Spirit Taming

Chapter 694: Heading Out

Jerold looked more annoyed as he spoke. Not because they had not found anything when he went off as a scout, but because what they found felt incredibly useless.

"They weree all dead. The ones killed by General Green and her team were at their small base. It was fine since they had been handled and any information there was taken. But when we investigated past that. Nothing."

"No documents details trade routes. No information that was focused on the materials that they had taken. Only the small basics of how they communicated with the Mourne family. How they had managed to get in and out of Nova City easily."

Knowing that the scouts had gone so far to begin searching for specific information like this was a good thing. They were able to find the things that would prevent this from happening again. "They were weaknesses that aphelion will need to overcome. So we can use that though." Isa argued that it was valuable.

As a merchant who grew up following the lead of her family, Isa knew well that there were many things to learn from this. The merchants always had issues with bandits or beasts. Therefore, when they were tricked by bandits, they had to learn what to do to prevent that in the future. That led to stronger guards or better routes. The best way for a merchant group to adapt and grow further.

"Now, that's where things got worse. The leading scouts started to split us up to follow traces of those who escaped. General Green had been busy handling the more powerful monsters, cult members. She had missed the sneakier people escaping because that was not her strong suit." Jerold worried that he was sounding a bit mean when it came to what he was saying. But that was true.

Everyone had their strength focus.

"Those that escaped made it to smaller camps. One was a grove of trees with supplies hidden within. But he was dead there. Right in front of a carved out oak tree. Only a few metal and crystal fragments on the ground."

"The same was found wherever the separate escaped people went." Jerold knew well what the theories from here were.

"So they made a communication bracelet? They are hard to make and only certain blacksmith's can make them. They are also banned from being made because the materials are too valuable for city wall protection. The crystals also need to be made out of specific energy and forging techniques."

Ralph had learned about these recently from General Green. Now he knew why she had brought this up. He had been given the chance to be able to understand something that would be an issue moving forward.

"So they are made with very valuable materials that are better used by the head guards to protect the walls and defend a city. Not for the general use of average people. Even the generals don't use them because they are that valuable. But these cutlists had them ready to use. So they are making them." Ella ensured that everyone was on the same page as what Ralph was saying.

Her focus being on the surprising amount of resources that the cult had.

"If they maintain their course of action, then the blood moon cult will continue to grow. They seem to have stockpiled many things over their dormant period. From there, they raised various monsters as members. Some being powerful and well known while others are new and causing issues. We should pursue their real base so that we can break down their strengths from the core."

The reason that the cult had never been properly illuminated was right there for them all to see. The blood moon cult had gone about making themselves untraceable through the years. They were hard to keep up with. The fact that they had these communication bracelets that they shouldn't have and the fact that they killed off members that could lead others to their base was an example of all this.

"Forget that they are telling one another every detail. That means you found multiple spots that they had hidden supplies to communicate then kill off their messengers. It also means we known better how they operate and how far from their bases that we could find these supplies that they hide."

Changing the perspective, Illia looked at the group like she had just been told a much better detail than what everyone else had heard. "Well. It means that we just need to find little places that have supplies. Just like those bracelets that they use to communicate. If they aren't supposed to have them, then we can make our future allies privy to that information. The information needed to hunt them."

"Illia! That's great! We can just use that information, that we can hunt the cutlists' bases by finding their communication bracelets which are hidden near bases as a safeguard. It will give us a better plan." Grace's enthusiasm was because this made a lot of sense.

While it made a lot of sense that the cutlists kept their communication bracelets away from these branch bases because they would have multiple ways to warn their fellow cultist, there was more. They had to keep them out of their base for another simple reason. "They can be traced then. We can find them based on the energies that the bracelets use. I assume that's the case?" Clark summed it all up.

"Then we will share that plan with our allies. From there, we should begin the track through the wilderness. I assume I will have a little help getting most of the way there." Clark felt a familiar presence gathering behind them at the gate. Jerold had also noticed it and smiled fairly wide at the figure.

"Well, I came back just to report temporarily after hearing about the battles. But I am more impressed that my students are still working hard. Even if you intend to leave as soon as I returned." Professor Wright stood tall. It appeared a lot of fatigue had been washed away compared to what she had looked like the last time the group saw her fighting.

"We are just about to head off. We trained for some days, relaxed a little, and now have a plan to help us handle the cutlists better. Not that the other forces won't be doing the same things." Clark smiled too. He was glad that Professor Wright had arrived to see them even though she had been off elsewhere handling more issues.

"Good, then you won't be in the way of my new job. Apparently someone decided to nominate me for the next headmaster of some academy before they went and died. Plenty of paper work to do. Plenty of sitting around. Did you even hear that I have to make some sort of monument to pay respects to him? What a bag of trouble." Professor Wright was always working under Alexander.

As she spent her moments compilation, anyone could see that she would miss him. But it was also written all over her face that she expected this outcome. Compared to everyone else, even Clara and Clark, Professor Wright knew Alexander best.

She had worked under him for some time and been able to see how many things he did for the people. Even as he grew older and his body weaker, she had seen him act even more than his younger years. This was only an example of things, but when it came to this, she could easily be called his third and most loyal student.

"Well, headmaster of Aphelion Academy and a member of the new Universal alliance, these students are heading out. Let Clara and the others know. They will be a little angry. Especially since Illia and Purple are also leaving to their own homes without telling anyone." Clark saw Professor Wright give them a slight nod. She turned away and headed inside the city. She had much to do.

"Those kinds should be kids and not adults already. But what can I do?" Her words were spoken only to open air as she took in the sight of their city being rebuilt. Under a new name and a new future.

"I believe that they won't worry about me as I return to Terra. The guards I organize will begin hunting. We can understand the communication bracelet energies after I speak with our city lord."

"My mother should be able to say the same too. So, when we handle them we will let you know." Illia was also on board with this. She trusted that they would all reach the same conclusions as they worked toward their goals.

"Then we head out!" Maria grabbed Clarks' arm and motioned for the others to follow. They were not one hundred percent ready for a large adventure, but by the time that they made it to their destination, they would be able to show off their strength. Especially with how much they were advancing already.

"The transport I arranged will meet us outside the city. It's another beast tamer that focuses on travel. They are affiliated with a small wilderness family." Isa waved behind her at purple and Illia. She felt a little sad knowing that this was the last they would see of their friends for some time. But it was all a part of life.

"Good, I don't want to run everywhere like last time. No more beast territory drama." Reese breathed a sigh of relief that was matched by Brad too.