Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[lordanl]

"Direct disciple Erik, we're close to where I took that bark."

In the midst of the dense jungle, Frank spoke in a serious tone as he guided Erik, who was followed only by Ebonique, a little over a meter tall, flying protectively over his head, made cautious by Erik's earlier warning.

Meanwhile, Elara had stayed behind at the camp with Tiberius to finish the second shelter, protect it, and gather as much charcoal and other supplies as possible. Zoe had gone to the river with Kaiser, and Hiyori had taken a giant barrel made by Erik, intending to collect large amounts of water.

"Just call me Erik. All that 'direct disciple' stuff gets annoying."

Already a bit irritated by the way Frank addressed him, Erik spoke in a casual tone, which slightly surprised the young student. He quickly turned to look at him and responded while bowing respectfully.

"That's something I can't do, direct disciple Erik. The status of a direct disciple isn't something a simple student like me can overlook. It wouldn't just reflect poorly on you—it would also make me seem arrogant and could cause problems for me. So, to avoid trouble, there are lines best not crossed."

"I see." Upon hearing Frank's sincere explanation, Erik couldn't help but respond casually. But at that moment, an idea occurred to him, and he spoke calmly.

"Then call me Boss. That's what my assistants call me."

Hearing Erik, Frank's eyes widened again—perhaps even more surprised than before—but he quickly composed himself and replied with a sincere tone, bowing once more.

"…Then I'll call you that. Boss, I'll be at your service."

"All right, let's go. We need to gather the ingredients quickly and get to work. We have to find out if it's possible to create the cauldron, try preparing the potions, and examine that basilisk carefully. We can't afford to waste time."

Erik quickly replied in a serious voice, to which Frank promptly nodded before picking up the pace and guiding Erik along the path indicated by Lirio, who was sitting on his head, seemingly drowsy.

…

"This is the tree, Boss."

After a few minutes, Frank stopped in front of a fallen trunk in the middle of the dense jungle. Erik nodded and, ignoring the tree on the ground, began searching the area until he finally found a tree about two meters tall, with a reddish-brown trunk speckled with black, emitting a scent similar to unfermented cacao.

Gazing at the tree, Erik couldn't help but marvel for a moment, rationalizing how impressive that 'garden' truly was. Although pocket dimensions weren't unknown to humanity—after all, storage rings were a type of pocket dimension—creating a pocket dimension in the form of a "garden" was something very few in the galaxy would ever attempt.

The reason for this was simple: it was incredibly expensive and inefficient—so much so that it would be cheaper and more practical to buy a plot of several hundred thousand square meters on a habitable planet and terraform it slightly to suit whatever one wanted to grow. But it was possible to do, so the surprising thing about the garden wasn't its existence per se.

What was truly astonishing was that, after who knows how long, the pocket dimension was still fully functional—capable of sustaining life and even relatively exotic plants like the Bitter Mahogany tree in front of him, which required very specific environmental conditions to grow properly.

Moreover, from what he could see, the tree looked exceptionally healthy—comparable to those carefully cultivated across the galaxy by specialists. And those specialists, in order to produce Bitter Mahogany trees of a similar quality to the one before him, had to terraform entire planets, nourish the trees with only the finest resources, and monitor them constantly with specialized equipment.

After inspecting the tree for a few seconds, Erik shook his head, dismissing his useless thoughts. With a swift motion, he drew his machete from his waist and unleashed a flying slash at the tree, cutting it down in a single strike. At that moment, Ebonique quickly grew in size and grabbed it in her claws, speaking in a more serious tone than usual.

"Let me carry it."

"I'll leave it to you then." Erik nodded, then adjusted what seemed to be wooden containers hanging from braided ropes, turned to look at Frank, and said.

"Now let's get the second one."

"Right away, Boss—this way."

Frank quickly responded in a serious tone and pointed south, then took the lead with Erik close behind. After about twenty minutes, they arrived in front of a tree about ten meters tall and fifty centimeters thick, with smooth bark of a greenish-gray color streaked with pearlescent veins. At that moment, Erik spoke in a serious tone.

"Frank, doesn't it seem strange to you that this Auravida tree is so close to the Bitter Mahogany trees…"

"Boss, the truth is I've focused mostly on magic and spells, so I don't know much about plants and things like that." Frank replied in a slightly embarrassed tone. Erik nodded in understanding, then began to explain as he took one of the wooden containers he carried to tie it to the tree.

"Well, then let me explain. The Auravida tree is quite valuable, mainly because of its sap, which has various uses in alchemy. But it comes from a completely different environment than Bitter Mahogany, another ingredient commonly used in both alchemy and artificery—so much so that they're usually grown on different planets. That makes it very unusual to find them so close to each other.

"Also, I didn't notice any major environmental changes. Interestingly, Bitter Mahogany bark and Auravida sap are often used together—for example, in the potion we're planning to create. And if we take into account that the reason this place was called a 'garden' comes from inscriptions found in the temples…"

"This was a cultivation field in ancient times…?"

Upon hearing the explanation, Frank quickly grasped the implications and couldn't help but speak in a surprised voice. Erik replied in a serious tone as he carved grooves into the tree trunk to connect to the wooden bowl.

"The trees are practically identical to the ones found outside, with no significant differences."

"Someone is using this place as a cultivation field even now…?" Frank muttered to himself, realizing that was the most likely option—especially considering they had even prepared a trap for them.

"That's what I think."

Erik said calmly, as he treated the Auravida tree like a rubber tree, carving grooves at different heights and placing wooden bowls to collect the sap. Then he added in a thoughtful tone.

"It's likely that whoever set this trap discovered this place who knows how long ago, and upon noticing the strange properties of the area—which allow two trees from completely different environments to coexist—they turned it into their cultivation field.

"But there's something that doesn't add up. Why are these trees, which are usually used together, so close to an entrance that the ones who set the trap weren't even watching?"

"Could it be because of the basilisk? It's also really close by." Frank asked curiously, to which Erik replied in a calm tone.

"Could be. But among the samples you brought, I saw several types of valuable ingredients. And as we walked here, I noticed this jungle seems untouched—there's no sign of active harvesting of those resources.

"That's strange. Normally, you cultivate to harvest, and knowing there's a basilisk, the logical thing would be to kill it or, at least, take the valuable things so you don't lose them."

"What if it's a collection?" At that moment, Ebonique spoke while looking at Erik, who turned to her with a hint of surprise and asked.

"What do you mean, Ebonique?"

"That this place might be a collection left behind in ancient times." Ebonique replied in a calm tone and explained further.

"A collection capable of automatically updating itself to always contain samples of all the plants and similar things from across the galaxy, or something like that. And it organizes them by properties, usefulness, or similar criteria. A collection so vast that even those who set the trap don't fully understand it."

Ebonique finished speaking as she looked at the tree she was carrying, a passive light on her face, imagining that this might truly be the case. After all, she personally knew the Eternal who had left his aura in this place—and she knew he had been an obsessive collector, fascinated by gathering all kinds of things.

"Is something like that even possible? To automatically acquire samples of all the plants in the galaxy just to keep them in a collection?" Frank couldn't help but ask in disbelief, prompting Erik to respond in a thoughtful tone.

"This place is a mystery that not even Legend-level individuals have been able to solve, so it checks all the boxes for being a true ancient ruin. And it's well known that absurd things can be found in those." Erik dipped the tip of his little finger in sap and tested it, confirming that it was of high quality.

"For example, before the discovery of the technology to create artificial Warp tunnels from an ancient ruin, it was believed they were impossible, and people had to travel using natural ones. But that's not the important part." Erik paused briefly and turned to look at Ebonique and Frank, his glowing green eyes intense.

"What is important is that, if Ebonique's speculation turns out to be correct, this place is literally a treasure chest filled with everything we could possibly need. Also—think about it.

"Who in their right mind would use something this invaluable as a trap for young people under 300 years old, no matter how talented they are? I believe only two kinds of people would: someone who doesn't know it's a treasure, or someone who's completely desperate.

"And I'd bet it's more likely the first than the second. If this place really holds a sample of everything, anyone—even facing death—would rather look for a solution inside here than risk revealing it to the Legend-levels. Even if they were a Legend-level themselves, the risk would be far too great.

"But either way, it works in our favor. That means the 'hunters' either don't know the true potential and details of this place, or they're so desperate they'll likely make mistakes out of haste—two highly exploitable weaknesses. We could even try to find something to deal with the basilisk. Nothing is impossible!"

"How can we confirm if it's really a collection?!" Frank asked, visibly excited, clenching his fists tightly, to which Erik quickly responded.

"The simplest way is to explore this place. If things are really grouped by properties or some other criteria, after observing how they're arranged, we can figure it out and search efficiently for what we need. And depending on what we find, we'll know whether it truly contains a sample of everything or not—and Lirio will be key to that."

"Understood, Boss! Lirio and I will do our best!"

Frank quickly replied, full of excitement. If they were right and really inside such a 'magical' place, and they managed to make it out alive, the rewards waiting for them outside would be astronomical—especially for someone like him, who wasn't even a disciple. At that moment, Erik spoke again in a serious tone.

"First, we need to prepare potions, gear, and examine the basilisk's condition—because I highly doubt this place is free of danger. Also, there's something very important we can't forget: there must be a reason why the exploration team didn't find any indication that this place was so special.

"Even if the explorers didn't know anything about botany or alchemy, they brought military exploration equipment—and unlike us, their gear never stopped working. That information would've been reviewed directly by the Master-levels, and they—especially my master—would've definitely realized that this place was hiding something big.

"But they didn't. My master never mentioned anything about it, so I can be sure they had no idea. That leaves two possibilities: either the 'door' we came through was special, or the 'hunters' somehow manipulated the initial exploration. And considering the golden chains, it's possible they have some degree of control over this place—so we need to be extremely careful."

"You're right, Boss. We need to prepare."

Frank replied in a solemn tone, to which Erik nodded before checking the wooden bowls. Realizing he had managed to collect a decent amount of sap—and noticing the sun was starting to set—he quickly transferred it into a bowl that wasn't tied to the tree. Then, in a serious tone, he gave the order.

"Let's head back to the girls."

After a nod from Frank, Erik cut what looked like bamboo and lifted it using phantom hands, then returned to the camp. There they found Zoe unloading one of the five giant barrels Erik had made, while Elara was about to light a campfire, as the sunlight was fading.

"Erik, Frank, welcome back."

Seeing them, Zoe greeted them with a calm smile, but upon noticing Frank's expression—somewhere between excited and worried—she quickly asked with a serious tone.

"Did something happen?"

"More than something happening, with Ebonique's help, we came to a rather crazy speculation. But first, let's gather everyone." Erik said quickly, glancing at Elara, who was waving from a distance. Zoe nodded immediately and followed Erik to join Elara.

…

"It would be insane if that hypothesis turns out to be true."

After Erik had explained everything, with everyone sitting around the campfire and the last rays of sunlight fading, Elara commented, visibly shaken. She then added in an analytical tone.

"But we need to confirm or disprove it as soon as possible. We need various resources for potions, magical artifacts, and matrix formations, so if it turns out to be true, we can't afford to waste a single second—we need to gather as much as we can, or that basilisk will devour it all when it wakes up."

"I completely agree. Gathering is our top priority."

Zoe quickly said, still visibly shaken but doing her best to stay firm and serious. Then she added, looking at Erik, who seemed to be staring into the campfire, lost in thought.

"Erik, I suggest that while you and Elara focus on the cauldron and the mana and healing recovery potions—which are our most urgent needs—Frank and I split up with your wolves to explore the area and bring you samples. That way, we make the most of our time. What do you think?"

Upon hearing Zoe, Erik looked at her with a hint of admiration in his eyes, realizing why she had been the leader before him—able to make quick, logical decisions. At the same time, she made a conscious effort not to undermine his position as the leader of the group, wanting to avoid hurt feelings or unnecessary conflict.

"It's a good idea, but instead of looking for samples like Frank did before, it's better if we focus." Erik said in a calm tone, catching the others a bit off guard, as they looked at him in confusion. He quickly explained.

"This is because, even though we already have the ingredients, we're still missing things—like, for example, a suitable material to make the cauldron, salt, and other similar items. So tonight, I'll make a small list of what we're missing, their properties, what they look like, my theories on how they might be grouped, and so on—so you can focus your search.

"On another note, I don't think it's a good idea for us to split up too much. Even though we haven't encountered any direct threats so far, during his first 'walk,' Frank came across a Devourer Basilisk on the verge of waking up—so who knows what else is hiding here. It's better if the two of you form one group and search with the help of the wolves."

"You're right. In our current situation, any fight could be fatal—we need to play it safe." Elara nodded in agreement at Erik's words, while Zoe's smile twisted slightly, though she quickly composed herself and responded in a serious tone.

"Understood. Then we'll do it that way. But setting that aside for now, how are we organizing the watch for tonight?"

"Simple." Erik replied calmly and began assigning the order.

"Frank goes first, then Elara, then me, and finally Zoe. Three hours each. Also, Elara and Zoe will stay in the first shelter, and Frank and I will stay in the storage hut."

After a few more words, the group began planning how they would move the next day, then ate a bit more bear meat—finishing it completely. After all, they were all Ascended-level, with natural brute strength capable of lifting at least a hundred tons without much difficulty. The amount of nutrients their bodies required was immense.

…

…

…

Lying on a freshly made bamboo mat, Erik slept peacefully with Tiberius at his side, while Ebonique remained awake on the young man's chest, completely lost in her thoughts—searching for a way to get her beloved contractor out of the danger he was in without drawing the attention of that bastard collector.

But no matter how much she thought, nothing came to mind. Every possible path ended either with Erik in serious danger or with her revealing her presence in that place.

At that moment, Ebonique sensed the blonde-haired, green-eyed girl—who was supposed to be on watch. She turned to look at the doorway, where she saw the girl standing still, silently watching Erik, almost as if unsure of what to do. Just then, the starry-haired boy opened his eyes.

As she was lifted into her contractor's hands, Ebonique saw the girl's face flush deeply, her expression practically screaming that she was torn between running away and facing the situation. At that moment, Erik got up from the mat and walked to the doorway, where he quietly asked.

"Is something wrong?"

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[lordanl]

"Is something wrong?"

"…No… I'm sorry."

Faced with the question, Elara could only respond with embarrassment, at which point Erik took a step to leave the shelter. He then began to walk toward the small campfire in front of them. Elara hurried after him, and with an even more embarrassed expression, she commented almost in a panic.

"It's not time to change the watch yet, Erik. You can go back to sleep."

"It's fine; I'll keep you company for a while." Erik replied in a casual tone, then grabbed one of the planks he'd cut from the giant tree he cut down at the very beginning. He calmly added.

"I have to finish the tablets that Zoe and Frank will take later anyway, so I was already planning to sleep less tonight."

"…"

At his comment, Elara fell silent and just watched as the starry-haired young man took his machete to start cutting the wooden slats to the same size, then sat down in front of the campfire. At that moment, two runes appeared around his finger, and a dark electric arc flashed from it, pulling her out of her thoughts.

While Erik used his 'electric finger' to write on the tablets, Elara approached him with hesitant, slow steps. Eventually, she reached his side. After a brief moment of deliberation, she sat down beside him and looked at him as she spoke, her expression fragile.

"Erik… do you really think we'll be able to survive this?"

Hearing Elara's question, Erik stopped writing and turned to look at the beautiful girl, who was gazing at him with slightly reddened, somewhat shining eyes—clear evidence that she had been crying. Although she tried to appear strong, her expression was filled with fear and vulnerability.

But Erik didn't judge her for showing that vulnerability. After all, even though the girl was probably about his age if he combined both of his lives, he was fully aware that psychological maturity doesn't always match physical age. In fact, mental age often depended greatly on the environment, and mana users under 300 years old were usually treated as young children by those with millennia of experience.

Therefore, in reality, the young woman in front of him, at best, was not much different from a woman of about 18 or 20 years old—her mental age might even be lower. It was no coincidence that her masters, women who had lived for a thousand or even five thousand years, behaved in such a youthful and almost childlike way—nothing like the monsters they should have been after living for millennia.

So, in a complicated situation like the one they were in where the odds of dying miserably were far greater than those of surviving, it was already impressive that a "young woman" like her was holding on so well and hadn't broken under the pressure. Showing a bit of insecurity and weakness was only natural—character and strength came from experience, something the girl lacked.

But at the same time, Erik didn't want to comfort her by telling a reassuring lie. To him, in cases like this, a harsh truth was better than a comforting lie, since they had no idea what awaited them. It was preferable for her to suffer and break down now rather than in a critical moment—because that could cost all of them their lives, including his own.

"…I won't lie to you; it's complicated." After a few seconds, Erik commented in a calm tone as he looked at Elara, who couldn't help but give a bitter smile before turning to the campfire and speaking in a heavy voice.

"You know… I always thought I was a strong and brave woman, someone who could overcome any situation… but all of this has only shown me that I'm not. I'm terrified. I barely managed to hold myself together in front of the others, but… I can't stop regretting coming to this place. I don't know if I can keep going…" As she spoke, tears started to form in Elara's eyes and began to fall, her voice starting to break, but she kept talking.

"My little sister will turn a hundred next year, and the thought of not being there to see it scares me… I couldn't even sleep… I couldn't even close my eyes, absolutely terrified that someone would suddenly show up to kill me… I'm pathetic… a disgrace to my master and to my family…"

"The fear of death is something natural." Looking at the heartbroken Elara, Erik spoke in a calm and gentle tone, drawing the beautiful girl's attention as she turned to look at him. Erik gave her a warm smile and continued.

"Not being afraid in this situation would be the strange thing. Besides, anyone would regret coming to this place—it's a damn death trap. No one in their right mind would want to be in our shoes.

"But, even though all that's true, we're already caught up in this mess, so we only have two options: either we let fear paralyze us and get ourselves killed, or we grit our teeth and do everything we can for a small chance at survival."

Hearing Erik's words, a strange feeling of comfort began to spread through Elara, who started to look into the young man's green eyes. Suddenly, his eyes turned cold and emotionless, and the star-haired man spoke again in a calm voice, but Elara felt a wintery chill coming from him, making her shiver a little.

"I choose to do everything I can. I refuse to die without at least landing a punch on the face of the one who planned all this, playing with our lives as if we were some kind of worthless cattle. So even if I die here, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that bastard doesn't succeed. I'm going to ruin his plans at any cost, and if I make it out alive, I'll hunt him to the ends of the cosmos. I'll make sure this is the last 'brilliant plan' of his miserable life."

Meanwhile, Ebonique, who was in Erik's head, couldn't help but open her eyes in surprise when she heard Erik's bloodthirsty words. It was the first time, in all the years she'd been by his side, that she'd heard him say something like that. Even more, it was the first time she felt true bloodlust coming from Erik.

Moreover, surprisingly, Erik's 'bloodlust' was far too manic and crazed—less like something born from a righteous thirst for vengeance and more like that of a beast addicted to blood who had finally been given a chance to taste it again after who knows how long of abstinence. It was a completely new side of the contractor she valued so much.

For her part, Elara couldn't help but tremble all over, deeply affected by that wild bloodlust. She had never imagined that someone as cultured, refined, and intelligent as Erik could have that side to him—almost as if he were a completely different person, as if a mad and ruthless killer had awakened inside him. But at that moment, the bloodlust vanished, and Erik spoke again, this time with an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry, I got a little carried away, but I think you get my point. Being scared is okay—just hold on to your survival instinct and fight to carve a way out with your own hands. A 'strong and brave woman' isn't someone who isn't afraid; it's someone who, even while terrified, grits her teeth and takes a step forward to achieve her goals."

"…"

Deeply shaken by the changes in Erik, Elara couldn't help but look at him in silence, realizing that this wasn't actually the first time she'd seen such a change in him. Previously, during the selection tournament, she had already witnessed a similar shift, though back then Erik had seemed melancholic, like an old man glimpsing his past. Once again, she became aware of how mysterious the young man before her really was.

"…I understand what you mean, Erik."

After a while, Elara looked at the fire again and spoke in a low voice, deciding not to mention anything about that bloodlust. After all, she also wanted to kill the bastard who had set the trap for them with her own hands. Then she explained.

"My mind understands it perfectly, but I can't stop feeling afraid… I don't want to die; I don't want any of us to die. But, as I am right now, it's almost certain that at a crucial moment, I'll end up making a fatal mistake… I really don't know if I should stay with you all… my cowardice could cost you your lives…"

"You're not the only one with thoughts like that."

Erik commented calmly, which made Elara look at him again, only to find that he was discreetly pointing towards the shelters. So she turned to look and realized that from each shelter a pair of eyes was watching them in secret.

Zoe and Frank, realizing they'd been discovered, came out of the shelters with somewhat bitter and embarrassed smiles. At that moment, Elara heard Erik's voice again.

"Even during my time on that deserted island, I never felt as in danger as I do now. It's perfectly normal to be afraid, but if we want to survive, all we can do is keep moving forward however we can."

Without saying a word, Zoe and Frank came over and sat down by the campfire. Elara looked at them with an understanding smile and asked.

"Can't you sleep either?"

"Who could, in a situation like this?" Zoe replied with a somewhat bitter smile, feeling a sense of insecurity and weakness she'd never experienced in her life. At that moment, Frank spoke up in an embarrassed voice.

"Honestly, my turn on watch was torture. Every shadow and sound made me jump—it was awful, and I haven't been able to sleep at all…"

"You should try to rest, at least a little." Erik said in a calm voice, looking at each of them before adding.

"If you want, stay here and try to get a few hours of sleep. I'll take watch while I finish writing the tablets you'll be taking tomorrow."

Hearing Erik, Elara, Zoe, and Frank looked at each other, visibly embarrassed, realizing that the difference between them and Erik went far beyond just talent. At barely thirty years old—practically a baby by mana users' standards—he was almost like an experienced adult guiding inexperienced children, even though they were three or four times his age. Noticing this, Erik spoke in a serious tone.

"Once morning comes, we'll have a mountain of things to do. It's better to get some rest now while you can—it's a matter of life and death for all of us."

"…I'm sorry, Erik." Zoe said at that moment in a serious tone, looking Erik directly in the eyes before adding.

"But you're right—we need to rest. And even though I'm embarrassed by my weak mindset, surviving is more important than anything else right now, so I'll take you up on your offer."

"I'll shamefully accept too, Boss. I promise I'll work on getting better…" Frank added a moment later, embarrassed, which made Erik chuckle a little as he replied calmly.

"Don't worry. I know you're all capable, and you'll be able to get through this."

Although embarrassed, Zoe and Frank thanked him, then sat a little closer to Erik and closed their eyes, managing to fall asleep with impressive speed. At that moment, Elara looked at Erik and spoke softly.

"Erik, you should get some sleep too—it's my turn for the watch…"

"Don't worry about it, get some rest. I'll call you in a couple of hours; I still have to finish these tablets."

As he continued writing on the tablets, Erik spoke in a casual tone, to which Elara nodded and then closed her eyes, eventually falling asleep as well. Erik kept quietly working on the tablets, and after a while, Ebonique spoke to him through their contract.

[Erik… Are you sure about sticking with these kids…? The only truly useful one is that newborn spirit; the others, while not completely useless, aren't much of an asset for you either. You'd be able to move around more easily on your own, and with the wolves and me, you basically have a strong and agile enough team… Besides, I'm worried you'll forget that kindness isn't always repaid…]

[Well, I'm not really doing it out of 'kindness'.] Without stopping his writing, Erik replied calmly, then explained.

[Although Lirio has been the one to stand out the most so far, that's only because the situation has allowed it. Each and every one of these 'kids' is a real genius; I'm sure they'll all have their moment to shine soon enough. Besides, I'm not perfect or anything like that—I have flaws and weaknesses just like everyone else, so working as a team is essential. I'm sure you'll see that sooner rather than later.]

[If you say so…] Ebonique replied, not entirely convinced, then added in a serious and solemn tone.

[I just hope that, if the time comes to run, you won't hesitate to put your own safety first. Don't try to be a hero—you're still too weak to afford that kind of mentality, and you only have one life.]

[I know.]

Erik replied calmly without taking his eyes off the tablets, which made Ebonique feel a bit uncomfortable. She wanted to say something in response, but, finding nothing to add, she hid herself among Erik's hair. Still feeling restless, she tried to calm down by thinking about how she would torture those responsible for the trap once she got out—they had to die in the most miserable way possible.

Meanwhile, Erik cast an unreadable look at the sleeping youths around him, then gazed up at the starry sky for a few minutes, almost lost in his thoughts. But soon, he shook his head and went back to focusing on writing on the tablets in complete silence.

…

…

…

In what appeared to be a minimalist and elegant tea room—with white walls adorned by a few paintings, a grayish wooden floor, and large, comfortable white sofas filled with cushions, all illuminated by a huge window that revealed a beautifully decorated garden on the other side—Sigrún set a porcelain cup down from her lips and sighed heavily. At that moment, a melodious feminine voice echoed with a slightly playful tone.

"Do you miss your Erik that much?"

Hearing the voice, Sigrún turned to her left with a frown, where Thalia was sitting, also holding a cup of tea. Sigrún replied with a visibly irritated and defiant tone.

"Yes, why? Is there a problem?"

"Fufu, not at all. I'm just surprised to see how attached you've become to your 'disciple'."
Thalia replied with a mocking little laugh. At that moment, Eleonora, who was sitting across from Sigrún with Jessica to her left, spoke in a calm voice after taking her teacup away from her lips.

"You talk as if you're not glancing toward the asteroid every five minutes, Thalia."

At Eleonora's comment, Thalia just smiled without saying a word. Although she was worried about her little Elara, her feelings were a genuine maternal love for her disciple—quite different from the scandalous infatuation those two troublemakers had for their shared disciple. Jessica set her teacup down on the table and commented with a small smile.

"Worrying about the little ones is inevitable—we raise them as if they were our own children. Even I, going through this experience for a second time, can't help but feel a little uneasy."
"You're absolutely right." Eleonora nodded in understanding at Jessica's words and added with a smile.

"No matter how many times you go through it, watching them venture out on their own is always hard on the heart. I have to admit, I'm actually glad my Liliana decided not to enter; otherwise, the worry would have been too much."

"I wonder how they're doing now… Is my Erik eating well?"

Sigrún asked in a voice that was both worried and longing, to which Jessica replied with a smile, while Seraphina—who had been standing behind Sigrún like a shadow just moments ago—appeared by her side and began refilling her cup with freshly made tea.

"Each of our disciples entered fully equipped—from defensive tools to supplies for several decades—and the greatest danger identified was magical creatures at Revealed-Peak level. They're perfectly fine; this is just a rather unique experience for them to grow and maybe gain some renown if they manage to find something interesting in that strange ruin."

"Yes, but ancient ruins are unpredictable… and for some reason, I just can't stop feeling uneasy…"

Sigrún commented in a heavy voice, which darkened Eleonora's expression a bit, as she felt the same way. It was something she hadn't experienced when Desmond first started venturing out on his own. Although she worried a lot when her first disciple set out for the first time, this time was different. This time, she felt a sinister premonition that made it hard for her to even breathe.

Originally, Eleonora attributed that difference to the type of love she felt for her disciples. While she loved Desmond as her disciple, it was a maternal and protective love, whereas her love for Erik was romantic—a feeling she was experiencing for the first time. But now, after hearing Sigrún's words, she wasn't so sure anymore, so she spoke in a somewhat heavy voice.

"The truth is, I feel the same way. I have a strange premonition."

"You too, Eli?"

Hearing Eleonora, Sigrún's eyes widened, and she asked with a hint of panic in her tone. Eleonora nodded with a serious expression, which made Sigrún's heart race even more. She glanced over her shoulder, where Seraphina met her gaze with an equally dark expression, showing no trace of her usual perfect maid demeanor.

"Something must be happening." Sigrún said, her expression and voice heavy with worry as she stood up from her seat. At that moment, Thalia spoke in a reassuring tone.

"Don't panic, calm down. You all went several levels overboard with the defensive measures for Erik—you literally loaded him with treasures, including several at the Master-level. He's even safer than my Elara, who only has Arcane-level scrolls and a Master-level shield."

"No, my heart tells me—my Erik is in danger."

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"No, my heart tells me—my Erik is in danger."

Sigrún quickly shook her head and commented in a heavy tone as she walked toward the door, closely followed by Eleonora and Seraphina, who both wore incredibly dark expressions on their faces. The uneasy feeling in their hearts only grew worse with each passing second.

Meanwhile, Jessica and Thalia could only look at each other in silence with bitter smiles, though both could see a light of worry in the other's eyes, most likely affected by Sigrún's panic. But just at that moment, when Sigrún was about to leave the room, a flare of blue fire materialized in front of her, then took the shape of a beautiful phoenix made of flames.

"Did something happen, Ignis...?"

Seeing her contracted spirit appear without being summoned, Sigrún asked with an apprehensive voice, her heart starting to race wildly, filled with panic, almost as if telling her that something truly serious had happened. The beautiful phoenix spirit spoke in a dark and incredibly heavy voice.

"Erik is in danger."

"""What happened?!!"""

Upon hearing the announcement, Sigrún, Eleonora, and Seraphina exclaimed in unison, practically on the verge of a panic attack, while Thalia and Jessica stood up from their seats with incredibly solemn expressions. Ignis explained with a voice filled equally with anger, worry, and helplessness.

"I don't have the details, but Ebonique contacted me in the spirit dimension and informed me that something happened in the ruin—some golden chains appeared out of nowhere and rendered all magical artifacts completely useless, including the storage rings."

Sigrún and Eleonora visibly paled and staggered backwards, completely drained of strength, being supported by Seraphina, who—before anyone could notice—had changed out of her Victorian maid uniform. She was now almost completely concealed beneath what looked like an elegant, form-fitting black outfit with a hood that covered her face entirely, revealing only her bright light-gray eyes.

"Is Erik still alive?"

At that moment, an incredibly cold voice, filled with crazed bloodlust, echoed through the room while the equally pale Jessica and Thalia stepped forward with solemn expressions. Ignis turned to look at Seraphina and nodded before speaking in a serious tone.

"Yes, he is still safe and Ebonique is with him, but there is something incredibly troublesome inside that makes it difficult for Ebonique to communicate with me easily, so the information I have is scarce. For the same reason, I can't interfere much with those ruins, though I will try to lend a hand. Ultimately, it depends mainly on you."

Eleonora and Sigrún felt as if their souls had returned to their bodies and their eyes, with small tears welling up at the corners, filled with unmatched resolve. At that moment, their bodies were surrounded by golden lightning and blue fire, respectively, as armor began to appear on them.

"Leave it to us. No matter what happens, we'll get Erik out of there, even if we have to blow that place to pieces."

Sigrún spoke in a deep voice, filled with endless resolve, to which Seraphina and Eleonora nodded before starting to walk out of the room with Sigrún. At that moment, Thalia's serious voice sounded from behind.

"You can count on us. We won't abandon our disciples to their fate."

………

Feeling the sun's rays on her eyes, Zoe opened her eyes and sat up abruptly, then began to look around. She found Elara and Frank nearby, sleeping peacefully in front of what seemed to be a campfire that had already burned out, which helped her remember what had happened. The night before, she had fallen asleep outside with the others while Erik stood watch.

With her beautiful face flushed from embarrassment, Zoe began to look around for Erik, until she finally spotted him about forty meters away, methodically practicing the bio-mystic technique she had seen before when they were searching for an unsupervised entrance. But for some reason she couldn't quite understand, that scene completely captured her attention.

Erik's movements were so fluid and precise that, despite being incredibly fast, they seemed slow and deliberate, naturally shifting between four different sets of movements: one light and almost ethereal, another firm and full of strength, the next swift and aggressive yet incredibly precise, and the last seemed fluid and elegant.

As the sun's rays filtered through the trees and illuminated Erik's hair, Zoe somehow thought she saw it shining with an almost mystical golden light, which somehow made her heart skip a beat. But what happened next made her eyes open wide, almost doubting reality, to the point where she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't still dreaming.

Even though she was far from being able to fully adapt to the strange concentration of Myst in that ruin, she could still feel how the Myst in the surroundings stirred and began to gather around the star-haired young man. The Myst was forming a sort of furious vortex, which quickly started to grow in size and intensity, to the point that soon she felt as if the vortex was pulling her in.

Almost immediately, Elara and Frank woke up in alarm, to the point where they thought the Basilisk had awakened and was attacking. But as soon as they opened their eyes, they found Zoe staring into the distance, almost hypnotized, with a strange blush full of passion on her delicate face, while her blue eyes shone brightly.

Looking in the direction Zoe was staring, Elara and Frank saw Erik practicing methodically, seemingly completely unaffected by the vortex of Myst that showed no sign of slowing down, making them dizzy. After about five minutes, the Myst vortex slowly began to subside until it disappeared.

At that moment, the three of them could feel Erik's mana shooting out in all directions—a classic Ethereal Projection—but as they sensed its range, they all realized one thing: Erik had advanced; he was now an Ascended-Virtuous, just one step away from the Peak sub-rank, leaving everyone present a little speechless.

Leveling up as a mana user was, in essence, a transcendental advancement as a form of life, and although moving from one level to another was even more important, advancing a sub-rank was no small matter either. Many things could go wrong, and failure—not just a lack of progress—could mean damage to the mana circulatory system, the mana gathering points, the Dantian or Nexus point, among other serious problems.

To prevent something like that from happening, each advancement was handled with extreme care. Usually, a mana user would isolate themselves for a while, nourish their body in the best way possible, prepare a suitable place to make the breakthrough—preferably with equipment and doctors on hand in case the worst happened—and even take some potions to reduce the risk. But now here was a guy treating an advancement so casually, doing it before breakfast as if it were just an everyday thing.

The trio of youths quickly exchanged serious looks, each one aware of what the others were thinking. Erik felt so pressured that he had forced a breakthrough in the precarious situation they were in—all just to increase their chances of survival, even if only slightly—which left him with a tangled mess of conflicting emotions.

On one hand, they felt respect for the star-haired young man—not everyone was capable of making the decision he had made: risking his brilliant future at the top of the galaxy, as a talent even greater than Master Eldurdóttir's, in exchange for a boost in strength, which, while not insignificant, still fell far short of providing any real sense of security in the precarious situation they were in.

But at the same time, the trio felt guilty. After all, Erik—though mature, intelligent, and capable—was still a 'child' of thirty, practically a baby who hadn't truly experienced anything yet, since even Elara, the youngest among them, was three times his age. Because of that, it should have been their responsibility to look after and protect him. Yet, from the very beginning, they had been relying on his knowledge and leadership to survive.

Bearing the weight not only of his own life but also of three other people's lives on his shoulders was not something a young person should have to endure, especially Erik, the youngest of them all—something they all understood, but because of their fear of death and desire to survive, they had conveniently chosen to ignore. This realization hit Zoe particularly hard.

She had been trained by her grandfather since childhood to be a leader and a fierce, brave, and capable warrior—but what had she done? At the first sign of trouble, she had panicked, lost her way, and even allowed Erik—someone immensely talented and whom she valued—to end up with all the pressure. It was a complete disgrace to the upbringing her grandfather had given her.

"What's wrong? Why those faces? Didn't you sleep well?"

While the three youths were lost in deep thought, they suddenly heard a calm, casual voice in front of them, prompting them to turn toward it. They found Erik standing there with a relaxed expression, popping what looked like a grape into his mouth, while his dragon spirit, only a few centimeters long, peeked out from the top of his head.

"Erik… I'm sorry. We demanded too much from you and took advantage of you…"

After a few seconds, Zoe sat down with her knees together, then bowed deeply and apologized, causing Erik to open his eyes a little wider, caught between surprise and confusion. He spoke in a somewhat awkward tone.

"Why are you apologizing? For last night? I already told you, It's normal; don't take it to heart. Really, it's fine. Let's get to work; we have a lot to do."

"Erik." At that moment, Elara spoke in an incredibly serious tone, then continued with a voice filled with guilt.

"We took advantage of you and put too much pressure on your shoulders, to the point that you were cornered into taking the risk of advancing in this precarious situation… we're really sorry…"

Erik stared in astonishment at the beautiful blonde girl, but to his surprise, Frank also seemed to want to add something, so Erik quickly gestured for him to stop and immediately spoke in a serious tone.

"Hold on a second. Pressure? Risk of advancing? What are you talking about? I just advanced the same way I always do."

Hearing Erik's words, Zoe, Elara, and Frank opened their eyes wide, looking at the star-haired boy as if he were a monster. That was when Zoe asked in a tone full of disbelief.

"You always advance like this? With no preparations, no specialized nutrition, no prior meditation, no potions—just like that, just practicing your bio-mystic technique, and that's it?"

"Yes, that's how it's always been." Erik replied, a bit puzzled as he looked at his companions, but noticing that their expressions were only getting worse, he couldn't help but ask, somewhat confused.

"Is it really necessary to do all that just to advance a sub-rank?"

"Yes… It's common sense to make those kinds of preparations…" Elara replied, with a strange feeling churning in her chest. At that moment, Frank, who seemed to be cursing the heavens over the huge differences between people, asked in an almost fearful tone.

"Boss… Do you also advance through the levels like that…?"

"Well… when I advanced to the Ascended level, my masters made me enter a meditation room and prepared a bunch of potions and artifacts…"

Now understanding where the youths' sudden outburst had come from, Erik replied in a somewhat evasive tone, which only made the three of them, realizing what he meant, smile bitterly.

Even though they were geniuses in their own right—especially Zoe and Elara—standing in front of a monster like Erik was truly frustrating, to the point that they could now somewhat understand what the less fortunate felt toward them.

(I truly have sinned…)

While Zoe and Elara slipped into a strange state of contemplation, Erik waved his hand casually, causing a delicious aroma to waft over to everyone, snapping them back to reality and making them look around. That was when they saw that behind them was a campfire with a large amount of roasted meat, which began to float toward them, while what looked like a skewer of meat landed in Erik's hands.

"For now, let's have breakfast. We still have a lot to do." Erik commented calmly, then took a bite of his skewer.

"Where did all this food come from…?"

After taking a bite of a large skewer of meat, Elara asked with a bit of curiosity. Erik replied casually, gesturing with his thumb toward the shelter where he had slept for a while the night before, while handing out grapes to the others with phantom hands.

"I sent Kaiser out to hunt a little while ago, and he just happened to find an Aldarion and some Dewberries."

Upon hearing the answer, Zoe and Elara quickly extended their ethereal projections and soon found that behind the shelter a fresh hide was drying, and inside were dozens of bunches of grapes along with a pile of perfectly cut boards. At that moment, Erik added casually.

"Once we finish eating, we'll get to work. Zoe and Frank, you'll go through what's on the tablets, and Elara and I will start working on the potions."

"…Erik." Zoe spoke with a voice full of discomfort, drawing Erik's attention, before she continued in a serious tone.

"Even though your advancement was just a misunderstanding, the fact remains that I haven't behaved up to the situation. So from now on, I promise to act as I should."

Hearing this, Elara and Frank quickly nodded with serious expressions, which made Erik smile a little, somewhat amused, before shaking his head and replying.

"I don't agree with that. You've all been a great help, and, above all, you managed to stay focused and calm. This just caught all of us a bit off guard, that's all. You'll adapt soon, don't worry."

Zoe, Elara, and Frank looked at each other with different expressions, but after a few seconds, they nodded to Erik and focused on eating, each a bit lost in their thoughts. Meanwhile, Erik simply started eating and shared his food with the wolves, who had brought their own food to eat beside their contractor.

………

Once they finished breakfast, Zoe and Frank began to read the tablets that Erik had stored in the shelter. Then, after selecting the ones they considered most important, they set off with Hiyori—the fox spirit who liked to keep a low profile, almost as if she didn't exist—the wolves, and Lirio, Frank's adorable newborn spirit.

For his part, Erik took the barrier containing his coat with SARI over to a "table" of stone he had made by cutting some large rocks that Ebonique had brought. Elara watched him with eyes shining with curiosity, eager to start working, which made Erik smile in amusement. After creating a barrier around them, covering about 20 meters, he spoke in a calm tone.

"Well, the first thing we're going to do is create what is possibly the most basic element in both alchemy and artificery: Magic Chalk."

"Chalk…?" Elara couldn't help but ask, a bit confused, to which Erik nodded and explained as he deactivated the barrier covering the SARI.

"Yes, chalk. It's mainly used to draw the runic-geomantic refinement circles, which are responsible for modulating mana flow, adjusting temperature, synchronizing the reactions during the process, and more. They're a very important part, and they're drawn rather than conjured with magical formations to keep the artisan from splitting their attention."

"I see… and how do you make it?"

Elara commented with some curiosity, since she had never really tried to learn Alchemy or Artificery, being completely focused on training and mastering mathematics—something of vital importance for Sacred Geometry. Erik responded in a calm tone as he took a small portion of SARI in his hands and began channeling mana through it.

"The truth is, it's not that complicated to make. This time, we'll use SARI as the conductive base, clay as the binder, some ground charcoal for structural reinforcement, and animal fat to slowly hydrate it and prevent cracks or anything like that."

"I understand." Elara listened attentively, then nodded and commented before asking as she looked around.

"What do you want me to do? Should I grind the charcoal?"

"No, I want you to prepare the fat." Erik said, as he took a small leftover piece of the improvised sack Frank had made to carry the samples, and added.

"In the shelter where Frank and I stayed, there are several improvised jars made of bamboo. That's where you'll find the fat. I need you to heat it over a low flame for about an hour—that will separate the impurities and leave us with clear tallow, which is what we need."

"Leave it to me, then."

Elara quickly responded in a serious tone and set off, while Erik, using the piece of cloth—which was quite fine and durable—began to sift the SARI with his own hands, without using a single spell. At that moment, Ebonique floated up into the air and then ended up right in front of him, asking calmly.

"Should I help by grinding the charcoal?"

"That would be a great help." Erik replied with a small smile, then added.

"Just remember not to use mana—use stones or something like that, since mana could interfere with the activation of the SARI. Also, make it as fine as you can."

"I'll do it that way."

Ebonique replied, showing her teeth slightly, then calmly flew off toward the charcoal, visibly subdued—something that had persisted since the appearance of the basilisk. This inevitably made Erik sigh, as he knew his reliable contracted spirit was nervous, but there really wasn't much he could do. The situation was simply too dangerous.

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