Legendary Soul Art

Number One observed his surroundings as soon as the whole group jumped off the flying ship and even crouched to feel the soil in the ground. It was moist about two inches deep despite the surface looking dry which confirmed his guess.

'There is a high chance we can find the Emerald Milk in this mountain,' Number One pointed out confidently as everything matched his descriptions. 'If you notice a small pond of white liquid inside the cave, let me know. We are going to prioritize finding one.'

'How rare is it?' Nami wondered in her mind and Number One only pursed his lips.

'Maybe it's not super rare but it's needed for many pills so it is high in demand. Even your sister would fight to get one in her hands,' Number One commented and did a lookout on a distant mountain. He didn't believe that Miss Black was still actively hunting him down but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Everyone, listen up," Darius called out to gather everyone's attention. "You have one last chance to stay in the flying ship. You will be expelled from the Academy but at least you can live a safe life."

The students hesitated as they looked at each other to see what others would do and everyone stayed still until Darius let out a whistle. It was a signal for the captain to set off and the large balloon of the flying ship rose up into the sky.

"Alright. Since you all decided to continue, I don't want to hear any whining for the whole duration of the special training," Darius reminded sternly. "Any kind of panic will only lead to your death so stay focused and don't separate from the group. Who knows what kind of Soul Beasts are hiding in the wilderness."

They were in the middle of nowhere so it was certainly possible to meet other Soul Beasts in the area but the students didn't seem to think about it. They gulped while looking up at the rising flying ship which was their only chance to give up. They had no choice but to follow through and face the danger directly.

"Where is the hunting team?" someone asked anxiously just before they noticed two figures flying towards them in the distance. They turned out to be middle-aged men in leather hunting gear who used their Purple Soul Wings to hover in the sky.

"Darius, what took you all so long?" the leading man questioned rhetorically and landed in front of the whole group with a thud. "We don't have much time so let's talk on the way. The Emerald Viper is showing signs of moving again so we can't delay the operation anymore."

It was the first time Number One met with such a sharp man who could intimidate people with just his eyes alone. The top class students shuddered when the scary man pierced them with his cold gaze but when this same gaze fell on Number One and Nami, the man paused his steps. "Miss Nami? What are you doing here?"

Everyone turned to look at the innocent beauty and Nami only smiled while waving cheerfully, "Captain Jack, long time no see. I joined the Selection Academy to stay with my partner. Hope you take good care of us."

Nami's explanation caused Captain Jack to look at the man by her side and Number One stared back casually as if he already embraced this role. He didn't mind being known as Nami's partner as he could use her connections to his advantage.

"To think you found someone that Miss Black approves," Uncle Jack pointed out while giving Number One a look over. "Is he that Number One you were talking about over the call?"

The question was naturally for Darius and he nodded as he approached them. "It is indeed him. Miss Black didn't seem to like him though and even tried to kill him. Too bad, she failed to finish him off and he came out unscratched."

Captain Jack raised his eyebrows at the news and decided on the spot, "We will take him into our hunting team then. It just happens that we have a vacant position."

"As long as he agrees and you return him back in one piece, there shouldn't be any problems," Darius replied with a shrug. "His safety is the Headmaster's priority so you would get in trouble if something happened to him."

Captain Jack only laughed and rubbed his black mustache. "If he can survive an attack from Miss Black, the Emerald Viper is nothing to be worried about. Let's go, everyone is waiting."

The whole exchange happened without a single word from Number One but he couldn't be happier. Bragging on his own would only make him look overconfident so Darius understood the assignment by correcting Captain Jack's statement. He also wanted to join the hunting team anyway since that was the easiest way to collect some Emerald Milk.

'He was the one showing me around the main Academy when I visited it,' Nami explained as they followed Captain Jack down the valley. 'He is one of the few people in the Academy who is not scared of my sister. You should be safe if you stay close to him.'

'Don't worry, I will be fine even if the Emerald Viper swallows me whole,' Number One assured and that got him thinking. 'That could actually be a good—'

'Don't even think about it,' Nami cut him off with a pinch on his hand and Number One only snickered. He didn't really mean it but it felt nice to tease Nami from time to time.

The path towards the cave got steeper as time went on which made sense why they had to land at the top of the mountain. The valley was void of any greenery but it had countless rock formations with numerous tunnels which made it impossible to debark any lower.

It wasn't long before they finally saw the first signs of their target, or rather what it left behind. The ground was filled with fragments of the shedded skin and Number One resisted the urge to pick up every single piece. Even if it was just the skin, it could still be ground into powder and used as an Alchemy ingredient.

"The cave entrance is right ahead. Be quiet and listen to my orders," Captain Jack announced as they neared a giant hole at the bottom of the mountain. "You all will stay at the back of the group together with Darius and two of my men. They will be responsible for watching our backline and protecting you in case the Emerald Viper decides to run away."

Close to twenty people were stationed around the cave and they signaled Captain Jack they were ready. He in turn called for a bald youngster who covered his face with a bandana and introduced him to Number One. "This baldy is your teammate. Your main task will be to look out for the Emerald Viper's eggs and steal them while we distract the beast. You need to take them away before the Emerald Viper decides to swallow the eggs and relocate."

The baldy's eyebrows raised when he heard the news but he didn't complain. "I'm fine with it as long as he doesn't get in my way."

"I got it," Number One acknowledged while ignoring the comment. The job couldn't be better for him since he would be free to look for the Emerald Milk.

"Perfect. Let's start with the operation," Captain Jack nodded with approval and snapped at his team. "Everyone, get in position. Team 1 and 2, lead the way."

'You can stay with Luna for more safety,' Number One instructed Nami as he gave her a goodbye kiss and joined the rest in the middle of the pack. Everything seemed so coordinated as he was led inside the wide cave but they only managed to reach the entrance when they heard an explosion from the outside.

Everyone turned around and saw a massive cloud of dust as giant boulders crashed against each other. The avalanches were quite common in the mountains but they never began with the sound of an explosion.

"Fuck! We are being sabotaged!" Captain Jack cursed loudly as he knew very well it couldn't be a natural occurrence. "Everyone, get inside the cave! It's too late to run away!"