Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls-Chapter 39: The Lake of Mana.

Kael slowly opened his eyes, feeling a sensation of lightness he hadn’t expected, almost as if he were floating. The last thing he remembered was collapsing exhausted onto the ground, but now a warm, wet feeling was touching his face. He blinked, confused, and tried to move, but his energy was still low, his muscles heavy with fatigue.

"What...?" he murmured, trying to orient himself, but before he could complete the thought, a warm, sticky tongue touched his skin again, and he turned his head, seeing the same creature he had encountered earlier – the small creature that had helped heal the wound on his arm.

It was there, with its bright eyes and curious demeanor. Its movements were gentle, almost as if it were trying to wake him up in a caring way, like an animal trying to rouse its owner.

Kael looked at it with a surprised expression, still a bit dazed. "You... are you waking me up?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

The creature nodded with a small movement, its eyes focused and attentive on him. It seemed to have been taking care of him while he was unconscious, as if it had stayed there, waiting for him to wake up. Kael fell silent for a moment, trying to understand the situation. How had this creature found him here? And why was it being so... careful?

He sat up slowly, feeling a bit of residual pain in his muscles, but his arm wound was already completely healed, much faster than he would have expected. He looked at the creature and then realized: it wasn’t just some ordinary hunter. It seemed to have a special connection to the surrounding environment, perhaps even more intelligent than he initially assumed.

"You helped heal my wound... What are you?" Kael murmured, more to himself than to the creature.

It didn’t respond with words, but with an inquisitive gaze, as if it were waiting for him to understand something deeper. It took a step back, pointing its head toward the darkness of the cave, as if indicating something beyond. Perhaps it was a sign that there was more to this cave than he had imagined, or that it wanted him to follow.

Kael, still a little dizzy, looked around. The place was quiet now, but he knew he couldn’t afford to relax for long. The battle with the Queen Spider had drained almost all of his strength, but it seemed that he was still alive, and that, as surprising as it was, meant that survival was still within reach.

"Alright... Alright, I’ll follow you then." Kael said, feeling more alert as he got up with effort. He took a quick look around, but the cave was immersed in shadows, the only sound he could hear was the beat of his own heart. "Let’s see what you have to show me."

The creature moved ahead, its steps soft and quick, leading Kael deeper into the cave. He felt a strange sensation that, even in this dark and unfamiliar environment, he wasn’t entirely alone. Something else was there, something beyond the damp walls and dense webs.

Kael stayed silent, allowing the creature to guide him, knowing that if he wanted answers, he needed to follow. He didn’t know what else might be waiting for him, but something told him that this creature, with its instinctive and mysterious behavior, knew exactly where it was taking him.

"I don’t know what you are... but I hope you know what you’re doing," Kael murmured, feeling his mind fill with doubts and curiosity. But something inside him, a gut feeling, told him he was on the right path.

Kael followed the small creature through the narrow paths of the cave, facing increasingly difficult passages with each step. The walls closed in around him at some points, forcing him to squeeze through, while at others, he had to duck to avoid dense, thick webs. Even so, the creature seemed always at ease, moving with impressive agility, as if it knew every curve and recess of the place.

It constantly stopped to look back, making sure Kael was following. He found it curious how this small being seemed more patient and attentive than many people he had known in his life. "You seem really determined to help me, huh?" Kael commented, his tone lighter as he maneuvered through a particularly tight opening.

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As they advanced, Kael began to feel something different in the air. It was a subtle sensation at first, like a tingling running across his skin. However, as they went deeper, it intensified. He stopped for a moment, furrowing his brow. "What is this...?"

There was something in the environment he couldn’t ignore – a presence. It wasn’t hostile, but powerful. A concentration of mana so dense that he could almost see it swirling in the air. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt the energy slowly entering his body. His heart raced.

"I’m absorbing... mana?" he murmured, incredulous.

Normally, his mana regeneration was slow and depended on rest or external resources, but here, it was as if the very air was revitalizing him. He clenched his hand, feeling the flow of energy pulse through his body again. His strength was returning, and this left him surprised.

The creature seemed to notice his hesitation and patiently waited for him. Its bright eyes seemed to ask, "Is everything alright?" Kael smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes, I’m fine. Let’s continue."

As they went further, the mana density increased even more. It felt like being in an invisible lake, every breath filling his lungs with pure power. Kael stopped again to check his status through the system, and to his surprise, saw that his mana bar was almost full, something he thought impossible in such a short time without rest.

"This is insane. I’ve never seen a place like this before." He murmured, looking around. "The amount of energy here... It’s almost as if it’s alive."

They passed through a particularly narrow fissure, forcing Kael to squeeze through the rough rocks once more. The edges slightly cut his skin, but he ignored the discomfort. The small creature waited patiently on the other side, sitting and watching him with its bright, curious eyes. When Kael finally emerged, brushing the dust from his hands, he stopped, astonished.

Before him stretched a vast hall, so immense that it seemed impossible it could be hidden within this cave. The ceiling was covered in stalactites, some so large they almost touched the floor. Slow drips of moisture fell from the tips of the rocky formations, diving into a massive lake below, whose surface shimmered with a translucent blue. The lake appeared to be made of pure mana, radiating an ethereal glow that lit up the entire hall with a soft and mesmerizing light. Each drop that fell into the water created ripples that slowly expanded, as if time itself flowed differently there.

Kael took a few hesitant steps, unable to look away. "This... this is unbelievable. It’s like the heart of a world." His voice echoed softly through the hall, blending with the sound of the dripping water and the almost imperceptible hum of pure mana filling the space.

But then, something even more impressive caught his attention, making his heart leap. In the center of the lake, resting on a small island surrounded by that luminous water, was a magnificent creature.

It was a dragon.

Its body was immense, even in a resting position, with scales that shone a pure white, reflecting the light from the lake and creating a prismatic effect around its form. Its wings were folded, but Kael could see that, when spread, they would be vast enough to cover much of the hall. The dragon’s head rested on its forepaws, its eyes closed, but Kael couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming aura emanating from the creature. It was as if the very air around it was filled with reverence and raw power.

"A White Dragon..." Kael whispered, unable to believe what he was seeing. He had heard stories of dragons, but seeing one was something reserved for legends. Still, here it was, majestic and terrifying, resting as if it were the guardian of this mana sanctuary.

The small creature beside Kael took a few steps forward, stopping at the edge of the lake. It turned its head toward Kael and made a low sound, almost like a murmur, encouraging him to come closer.

"You’ve got to be kidding me..." Kael murmured, swallowing hard. He took a few more cautious steps, trying not to make a sound. Every movement seemed to echo throughout the hall, amplified by the almost supernatural silence of the place.

The dragon didn’t move. Its breathing was slow and steady, its chest rising and falling like a living mountain. Kael felt his legs tremble slightly as he drew closer. The energy in the air was so intense that it seemed to pass through his skin and bones, almost suffocating him. Even with all the mana he had recovered along the way, he felt tiny, insignificant, in front of that colossal presence.

When he finally stopped, Kael stood at the edge of the lake, watching the dragon with a mixture of fear and fascination. He didn’t know if the creature was really asleep or just pretending, waiting for the right moment to attack. Still, he couldn’t help but admire its beauty and grandeur.

"If I don’t come out of here in pieces, it’ll be a miracle..." Kael muttered to himself, his voice low and almost inaudible in the vast hall, while his eyes remained fixed on the immense creature in front of him. He didn’t know whether to back away or try to hide, but something about the sight held him in place.

Suddenly, he felt a shiver run down his spine, as if the very air around him had changed. A deep, resonant voice echoed directly into his mind, charged with a power so overwhelming that it made his knees almost buckle.

[You don’t look scared, human child.]

Kael froze, his breathing hitching. He raised his eyes slowly, and it was then that he saw the dragon’s glowing irises open. Two eyes of a piercing, intense blue, like jewels that contained the sky itself, were now fixed on him.