When Izroth received the new stream of system alerts, it was as if an abundance of life was breathed into the world around him.
The trees, plants, stream—Izroth sensed that all of it was intrinsically connected. But, that was not all that changed.
Izroth used his Energy Vision Sense as he looked over at Astratis. Unlike last time when it showed even the slightest fluctuation of energy, Izroth observed a calm milky light blue aura encompassing Astratis. It was the same as the Ethos he displayed to Izroth not too long ago.
Izroth could also see the flames of life within the plant life of the Ancient Wilderness. But, perhaps the most frightening thing was that Izroth was now able to detect the multitude of hidden dangers.
‘It is no wonder he said that this place is dangerous. I was unable to perceive it before; however, with the changes to my Energy Vision Sense, it’s now clear to me—I have been walking through a field of landmines this entire time.’
On his journey through the Ancient Wilderness, Astratis was the only living creature he came across. But, this was Izroth’s own misconception. In fact, just in their immediate surroundings, there were at least five existences who were no weaker than Astratis. The reason Izroth could not sense them before even with his enhanced senses was likely due to the fact that none of them wanted to be found or bothered.
‘I can’t tell if they are people or the Blighted that Astratis spoke of. Either way, I now have a way of detecting their presence. That said, there’s really no other information about it.’
Although Izroth received Ethos, the system did not grant him any additional information or even a basic guide regarding its use. However, Izroth expected as much. After all, there was no true guide on how to use mana, let alone the essence he received from his Source. In the end, he would have no choice but to rely on his own ability to slowly understand Ethos.
As Izroth adapted to the Ethos in his body, Astratis inwardly furrowed his brows. He noticed some changes to the way the Ethos flowed throughout Izroth’s body once he injected his own Ethos to assist him. But, he shook his head and clearly erased his initial thoughts.
“My injury must be more severe than I imagined if I am having trouble circulating Ethos to an outside source. If I want to regain my strength, I have to find the new location of the Ambrosia Tree. And, if the Ateleigos, the guardian of the Ambrosia Tree, is nearby, then the tree itself cannot be too far away. Still, the Ateleigos’ rampage is a bit concerning. Did something happen to the Ambrosia Tree under its protection? If so, then my trip to this Ancient Wilderness will have been made in vain.” Astratis internalized.
“Remember, if things become too dangerous, you are to leave immediately. Let’s go.” Astratis reminded Izroth before moving off in the direction of the Ateleigos’ cries at incredible speeds.
Izroth quickly followed after Astratis. As he did so, Izroth maintained a distance of three meters between them.
After running through the Ancient Wilderness for almost a full breath of time, Astratis noticed something bizarre.
“How is this possible? Even if I intentionally reduced my speed by more than half and channeled some of my Ethos into him, in the end, he is just a mortal. He should be struggling to keep up by now, but… Why does he not look tired at all?” Astratis thought to himself as he glanced back at Izroth, who followed along without showing any signs of fatigue.
“It looks like I have underestimated mortals. Then…” Astratis muttered to himself.
“We’re increasing our speed!” Astratis declared.
Swoosh!
The next moment, Astratis’ speed soared to new heights as he shot forward, leaving Izroth tens of meters behind in an instant!
“My apologies, Izroth. Originally, I wanted to tire you out so that you would agree to turn back and head to the village. After all, it really is too dangerous for mortals to be near the Ateleigos. I have to admit, I misjudged your determination. But, I am doing this for your own sa-“
“You seem to be in quite the hurry. Is the Ateleigos that important to you?” A voice sounded from exactly three meters behind Astratis, interrupting his train of thought.
When that familiar voice entered Astratis’ ears, he was left momentarily dumbfounded.
Astratis quickly looked back to see if he was just hearing things; however, that was not the case. Trailing right behind him was the same mortal that should have been heading back towards the stream!
Astratis saw the carefree smile on Izroth’s face as he returned his attention to what was ahead. At this point, he could only sigh and accept the outcome.
‘Trying to purposely lose me with speed alone… I’m afraid you are too naive.’
Given Astratis’ personality, how could Izroth not know what he was up to? Nevertheless, despite his well-placed intentions, Izroth had his own plans to pursue.
With the compounding movement speed effect of his Light-Feather Footwork and two charges of his Primed Instantaneous Movement, Izroth immediately closed the distance Astratis put between them.
As for revealing his power, Izroth was not concerned with this matter. Although it was just a theory, Izroth figured that since he was initially unable to detect Ethos, it was not too far-fetched to assume that Astratis could not detect the mana or energy he used.
Besides, even if his power was discovered by Astratis, Izroth was not concerned. Astratis did not appear to be a bad person; therefore, worst-case scenario, Izroth was willing to reveal that he came from the Mortal Realm. Whether or not Astratis would believe him or not—that was another story.
…
After traveling for a couple of minutes, Astratis came to an abrupt stop, causing Izroth to halt his steps as well.
“We’re here,” Astratis said as he swept his gaze over the surroundings.
Izroth activated his Energy Vision Sense and observed several lifeforms retreating from the area. As for the Ateleigos—there appeared to be no traces of it despite the ear-piercing cry it released earlier.
But, Izroth did not let his guard down. His Soul Sense was going off without rest the moment he and Astratis arrived in this area of the Ancient Wilderness.
Astratis’ expression turned serious as a flash of electricity sparked within his eyes.
An eerie silence lingered in the atmosphere. The only thing that could be heard was the faded sound of the stream flowing in the distance.
“Remember, under no circumstances should you meet its gaze.” Astratis cautioned.
Tap… Tap… Tap…
The faint sound of footsteps entered Izroth’s ears as his gaze was drawn to the area of dense trees across from him.
A few seconds later, what emerged from that densely forested area was a single woman.
However, it was no ordinary woman, but rather a breath-taking beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.
Her skin was without blemish and looked as if it was gently kissed by the sun. Her eyes were the color of a sunflower’s petals; however, the pupils were elliptical like those of a serpent’s.
She wore a white chiton that enhanced her natural elegance and revealed glimpses of her daring beauty.
But, the most eye-catching thing about this woman was her unusual verdant green hair that released a light hissing noise.
…Hsssst
The woman’s hair was not traditional in any sense and turned out to be a collection of serpents!
Name: Guardian of the Ambrosia Tree, Thanasia(???)
Level: 0
‘Oh? This is…’
Even when compared to those of the trephasia race back in the Mortal Realm, in terms of beauty, Thanasia did not lose in the slightest. However, their sudden appearance naturally left Izroth with some questions. Though when Izroth saw the title before Thanasia’s name, he quickly began to piece things together.
“Do not trust your eyes, Izroth—they deceive you,” Astratis stated.
He then explained, “That creature is one of the three Ateleigos, the Guardian of the Ambrosia Tree, Thanasia.”
“The Rebellious Son of Thunder—it is good to see that you are still so courageous even after your clash with the Teraidi. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I wonder who gave you the courage to steal from the Ateleigos.” Thanasia’s voice turned cold as the snakes grew restless, hissing in a threatening manner.
“Steal? Do you think I, Astratis, am but a lowly thief?” Astratis scoffed. He could tolerate many things, but besmirching his reputation was not one of them.
“Good, not only a thief but also a liar..! Do you take me as a fool? The scent of my Wings of the Ambrosia Tree—it is all around you!” Thanasia raised her voice.
