Chapter 16: Soul transformation.

“Ok guys, can you excuse us for a minute? I have some tasks I have to accomplish on this trip and I wish to get them done right away.”

Dez wanted to clear his mind. He pushed back his chair and stood up.

He pointed at the tree folk servants.

" You guys can ask them to show you around the palace and have fun here for a minute and relax. I'll be back shortly."

After Dez spoke Raisel also stood up. Walked closer to Dez and offered her hand. "Shall I take you there master Dez?"

Dez didn't think twice about it and grabbed her hand. "I was counting on your help from the very beginning, Raisel." Said Dez with a smile.

Seeing Dez's easy-going Demeanor, to Raisel it seems that the situation that just happened between Dez and his friends didn't seem to affect him too much. "It will be my pleasure young master"

At that moment, a green glow enveloped them and Dez and Raisel disappeared from the Sakura palace.

Suki who was sitting there watching them leave felt a bit uneasy.

Dez seems to have brushed it off, but she felt something wasn't quite right about him. Call it girls' intuition.

"Ethan, do you think he's angry with me?"

"Ethan…"

"Hey, Ethan…"

Suki was getting inpatient.

"Yeah, I can hear you."

Ethan was looking at the desserts like he was looking at the love of his life. He was wondering Which one he should eat next when he heard Suki's impatient calling.

"I do not believe that is the case, I think Dez can understand the position you are in. He may have been more sad than angry in my opinion."

Those words were comforting at first.

But people who had a great ability to think also had a bad habit of speculating, Suki's mind couldn't stand still, which later made her even more anxious.

"What if he is disappointed in me and doesn't want to see me anymore?"

Ethan who was still having an internal struggle with his dessert options started to get annoyed with all this interruption.

"Girl!"

"It seems you lost your ability to listen, and somehow became dumber."

"I said, sad. not because you didn't agree but sad because you couldn't and he knows he can't do much about it."

"Calm down, we know."

Unable to resist it anymore, with the number of choices he had there was only one choice a connoisseur like him could accept.

He would have to sacrifice himself for the greater good and choose to eat them all.

And happy with his internal decision he continued

"We can understand your situation, we are not stupid, just give it some time."

In the meantime, Dez was moving to the deeper part of the dream forest. His face wasn't smiling anymore but had a serious look on his face.

He was thinking. Pondering on the words Suki just spoke to him.

Indeed only those who held tremendous power can walk the vast lands of this world.

But Dez knew of a way to get tremendous power. A way available to all but still only those who are desperate would take.

It was to go to a forbidden zone.

Forbidden zones can be found in various parts of the world. People say they are left by human ancestors who were unmatched powerhouses who left their legacy for those who are worthy.

Others say it's the will of this world, the manifestation of Hetrea itself. Blessing those who are willing to sacrifice themselves to change their destiny.

Others think that those forbidden zones are just lands of death, land of evil. That others are just stupid to believe opportunities lie in them.

But Dez knew the truth. Or at least part of the true story.

That opportunity does indeed lay in them. And that each forbidden zone is different and has different laws and rules. But forbidden zones are land of sacrifice.

All who enter shall leave something behind.

Dez had his eyes on one particular forbidden zone. One that only those who have not awakened are willing to enter. And face the undying trial. A trial said to break the most strong-willed and unyielding of them all. Leaving 90% of those who ender crazy and Demented.

But this was exactly the same trial that the first ancestors of the Selklor family took. And came to a meteoric rise in power.

"Raisel I do not want to dedicate too much time on this just find me the closest beast you could find and let's get this over with."

Raisel didn't even waste a second and immediately executed her new orders.

Changing direction they came in front of a sleeping young wolf.

This wolf had leaves covering his whole body like they were its fur.

Dez looked at the sleeping wolf In front of him and remembered his studies.

This beast In front of him was a leaf wolf. They are docile in nature and are pact-oriented beasts. This beast thrives in numbers. A pact may consist of a few hundred to a few thousand. you will rarely find a leaf wolf alone. They are very good at camouflaging. In the forest, the leaves around their body can blend easily and perfectly between other leaves. They prefer to ambush their prey instead of having a confrontation or a race chasing their prey down. In the forest, they are very fast and tricky enemies to deal with. The leaves around their bodies are used as means to camouflage, defense, and attack.

Dez walked closer to the leaf wolf. He had nothing to fear with Raisel there. He took out the potion his father gave him, poured it into a bowl, and left it on the ground.

The leaf wolf was already keeping his eyes on Dez the moment he appeared But didn’t run away. The moment he took the potion out of his ring the wolf felt a tremendous desire for the content of that potion. An internal thirst that clouded his mind. The moment Dez left the bowl on the ground the wolf dashed and consumed the content with a lot of fervor.

After drinking the potion the wolf felt satisfied. The leaf wolf turned around and was ready to walk away but strange things started to happen. The leaf wolf started to twitch and whimper. It started slowly and soft. But it soon turned into violent spasms and his whimpers became outright painful cries. Blood started to flow from his orifices and even the leaves that cover his body started to be soaked in blood. Seeing the horrific transformation Raisel took action and decided to send a mental message to Emperor Kaihen.

Not 2 seconds later a portal opens before them. Emperor Kaihen appears before them.

He first took a look at his son seeing the calm demeanor he nodded and then he looked at Raisel and later the bloody mess on the ground.

Walking closer he extended his hand and green vines stretched out of his palm into the body of this leaf wolf.

At that moment the leaf wolf seems to be even more in pain. Now you can even see a lot of vines wiggling their way under his skin now that his leaves have all fallen from its body.

“interesting”

“Very interesting, it seems this beast is too weak for this potion and it has come to this result. Guess I need to give him a helping hand.”

After saying that Emperor Kaihen retracted his vines, a white glow surrounded the beast and poured a large amount of life essence into the leaf wolf’s body.

This process went on for about 10 minutes. During that time the “ cocoon” seems to grow from about 1.5 meters to about 3 meters.

When the energy disappeared the leaf wolf wasn’t there anymore. Instead, there lay a humanoid beast with a dark brown pelt covering his body and on his back greenish tattoos in the shape of leaves adorning his back all the way to the end of his tail.

It didn’t take long for this 3-meter tall beast to wake up.

Looking around him the beast set his eyes on Emperor Kaihen.

His eyes had wisdom in them and seemed to be thinking.

What was the beast thinking no one knows.

But the beast stood up. Then he lowered himself to the ground prostrating himself, wiggling his tail.

“ Sorry, but you do not qualify to follow me. don’t worry I will not harm you, I'll send you to a good place where you can live but you can't stay here for too long.”

"Go have some fun, I'll take you away later."

After hearing those words the beast that looked like a werewolf with a leaf tattoo stood up and ran away when green glowing leaves appeared around him and he Disappeared like the wind.

"Father, what beast is that?" Dez looked at the beast disappearing in astonishment. That was a completely different beast. He was wondering what just happened.

"Son, that's a leaf storm werewolf. A Lineage much higher than just a leaf wolf. I guess it was his luck that you chose him and that this was for the test and I came to help him today to see the result of the potion. The potion was far too strong for it and was destroying himself trying to absorb it but not having the capability to cope with its boosting effects. and I had to help him or he would have died.

Wow, dad, that's amazing. Did your potion really transform that beast?

“Well, son, yes and no. I believe that potion tapped into his potential and his bloodline reacted but that was not the main point of the potion, that's just a side effect. That potion's goal is to boost the soul capacity by refining and augmenting one's soul essence.

It seems that storm-leaf werewolves got a very high boost in wisdom. Regardless, I have already promised I won't interfere and use him for study. The thing that intrigues me is how much wiser he is. Raisel I wish you would keep an eye on that leaf storm werewolf for me until I'll take him away.”

“Yes, master.”