Reunion

Inside a dilapidated wooden house in the woods.

This cabin in the woods, once Sulu and Rhode's childhood 'secret base,' has long been abandoned.

Sulu, draped in a black robe and holding a lit candle, resembled a legendary Wizard performing evil Black Demon.

"In the name of... Sulu Potter!"

"Command all the spirits of this place!"

"Obey my command!"

He chanted incantations in Ancient Hebraic, occasionally sprinkling rosemary and other spice powders around him, and dripping various perfumes into the candles to create an atmosphere befitting the Spirit World.

Several seconds later, the white salt on the ground was suddenly pushed aside, revealing several footprints.

What would terrify an ordinary person was commonplace in Sulu's eyes.

He looked at the approaching spirits, many of which were in a jumbled mess of shapes like glowing jellyfish, with only a handful maintaining human form.

One of them was actually a complete human form, dressed in lumberjack's clothes, jeans, and leather boots.

The footprints on the ground were made by them.

"Keep an eye on the Portley Family mansion and the Huano Town. Report to me immediately if anything happens!"

Sulu quickly gave the orders, and only after seeing the spirits disperse did he cancel the ritual.

"Exploring the Spirit World doesn't necessarily require constantly going deeper; you can also utilize the 'uniqueness' of each layer of the Spirit World in a more streamlined way..."

In the past few days, he explored the Dream Spirit World, only to find that he either gained nothing or was easily in danger, causing his progress to stagnate. He had no choice but to turn his attention to other areas.

One of them is being driven by the spirit.

With his current rank and the spiritual affinity bonus from being a [Medium], he is already capable of controlling low-level spirits in a certain area and having them perform some simple tasks.

After all, even the lowest-level spirits are difficult for ordinary people or low-level professionals without special preparation to see, making them the best monitors and able to obtain a lot of information.

Of course, this is on the premise that you have the ability to control them and communicate with them.

"Actually... the undead of that lumberjack had already reached the first tier, and could even be used in battle... but unfortunately, it wasn't very useful."

Sulu sensed that professionals shouldn't just focus on combat.

There are still many unsolved mysteries in this world to explore. Even using extraordinary abilities to specialize in a particular discipline or to serve society can yield good results.

"For example, I just enjoy the simple feeling of exploring the Spirit World and gaining the power to protect myself. My biggest goal is to find my way home through the Spirit World..."

"Of course, some particularly evil professions simply cannot coexist with ordinary people, such as [the Fallen] and [the Necro-Spirit]... as well as undead creatures, who generally harbor resentment towards humans or need humans as materials for advancement..."

The next day.

When Sulu once again summoned the spirits lingering in this area of the real world, he reaped the rewards.

A spirit, in a dazed and confused tone, described to him a large man who had entered the Portley Family mansion.

"It seems... it's Rhode?"

Sulu did not appear immediately, but instead sent the lumberjack's spirit to observe further.

The lumberjack's spirit soon returned and told Sulu that at the location he had left a coded message for, there was an extra person whose physique and description were very similar to Rhode.

"It's finally here."

Sulu's eyes lit up, and he set off, arriving at the edge of a dark forest mine.

There, a tall, robust white man with distinct features was already waiting.

His gaze swept over, his pupils turning pitch black, sending a chill down Sulu's spine.

Fortunately, the color faded quickly, and life returned to the other person's blank face. "Sulu... welcome back!"

Rhode strode forward and gave Sulu a bear hug.

"Thank you, what was that just now?"

Having confirmed that the person in front of him was indeed Rhode, Sulu breathed a sigh of relief, then asked with some doubt.

"That's the ' Demon Hunting Eye,' unique to Tier 3, which allows me to better detect Demon and some supernatural things, such as vengeful spirits, Evil Spirit, Fierce Spirit... or those little guys who were following me just now."

A forced smile appeared on Rhode' stiff face, "You've gotten stronger!"

"Yes, I had some 'fortuitous encounters,' and I'm now a third-tier professional..."

As for what the strange encounter was, Sulu didn't say, Rhode didn't ask either, but his expression was slightly surprised, his mouth wide open, clearly unable to maintain his composure. He quickly changed the subject. "Are you planning to live in the wild? Are you worried about danger at home?"

"Yes, after all, there's the Black Death Society!"

Sulu gave a wry smile.

Although it's unclear when exactly, this organization's ranking on its own list of enemies has been steadily declining.

"Corpse Princess... Beatrice... is in some trouble."

Rhode frowned. "I've heard that... she's advanced to the fourth tier of [Undead], is a Class A wanted criminal by the Federation, and wields considerable power within the Black Death Society."

This hidden danger left over from the Black Demon is becoming increasingly difficult to resolve.

"Yes... I just hope she doesn't reach the legendary rank too quickly!"

Sulu smiled and said, "Fortunately, this step will hold her back for a long time. Until then, we should remain hidden. I've prepared enough food and low-alcohol beverages in the cabin in the woods..."

The fifth-tier [King of the Undead] is not so easy to break through.

Legendary professionals were an insurmountable barrier for extraordinary beings in both the Old Continent during Twilight of the Gods!

Even now, with the Dawn of Gods, the Supernatural Awakening, and the arrival of the Spirit Tide, advancement is by no means easy!

However, once Beatrice advances, with her fifth-tier curse, Sulu will be completely unable to withstand it.

"Hmm... I hope it's still the same as before..."

A look of nostalgia appeared in Rhode' eyes.

At night, a campfire was lit outside the cabin in the woods, with a barbecue grill on top.

Sulu carefully brushed honey and other seasonings onto the roasted meat, sealing in all the hot juices. With each bite, the juices burst forth, releasing an amazing aroma and flavor.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

Rhode, sipping his beer and eating grilled meat, exclaimed, "Sulu, your cooking is really good... even better than the meat in the bar!"

"... I've been studying and researching at Green Tree Castle, but then the Inner Circle was attacked, so I left... What about you?"

Sulu sat down around the fire and asked Rhode about his recent experiences with some curiosity.

He recounted his experiences, but of course, he concealed the things he did later while wearing a mask.

"My story is simple... Ever since I rescued Sean, and then my teacher saved me again, I've been hunting Demon creatures with him, exchanging merits, and advancing to the third tier..."

Rhode, usually so carefree, suddenly turned grim. "But... after advancing to the third tier of [Demon Hunting Expert], my heart is filled with more confusion than ever before..."