Chapter 297: Leaving

Sylveris studied Regaleon’s uncertain expression before breaking into a small giggle. She seemed to have mistaken his reluctance to declare himself the strongest among them for an excess of knightly modesty, as though he were merely being considerate of everyone else’s pride.

The young girl shook her head, apparently amused by his refusal to acknowledge what she considered obvious. Regaleon, however, had already turned his attention towards a considerably less amusing matter.

They had spent far too long in the ruined temple.

Between their battle against the Ratchyrs, the subsequent recovery, the Halberd’s ascension, and the extraordinary transformation of his Armour, the hours had slipped away with alarming speed.

What had begun as an expedition to investigate the ancient ruins had become an extended stay filled with enough unexpected developments to occupy several days of conversation.

Under different circumstances, Regaleon would have welcomed the opportunity to examine the changes in his Soul Essences and investigate the mysteries surrounding their peculiar appetites.

Unfortunately, the Nether Lands rarely afforded anyone the luxury of satisfying their curiosity without charging an exorbitant price.

The radiance produced by the Halberd’s ascension had been powerful enough to illuminate the ruined temple, casting its silver light across the surrounding forest.

Furthermore, the golden eruption accompanying the Armour’s transformation had been considerably more impressive, sending a tremendous surge of energy through the surrounding wilderness.

Such displays were hardly inconspicuous.

Even if the nearby Animas and Netherytes had not witnessed the spectacle directly, creatures capable of sensing fluctuations in Aether or Nether might have detected the disturbances from considerable distances.

Some could perceive the world through methods that ordinary Etheryeans scarcely understood, while others possessed instincts refined by generations of survival in this unforgiving land.

A sudden surge of energy might mean an approaching predator, a territorial challenge, or an opportunity to claim something valuable.

Whatever interpretation they chose, Regaleon doubted that every curious creature would arrive with peaceful intentions.

Moreover, night was approaching. Daylight offered no genuine safety in the Nether Lands, but darkness made an already dangerous environment considerably worse.

Visibility diminished, unfamiliar sounds multiplied, and creatures that preferred the cover of night began to emerge from their hiding places.

Regaleon might have enjoyed remaining among the ruins to discuss the peculiarities of his ascended Soul Essences, but fascination was a poor substitute for survival. There was little wisdom in lingering at the centre of a disturbance simply because one wanted to understand what had caused it.

He turned towards his companions, his expression becoming serious as he declared. "We should return to the cave."

The others looked at him, surprise passing across their faces at the sudden urgency in his voice.

"Why?" Sylveris blurted out before anyone else could respond. "I mean, didn’t we come here for something important in the first place?"

Her brows drew together in genuine confusion. Although Sylveris was mischievous enough to turn the smallest inconvenience into an opportunity for amusement, she was not so foolish as to disregard an important objective.

She remembered that Regaleon had been the one to advocate exploring the ruined temple further, particularly after the discovery of the mysteries in the crypt.

Now that the ruins were finally theirs to investigate without interference, his eagerness to leave seemed contradictory.

Then again, her understanding of danger was still limited by her relative inexperience. She could recognise an immediate threat when it stood before her, but anticipating one that might be approaching from beyond her field of vision was another matter entirely.

"We’ve spent enough time here," Regaleon replied. "I would rather not remain in one place longer than necessary, especially after everything that has happened. Besides, I cannot be certain that the energy released by our recent activities hasn’t attracted something in the surrounding forest."

Only then did Sylveris understand the reason behind his sombre expression. Her playful smile gradually disappeared, replaced by the wary look of someone who had just remembered where she was.

Regaleon continued, his gaze sweeping across the collapsed walls, through which the crimson expanse of the Scarlet Forest remained visible.

Although the trees stood motionless beneath the darkening sky, their tangled branches concealing the depths beyond, the apparent tranquillity offered little reassurance. The forest had been quiet before, and that silence had never guaranteed safety.

"If something detected those surges and decided to investigate, we might already have an unwelcome visitor approaching," he added. "I would prefer that we not be here when it arrives."

His companions needed little convincing.

Nobody particularly wanted to discover whether the creatures of the Nether Lands possessed an appreciation for spectacular cultivation breakthroughs, especially if their preferred method of expressing admiration involved tearing the recipients apart.

However, before anyone could begin gathering their belongings, Aelric spoke from beside one of the ancient pillars.

"You know it’s too late for that, right?"

His casual delivery was so incongruous with the situation that Regaleon briefly wondered whether he had misunderstood him.

The green-eyed youth stood with one hand tucked into his tunic pocket and the other resting near the sheath of his longsword. His posture betrayed neither urgency nor concern.

He looked like someone commenting on an approaching rainstorm, not informing his companions that dangerous creatures might already be closing in.

Regaleon narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

If Aelric had made such a statement, there was probably a reason for it. His senses were considerably sharper than theirs, and his experience surviving in the Nether Lands surpassed anything the group could claim. If he had noticed something, dismissing his warning would have been remarkably foolish.

"There’s little doubt that some beasts detected your ascensions," Aelric explained. "Those energy surges were hardly subtle. I’d be surprised if nothing in the surrounding region noticed them."

He tilted his head, his expression remaining infuriatingly composed. "Some of those creatures are probably already on their way here. So, like I said, it’s probably too late for an evacuation."

For a heartbeat, silence settled over the group.

Then Veyrath’s face underwent a remarkable transformation, his usual theatrical indignation giving way to genuine alarm.

"Then that is all the more reason for us to leave immediately!" he exclaimed, gesturing emphatically towards the entrance. "Why are we still standing here discussing it? If something powerful enough to detect that spectacle is coming, I would rather be several kilometres away before it arrives!"

The auburn-haired Alchemist had never possessed nerves suited to the Nether Lands. If courage were measured by one’s ability to remain calm when confronted with an uncertain threat, Veyrath would have preferred to withdraw his participation from the examination altogether.

"I agree with Veyrath on this one," Vaelorin said, already striding towards the massive stone doorway. "We should move before we discover exactly what kind of creature was attracted by all that ruckus."

For once, nobody appeared inclined to dispute the red-haired youth’s reasoning.

Caelestra had already demanifested her Treasure Chest, removing the possibility of having to drag the enormous construct through a hurried retreat.

Valmyr followed her towards the entrance, while Aureleah moved alongside her sister, her expression unreadable but her attention clearly fixed on their surroundings.

Even Kaeloris seemed prepared to abandon his questions about the temple’s inscriptions, although the reluctance with which he glanced at the ancient carvings suggested that leaving without answers offended his scholarly sensibilities.

Yet amid the sudden flurry of movement, Aelric remained beside the pillar.

He watched the group prepare to flee with the mild interest of someone observing a particularly disorganised procession. Their hurried movements, anxious expressions, and increasingly impatient glances seemed to inspire neither concern nor urgency in him.

"Relax," he said. "There’s no need to panic."

Kaeloris stopped and stared at him as though the green-eyed youth had just announced that the sky was made of cheese.

"No need to panic?" he repeated, pushing his spectacles higher on his nose. "You have just informed us that dangerous beasts are heading directly towards our location!"

"And I also said to relax," Aelric replied, entirely untroubled by the scholar’s indignation.

Kaeloris opened his mouth, evidently prepared to explain why those two statements were fundamentally incompatible. Whatever argument he had intended to make, however, died before it could escape his lips when Aelric finally straightened away from the pillar.

The youth’s hand moved from his pocket to the hilt of his longsword, and for the first time since announcing their predicament, a faint glimmer of purpose entered his green eyes.

"You see," he began, his familiar nonchalance returning as he regarded the bewildered group, "before we leave this place, there is something I must just show you first..."