"A monster!?"
Lawrend exclaimed in shock. He turned his head at Joseph's direction.
There was a black hooded humanoid creature in front of them. At first you would think that it was someone, but the soul fire burning in its eyes would make you change your mind.
"Is that a skeleton?" he asked. It's clothes were tattered, and he could see its white bones.
"It is an Ancient Skeleton to be exact," Joseph replied to Lawrend.
"How strong is it?" Lawrend asked in a grim tone of voice.
"I don't know. Ancient Skeletons are mages or swordsmen of the forgotten past. They could be as strong as a Grand Mage in some cases or just weaklings," he replied to Lawrend with a shake of his head.
"Instructor, why isn't it attacking us yet?" Nuon asked.
"I also don't know," Joseph was clueless. It moved closer to them earlier before it just stared at them.
"Heaven Empress…" The skeleton dropped to its knees and bowed its head.
"H-Huh? What's going on?" Joseph looked at the skeleton in front of him in confusion.
"What the hell? It could speak?" Lawrend exclaimed in shock.
The skeleton raised its head and stared at Lawrend. It's soul fire stared at him intently.
"Me?" Lawrend asked it in confusion.
The skeleton ignored Lawrend. It lowered its gaze and stared at Lawrend's pocket.
'Could it be!?' he exclaimed inside his mind in disbelief.
The only thing he could think of that could have any connection with this skeleton was Daisy's soul shard that was inside his pocket. How could the skeleton possibly detect it?
"Lawrend?" Joseph turned his head to Lawrend with furrowed eyebrows.
"I don't know why," he shook his head and replied. He couldn't let Joseph know about the soul shard.
The skeleton stood up and slowly walked towards them like a limp person.
Joseph watched it cautiously. Lawrend was curious why it bowed to Daisy. It could possibly be related to her past. If he knows more about it, he would be able to easily find her other soul shards.
"Be careful, Lawrend," Joseph warned him.
"I will," he replied solemnly.
"I can finally die in peace…" The skeleton said as it stood in front of Lawrend.
Suddenly, its body scattered with the wind. It had finally finished its job of protecting her. She is now free, once again.
"What the…'' Joseph was confused as the skeleton slowly became dust.
"..."
Lawrend watched it with a melancholy feeling inside him. He could feel the anguish and relief within the skeleton. It was such an odd thing that made Lawrend's spine shiver.
"It's dead," Lawrend murmured.
"Mm," Joseph nodded and said, "The two of you should take care of Logan well."
"You got it, Instructor."
Nuon knocked on his chest.
Joseph left the two of them. He returned to his makeshift shelter/tent.
"So, what are we gonna do with him?" Nuon turned to Lawrend and asked.
"Take him with you. I'm getting annoyed just seeing his face," Lawrend said to him.
"Alright."
Nuon nodded his head.
"Damn you, Lawrend!"
Logan gained the ability to speak once again, and he cursed Lawrend.
Lawrend crouched in front of him and said, "We're both in this special mission. If you fail, you won't impress the girl you like."
Logan was taken aback when he heard it. He stared at Lawrend with wide eyes.
"What makes you think that you can do it better?" Logan asked him with gritted teeth.
"Results have already proven it," he replied and shrugged his shoulders.
"You—!"
Logan was incensed hearing his reply. It was true, but he wasn't willing to admit it. His pride simply doesn't allow such a thing.
Lawrend turned to Nuon, "I'll go now. It would take forever to knock some sense into this guy's head," he said.
"I'll try."
Nuon nodded his head.
"Goodluck," Lawrend said to him before he left.
Lawrend entered one of the makeshift shelters that Nuon made. He inspected it, and he was impressed with what Nuon was able to make. It was sturdy and built well.
He closed his eyes and slept.
The night passed by peacefully. Lawrend opened his eyes the next morning.
"Huh."
Lawrend looked at his bright surroundings in confusion.
'Surprisingly, he didn't make a scene,' Lawrend thought to himself.
He expected him to struggle away from Nuon and attack him in the middle of his sleep.
Lawrend left his shelter and headed outside.
There was a cold fog surrounding the area. He could see for at most, 10 meters(33 feet).
"A fog? What's going on?" Lawrend asked himself.
"One who was graced by the Heaven Empress, I offer you my allegiance."
A sweet and calming voice whispered to Lawrend.
"Who!?"
Lawrend looked around him warily. These days, people kept whispering into his ear that he was starting to have PTSD about it.
"It's me…"
A beautiful young woman dressed in white floated over in front of Lawrend. She had chestnut-colored hair and a pale and almost transparent skin. That's right, she's a ghost.
"Daisy?" he called out to her in confusion. She looked exactly like Daisy that he had seen in that dream.
"What?" Daisy replied to Lawrend.
"I-Is that the Heavenly Empress!?" The ghost exclaimed in excitement when she heard Daisy's voice.
"Who are you? Why do you look like me?" Daisy asked her in a questioning voice.
"I don't know, but I serve the Heavenly Empress with all of my heart," The ghost replied to her. She raised her hand and placed it over her chest.
"Don't tell me, she's one of your soul shards?" Lawrend couldn't help but ask Daisy with twitching cheeks.
"No way!" Daisy replied in denial. "If she's one of my soul shards, I would have felt it," she added.
"Huh? So she isn't?"
Lawrend stared at the ghost in front of him in confusion. No matter how he tried looking at her, she looked exactly like the appearance of Daisy that he saw before.