetsu gathered the head hunters and met at the vilge. Bertugo and Brod also joined this meeting.

  Rapture_edge