bookpower Chapter 48 Umbra?
Chapter 48 Umbra?
Kael left the inn with a light sigh of relief. The rest had been welcome, but he knew his journey needed to continue. He looked around the streets of the city as he walked, feeling the cool morning breeze brush against his face. The road to Azalith still lay ahead of him, and he had to stay focused.
However, as he took his first step toward the road, Kael noticed something strange. Umbra, who was usually floating beside him, making comments or teasing him in some way, wasn't there. He looked to the side and up, trying to detect her presence.
"Umbra?" Kael called, a little confused. "Hey, Umbra... where are you?"
Silence. No response. That was... unusual. The entity was always eager to make some kind of comment or at least provoke him somehow. But now, it seemed something was wrong.
Kael stopped in the middle of the street, trying to sense her presence. Nothing. The connection between them, which had always felt so natural, seemed distant all of a sudden.
"This isn't normal..." Kael muttered to himself, now more worried. He looked around, as if expecting to spot Umbra's shadow floating through the busy streets. But there was no sign of her.
"Umbra!" Kael shouted, trying not to sound alarmed. Still, there was no response.
The silence grew heavier, and Kael began to feel anxious. He knew Umbra possessed considerable power, but the fact that she wasn't responding was unsettling. This meant something was happening—or something had happened to her.
Kael took a few hesitant steps, his mind filled with questions as he tried to understand the sudden distance between him and Umbra. "Did something happen during the soul absorption? Maybe I did something wrong..." he thought, feeling a bit of frustration building in his chest.
But then, suddenly, a soft and drowsy voice came from behind him. "Ahhh, I'm so sleepy..."
Kael froze instantly, his eyes wide with surprise. He quickly turned around, and there was Umbra, floating lazily in the air as if she had just woken up from a long nap. Her expression was visibly relaxed, her eyes half-closed, clearly more laid-back than usual.
"You were sleeping the whole time?!" Kael asked, still processing the scene. "Where were you? I was starting to get worried!"
Umbra yawned dramatically, stretching herself out in the air before letting out a soft laugh. "Hahaha, you really think I'd let you get lost? I was just... enjoying a nap. Not every day does a spirit get to sleep peacefully, you know?"
Kael was a little confused, but his relief was immediate. "You... were resting? I didn't know you could do that!"
"Oh, my dear... I'm a spirit, not a human. I can rest whenever I want. It's just that, instead of chattering the whole time, I decided to take a break. It costs a lot of mana for me to stay here by your side, so I need to take some naps," Umbra explained, still wearing a mischievous smile.
Their walk continued, the two exchanging playful insults, until the road ahead widened, revealing an unusual scene. A convoy of carriages had come to a stop, with several men struggling, unsuccessfully, to free one of the wheels stuck in a muddy ditch. Their efforts seemed futile, the carriage shaking as the wheel remained firmly trapped in the muck, while the animals pulling the vehicle neighed impatiently.
"Ugh, these idiots have no idea what they're doing," Umbra commented, floating closer to the scene. "It must be tough being that useless."
Kael observed the situation for a moment before stepping forward, deciding to see if he could help. "Maybe I can do something," he said, more to himself than to Umbra, as he watched the men's fruitless struggle.
"Oh, go ahead, it won't surprise me if you fix this with your hunter skills. At least you won't have to ride any horses," Umbra teased, still with that playful tone, but with a growing curiosity about what Kael would do next.
Kael analyzed the situation for a moment, assessing the men working on the carriage and the state of the terrain. With a slight smile, he stepped forward and, using his newly acquired shadow manipulation ability, began to form a chain of shadows that helped lift the stuck wheel with controlled force. The mud clung to the emerging darkness, as if the shadows were an unrelenting tool, helping to move the carriage back into place.
"That should do it," Kael murmured, releasing the tension in the shadows once he saw the job was done.
Those who had been struggling with the carriage stared at Kael in surprise, impressed by his skill. One of the men stepped forward, a grateful smile on his face. "Thank you so much, young man. That... that was incredible."
Kael offered a small smile at the man's gratitude. "It was nothing. I just saw an opportunity and did what I could to help," he said humbly, still watching the convoy with a keen eye.
The man grinned back, still amazed. "Truly impressive, young man. I've never seen someone handle a situation like that so effortlessly. May I know your name?"
Umbra looked at Kael and said, "Don't use your grandmother's last name. You never know who you're talking to." She warned.
Kael glanced at Umbra, who floated beside him with an expression that made it clear her advice was sound. With a small sigh, he agreed and turned to the man who had thanked him. "My name is Kael RedGrave," he lied without hesitation, already getting used to the idea of having a different name.
The man nodded, smiling. "A pleasure, Mr. RedGrave. If you need anything else, we'll be around."
Before Kael could respond, a soft, angelic voice from inside the carriage caught his attention. "Where are you headed, young RedGrave?" The voice had a serene, almost ethereal tone, carrying with it a subtle yet undeniable power.
Kael turned toward the carriage, where the voice had originated. He wasn't sure who it belonged to, but the question seemed sincere, almost curious. The presence behind the voice made his mind go on high alert, though he didn't yet know what to expect.
"I'm heading to Azalith," Kael replied, trying to keep his tone casual, though his mind was buzzing with curiosity.