Chapter 17 – Eerie Forest

The night passed quietly, this time without any incident.

At the next day, Aiden and Lia decided to continue with the search of the mastermind behind the case.

Though the mission’s danger level had already surpassed the indicated for the town hall and Aiden and Lia could choose return to the town with no penalties received, both of them were determined to see this until the end. Also, despite the situation two nights ago being dangerous, Aiden was confident enough in the strength of them and thought that the level of danger wasn’t something they must avoid at any cost.

While it is true that the fight two nights ago was very dangerous, Aiden and Lia both got great gains in their strengths thanks to it.

After that night, Aiden could feel the next level of his saber arts even closer than before. The feeling was like knowing that something was just a step away but being unable to touch it. Aiden knew that the day he is able of taking the step his saber arts will advance by leaps and bounds.

For her part, Lia advancement was even greater. The day after the battle, she incredibly noticed that her cultivation took a step forward. Though she wasn’t at the core-fusing stage yet, she only needs to take a step more and her cultivation will reach that point.

Moreover, her cultivation base was not the only thing improved. From that night, Lia noticed her control over the threads improving largely. It was like if she knew how to use threads from many years ago and only had forgotten about it.

Lia even felt like if many other things were different from before; though she wasn’t sure of the reason. It was like if she was baptized that night and now is a completely different person than before.

Aiden thought that the reason for it is the ‘thing’ hidden in her body becoming more attuned to her, though he is not sure if it is good or bad.

After walking for a time, the pair returned to the place where the battle occurred. After more than a day being exposed in the open, the bodies of the beats began to reek of rot and many small birds and flies were wandering around trying to scavenge them.

Covering their noses to avoid the stench, Aiden and Lia examined the surroundings searching for traces about the beats’ origins. Half a day later, the pair found that most beasts trails originated from the west, so they decided to begin searching there.

Following the direction of the trails, Aiden and Lia walked for a long time without finding anything. Strangely, the group wasn’t attacked during the path, making Aiden think that perhaps the mastermind was unable of sending more beasts.

After walking for almost the rest of the day, the pair finally noticed something strange. The most they advanced the gloomier the forest became. The trees were more withered, the leaves yellowish and the surroundings strangely silent.

After a time, Aiden and Lia were unable of finding any sign of life in the surroundings and even the wind became colder.

“Young master, I had a foreboding feeling from a bit ago. It feels like if something is telling me to no advance ahead anymore.”

“You sure?” Aiden paused waiting for Lia answer. Seeing she assent, Aiden frowned before speaking. “Strange, though I also had a strange feeling from the moment we entered this part of the forest, I don’t feel something like what you described… Could it be also a result of your transformation that night?”

Seeing Lia shaking her head in doubt, Aiden could no help but smile wryly. Not famous histories normally portray the hero fighting adversities and awakening his dormant powers? Why it looks like Lia is one of those heroes depicted in histories?

Shaking his head to expel the thought from his head, Aiden began to think about the implications of Lia words.

Though Aiden is not sure about the thing put inside Lia when she was experimented on, he knows that it is definitively powerful. After all, even when suppressed, it is able to grant the abilities of a late core-fusing practitioner at least and perhaps even the strength of a spirit awakening expert.

And if even an existence able of such feat is afraid of the thing deeper in the forest, then Aiden is truly not sure of being able of dealing it.

“Lia, can you try sensing more about it? Perhaps we can use it as a reference to know if we must retire or not.”

Lia thought briefly about Aiden suggestion before nodding in confirmation. Then, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tried to feel more about the forest.

Almost instantly, a world of sensations assaulted her mind. Feelings of danger, rancor, hatred, and destruction attacked her. For an instant, it felt like her mind was going to get lost in the storm of emotions. But in the instant when she was about lost herself, a strong tug brought her out of that world.

“Lia! Are you alright!?”

With her eyes yet glazed from the experience, Lia looked up to see the face of Aiden near her with an anxious expression.

Taking another deep breath, Lia smiled softly seeing the concern on Aiden's face. Then, using a hand to hold her now aching head, she spoke.

“Young master, I think I found something.”

“Is it so!? What you felt!?”

Pausing a moment to recollect her thoughts, Lia calmed herself down a proceded to explain her experience.

“Though I’m not sure, I think the thing in the forest is not complete yet. Though it is certainly dangerous, I think we are capable enough of dealing with it, though it won’t be easy.”

“Haaa, that is good then… Do you have any idea about what it is, Lia?

Lia pondered briefly and answered.

“I’m not very clear. I felt a powerful wave of hatred and fear from the thing inside me. It was a mixed feeling of terror and responsibility, like if it knows that it must be eliminated at any cost.”

“… Perhaps the thing in the forest is the natural enemy of the one inside you? If it’s so, then maybe we will be able to learn a bit about what they implant you.”

“… I don’t think so. More than an enemy, it feels more like the attitude you have against something not allowed to exist… I’m not sure…”

Aiden told Lia to rest after hearing about it, then, taking advantage of the time Lia spend resting, Aiden thought about Lia explanation.

To be sincere, apart from the information related to the strength of the thing at the bottom of the forest, Aiden was unable to make heads or tails about everything else. Though it was not the best situation, Aiden knew that if they want to continue the mission, the pair has to be prepared to face an unknown enemy.

Perhaps the reason because the mastermind doesn’t come to fight us is because it is unable of leaving the thing in the forest alone? He doesn’t want for us find about the thing here?

Thinking about it, Aiden furrowed his brows.

After a few minutes, Lia finished recovering. Seeing it, the group decided to continue advancing. After walking for around of two more kilometers, the pair saw a strange sight from afar.

A group of around ten giant boars stood facing a strange stone. The boars were all at the peak core-forming and two of them were even at the spirit fusing stage.

The stone was completely smooth and had the form of a sphere. Around it were corpses of many beast and traces of a great number of spirit herbs, all withered or made bones.

A strange dark smoke was being emitted from the stone, making even scarier the atmosphere in the surroundings. The group of giant boars around seemed like if they could not wait to absorb it.

After seeing the stone in the center of the boars, Lia expression blanked for a moment; then, moving her lips slowly, an emotionless voice came from her mouth.

“Seed of calamity…”