Eric stood in the dimly lit throne room of the beastkin, surrounded by seven powerful beings.
“Greetings, Chieftain,” Daina greeted the monarch with a gentle bow.
“Greetings, Chieftain,” Eric quickly followed suit, bowing as well.
The chief simply gazed at them with cold, reptilian eyes.
“So this is the cultivator you were making such a fuss about,” he said in a carefree and confident manner.
“To be sincere, I’m quite intrigued to finally meet the cultivator who caught the goddess’s attention.
What is your name, boy?” Hearing that, Daina finally raised her head, prompting Eric to follow suit.
“My name is Eric, Your Majesty,” Eric answered honestly.
The monarch laughed, causing Eric to shiver.
“Your Majesty?
We don’t use that here.
You can call me Chieftain instead,” the chief said with a slightly amused tone.
“So, you want to take our priestess away, am I right?” the monarch asked.
“No, Your Ma— I mean, Chieftain.
She just has to help me repay a debt,” Eric quickly clarified.
“There is no need to be on edge, young one.
We both know she is doing this at the goddess’s order.” During the exchange, Eric couldn’t help but notice something.
Throughout the entire conversation, Daina had been suspiciously silent, as if she were enjoying every one of Eric’s reactions to her leader.
Sly fox.
I will get you back for this, Eric plotted in his mind.
After receiving permission from the village chief, Eric and Daina set out for the ruins of the Storm Clan.
They soon left the forest and found themselves in a vast valley.
It was quite a spectacle.
Eric could sense the souls of various creatures scattered throughout the region, though they were far less abundant than those in the Beast Forest.
Then he sensed something else.
Humans.
Finally, humans.
After spending more than a month surrounded mostly by unintelligent creatures, the presence of human souls felt almost refreshing.
If Daina hadn’t been sitting on his right shoulder, Eric would have Flash Stepped to a higher altitude just to get a better view of the surrounding environment.
“We need to find a merchant caravan and blend in with them,” Daina suddenly warned.
“It will be easier to sneak into the cities that way.” Eric wasn’t inclined to refuse.
After all, he was the one being guided by her, not the other way around.
It didn’t take long for Eric to sense a group of humans transporting goods toward a nearby city.
“Hey, gentlemen!” Eric called out.
The caravan came to a stop.
It consisted of an Ascended cultivator wielding a broad sword and three mundane humans.
One of the humans was driving the carriage, while the other two appeared to be the merchants responsible for the goods.
As Eric approached the carriage, the Ascended guard stepped forward and stared at him suspiciously.
“State your business.” “My name is Jack, and this is my pet beast, Fluffy,” Eric said, pointing toward Daina.
“We would like to escort your employer in exchange for getting into the city with you.” The guard glanced at Daina before turning around and walking toward the carriage to speak with his employer.
Eric was left alone with Daina.
She glared at him with barely restrained bloodlust, causing Eric to grin in delight.
“Seriously, Fluffy?
Of all the names you could have chosen, you had to pick such a stupid one?” Daina complained.
Eric merely shrugged.
He knew she wouldn’t like the name.
That was precisely why he had chosen it.
A few minutes later, the guard returned.
“My employer says you can escort us, on the condition that you won’t be paid.” “Fine by me,” Eric replied.
He didn’t really need the money.
It wasn’t as if he would starve to death.
Ever since his mortal body had been replaced by electrical currents, he no longer needed food to survive.
Eric and Daina, with Daina pretending to be his pet beast, escorted the carriage without encountering any trouble.
At least, not for the first few hours.
Once darkness fell, they stopped in an open area and set up camp for the night.
Neither Eric nor the other cultivator truly needed much sleep anymore.
They had already surpassed the limitations of the mortal body.
However, their employer insisted that they stop and rest for the night, so they had no choice but to comply.
It was then that Eric finally got a proper look at the wealthy merchant and his daughter.
The man was of average height, with clear skin and expensive robes that immediately gave off the air of a wealthy merchant.
His daughter was a beautiful young woman with smooth, delicate skin, soft pink cheeks, and neatly combed black hair.
As expected, her dress was just as elegant and expensive-looking as her father’s clothes.
The wealthy man and his daughter slept inside their tents, while Eric and the other two men remained outside to guard the goods.
Several hours passed.
Then Eric’s eyes narrowed.
Six unfamiliar souls were approaching.
They were moving through the darkness, closing in on the camp.
Before Eric could warn his companions, something tore through the darkness.
An arrow pierced straight through the rider’s skull.