After hearing Lira's story, the group now understood why she had always been cold...
"That's bad. Very bad. I'm so sorry about how it happened, but I really need to tell you this," Alexa said.
"No matter how it happened, that's in the past. You mustn't let it haunt you. Glory Expanse is your new world now, and you must learn to live with that reality," she added.
Lira gave her a short glance and nodded.
"How about you, Jon?" Alexa then asked.
"Well... it's some stupid kind of death. My mom brought an insecticide one day... it was packaged in a bottle, so I drank it thinking it was juice. Yeah, I was a stupid guy, believe me. I only realized it after taking a whole mouthful down to my belly... It was a very poisonous chemical..."
"So I had to die."
Jon smiled, still playfully, like he always would.
"That's crazy," Callum shook his head. He clearly didn't believe him.
This guy just shamelessly cooked up a stupid lie.
"Yes... though stupid people are meant to die stupidly," Jon replied.
"I don't know how that might have felt, but I have to say sorry... it must have been painful," Alexa nodded.
"Nah, no need. Good thing I'm here with the same body. I don't know how that happened to be possible, but I'm glad," Jon grinned.
"So, what about you, Callum?"
This was when his own turn came to explain how he lost his life on Earth... something he wouldn't ever want to talk about.
He looked hesitant at that point, and even his friends noticed it, but their eyes were still demanding.
Callum knew it would be very ridiculous if he told them that he fought the guy who stole his girlfriend... It might not be truly ridiculous, but to him, it was...
It was just having to explain your own shame.
After staying silent for a moment, Callum finally decided to speak.
"Well, I got into a fight with a gang of rascals... I was overwhelmed, so they stabbed me. Before I could realize it, I was dead," Callum lied.
Of course he had to. He wasn't ready to say the truth, and nothing at this point could make him do so.
"Oops... I heard Earth is a hell of a place for bullies and madness. Now I'm starting to believe it," Alexa nodded.
"What? Why are you talking like you've never been on Earth before?" Lira raised her head.
"Because I wasn't," Alexa smiled.
Callum, Jon, and Lira raised their heads with awe and curiosity...
"What?"
"Can't you see? My parents were born in Glory Expanse. For a long time now, the Listers have been reproducing... It's not as if reproduction or marriage was restricted. About 52% of young Listers in Glory Expanse are born here, and I'm one of them," Alexa explained.
"Oh... now I get it. One can marry, do shit, and reproduce. Got it," Jon smirked.
"I didn't really expect that, since one could increase their lifespan by entering the Grounds and killing monsters," Callum said.
"Same," Lira voiced. She seemed to become a little livelier as the conversation went on.
"Yes... but that doesn't cancel the fact that a man has to get a woman for himself. The nature of life still applies here just like on Earth," Alexa added.
"So you grew up in Glory Expanse, alone, as the only child..." Callum spoke.
"Yes. Only child and heir to the Greyskull Guild. My father had always wanted a son, but unfortunately, I was the only child they could have after many years of trying. But he loves me so much that he could cut off the head of whoever that tries to hurt me and feed it to vultures" Alexa boasted as her cheeks flushed.
"That's you being lucky. Daughter of one of Optal Mesa Refuge's richest men. Heir to Greyskull Guild... future Grand Intelligent Assassin," Jon smirked.
"Stop flattering," Alexa rolled her eyes.
Their chat lasted for up to an hour, as Alexa took it upon herself to tell some stories about Glory Expanse and the Grounds, based on what she'd heard.
"So you mean the monsters in the First Ground are ranked as Ordinary Monsters?" Callum asked.
"Yes. They're the first level of monsters, the weakest of them all. The monsters in the Second Ground are ranked as Extraordinary Monsters, and just like that, the hierarchy continues until the fifth... Mythical Monsters. No one has ever completed the Fifth Ground, and many even died trying. The monsters there are like gods, and a clear Transcendent Lister would find it very hard to even slay one of the territory inhabitants, much less the Territory Boss or even the Ground Boss."
"Hmm, guess no one will ever clear the Fifth Ground," Callum bit his lips.
"The highest prediction technology of Golden Storm Refuge said so... It said they might never see past the Fifth Ground and even believed it was the last Ground. That's why the God of Fun made it hellishly difficult," Alexa responded.
"Why though? Don't they enjoy seeing the monsters get killed?" Callum asked.
"They do, for sure. But they made a promise to the Listers... They promised to grant them godhood and bring them into the realm of gods if they finish all Grounds. Though they never revealed that the Fifth Ground was the last...
That's why they've been trying to make the test the ultimate peak... to make sure that whatever group manages to clear the final Ground would only have a few or even a single figure left to take that reward. But it doesn't seem like it's happening anytime soon."
"That's crazy..." Callum commented.
"But interesting," Jon cut in.
They both exchanged glances, and Callum looked away immediately.
"Alright. We should sleep now. We need it," Alexa said.
After their long conversation, they all decided to head to their rooms inside the camp house and rest for the following day...
However, Callum decided to stay up. He wanted to take a look at the stats of the Goblin's Soul and see what he could create from it... Since the Soul Lab stated that it could craft something with the soul he stored, he wanted to see what he could get.
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[Soul Bank]
Soul Stored (1): [Goblin King's Soul]
Rank: [A]
Compatibility: [39%]
Status: [Sad and Depressed]
Traits: [Aggressive. Tense Killer. Shadow Smasher]
[Check the Soul Lab to see what use the Goblin King's Soul could bring]
--------
Callum quickly switched over to the Soul Lab.
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[Soul Lab]
Available Soul: [Goblin King's Soul]
Craftable Character: [D-rank Goblin Servant]
Craftable Weapon: [A-rank Bonecrush Tyrant Axe]
[Do you want to use the Goblin King's Soul?]
[Yes] or [No]
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Callum hesitated for a moment and chose the "Yes" option.
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[What do you want to craft? The D-rank Goblin Servant Character or the A-rank Bonecrush Tyrant Axe?]
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"Tsk! Who would choose a D-rank character over an A-rank weapon? Not me," Callum muttered.
He ended up choosing to craft the Bonecrush Tyrant Axe, and within minutes...
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[The soul of the Goblin King has been collected from the Soul Bank.]
[Crafting Bonecrush Tyrant Axe...]
[Bonecrush Tyrant Axe crafting completed!]
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At once, an axe made of crazily hard, dry bones appeared from nowhere, settling into his hand.
Callum's eyes lit up as he gave it a look, amazed... He was looking forward to what this could do for him, and perhaps, with the joint power of Crimson Severance...
This could be another insane weapon to start off with.