R-a - Volume 3 - Chapter 32

R-a - Chapter 190 (Live in editing - v3)

The Woolen Forest lay at the southern border of the territory of the Silent Sword Sect. It got its name from the odd, wool-like leaves that coated a unique species of tree that populated this forest, Wooka trees.

This forest was not a Magic Forest. As a result, the number of Magic Beasts here was fairly low. The strongest type a person might find would be Low-Tier Magic Beasts.

The forest stretched for more than 200 miles, a large forest that was teeming with life. Apart from the odd trees, however, what stood out most about this forest was something located at the very center of it.

A second forest.

Tens of thousands of odd, evenly spaced out trees set unnaturally at the center of the Woolen Forest.

Another Spawning Ground-like area, just like the place humanity spawned in from when they left the First Layer.

Currently, this area was swarming with activity. Thousands of humanoids could be seen, moving back and forth in a flurry. One and all, these humanoids gave off a type of pure feeling. Fluttering wings could be seen, drawn-in and clinging tight to the back of each Farian as they walked.

New Farians popped up all the time, teleporting in out of nowhere next to the oddly spaced trees. Just like humans, these Farians were dressed in all assortments of clothes or gear, though most of them tended to wear either robes or a set of armor. The moment they arrived, they typically looked around in confusion for a few moments.

After they gathered their bearings, new arrivals would be greeted or would move over to several large greeting areas that had been set up evenly all around the Spawning Grounds. Each greeting area was a large wooden platform with several colorful flags depicting a specific symbol, differing by platform.

These were the 13 Tribes of the Farian Race.

The Farians were a Tribe-based society that had originally inhabited a world that was covered almost entirely by forests. Despite the large number of differing Tribes, each with their own culture and history, most of the Tribes had friendly relations with one another.

This had to do with the long history of the Farian Race.

Thousands of years ago, there had been 15 Tribes of the Farian Race, not 13. One of those 15 Tribes, however, had fallen to ‘The Dark’ as the Farians called it. They betrayed the Farian Race and began to experiment on their own kind, using the Farian’s Bloodline Magic for dark purposes.

In the end, the Dark Tribe, as they came to be known, swallowed up and annihilated another entire Tribe, the Kinwen Tribe. This forced the other 13 Tribes to band together to defeat the Dark Tribe.

The war lasted for more than a century, but eventually the Dark Tribe was vanquished and the 13 Tribes ended up victorious. This led to the establishment of the position of Lord Justiciar, the ostensible leader of the 13 Tribes, a position earned by both power and honor.

Things did not end perfectly, however. Of the 13 Tribes, the strongest among them, the Kowalsi Tribe, broke with the other 12 after the war ended. They had been the Brother Tribe of the fallen Kinwen Tribe, and partially blamed the other 12 for not saving their sworn allies.

And this led to the troubled present. In the midst of these troubled times, the Farians had been dragged into the 7 Layers, rudely torn from their home planet to fight in a death-match that none of them had asked for.

Myla sighed as she rubbed at her tired eyes, her gaze resting on the Farians that were spawning in to the Second Layer.

She was currently leaning on a normal looking Wooka tree, dressed in a plain grey robe that hid her figure.

“Tanin, are we too hard on them?” Her voice echoed softly in the air, dainty and fresh.

As she spoke, she pulled back a hood that had hidden her face, revealing an elderly, lined appearance that still held a hint of this old Farian’s former youthful beauty. She had a small nose, peaceful blue eyes, and deep red lips that gave off a feeling of warmth.

“These worlds hold great power. If we coddle the young, our species will perish. Even the weakest must learn to hunt, that law of life has not changed.” From seemingly nowhere, a grey-robed figure appeared right behind Myla.

This warrior had on a featureless black mask that blocked his appearance, giving him a slightly intimidating air. While his body was hidden behind a robe, one could still make out the bulging muscles and raw feeling of power he emanated, marking him as a deadly fighter.

“I know you are not wrong, Tanin. I just…” Myla raised one of her wrinkled arms, looking at her aged hand. She sighed again.

“I fear we may lose sight of that which truly matters.” She shook her head as she turned away from the Spawning Grounds.

Tanin immediately followed her, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings as he stayed at her back. In the shadows of the nearby trees, four other robed Farians followed from a short distance, members of the most elite fighting force the Farian’s held, serving directly under the Lord Justicar, the Shadow Guard.

As for Tanin… not only was he a member of the Shadow Guard, he was one of its three Captains, unrivaled in his overwhelming ferocity. Among the entire Farian Race, he was definitely within the top 8 most powerful warriors.

“I see this world as both a blessing and a curse, milady.” Tanin’s voice was respectful when he spoke to Myla.

“Oh? How so?” Myla’s wise eyes turned to stare at Tanin as they began to journey through the forest.

“Our kind has been stagnant for so long, wallowing in the miseries of our past. These new worlds have granted our species the opportunity to vastly increase our strength. Our Bloodline Magic has evolved to explosive new heights, growing stronger with every Layer we cross.” Tanin’s voice gained a hint of passion as he spoke, genuine excitement budding.

“Is power all we should seek, Tanin? I daresay you are pleased with that, and that is your right. But what of those that want other things? Should they be damned to a life of misery and violence?” Myla’s tone took on a sharp edge.

Tanin blinked several times, opening his mouth and then closing it, as if unable to respond.

Myla sighed for a third time, a small smile cracking her stoney visage as she reached over and rested a hand on the huge Farian’s shoulders.

“These are merely questions, old friend, worry over them naught.” She patted him on the shoulder.

“Come, my assistant tells me she’s on the verge of an important breakthrough. There’s only a few more days till the Life Festival, perhaps we’ll have some good news to share with the Lord.” Myla and the Second Captain of the Shadow Guard moved swiftly away from the spawning ground, their figures gradually disappearing into the foliage as the early morning marched on…

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Micheal breathed in.

He exhaled.

He breathed in again.

He exhaled again.

Cool fog rose from his breath as he slowly opened his eyes, looking at the world around him.

He was currently laying down in a comfortable-looking green sleeping bag, wrapped up and warm. His bag was situated in the upper area of a large Wooka tree, hidden from plain sight for those down below.

Micheal yawned as he got out of his bag and began to roll it up. After he finished brushing off any stray leaves, he stored it in his Spatial Ring.

He then brought out a bottle of water and splashed some of it on his hands. He used that to wash his face, clearing away a few specks of dirt and grime. The huge, splotchy birthmark that he had added to his face was as obvious as ever, impossible to ignore.

He grimaced as he looked down at the grey robe he was wearing with a sigh. He definitely didn't smell stellar.

5 minutes later, and Micheal was wearing a new set of grey robes, including a new set of brown leather pants underneath, as well as new underclothes. All of his old ones were stored away in his Spatial Ring to be washed at some later date.

He had then pulled out a large circular mirror and wedged it into the main trunk of the brown Wooka tree he was sitting on. Right after that, he’d crossed his legs as he began to examine his face.

A dull gleam of red light glimmered along Micheal’s right hand as he raised it to his face and carefully began to shave. He used Advanced Tier Sword Energy to get in some fine-control practice, knowing he was still not perfectly used to controlling his newly strengthened body while balancing the delicate process of applying Sword Energy to himself.

“Hmm… hmm…” He hummed to himself quietly as he gradually molded a small, but sharp looking brown beard with a smile. He typically preferred to be clean-shaven, but he was supposed to look like someone that wasn’t him, after all. He also cut his brown hair relatively short, going for a well-put-together look. He ended off his styling session by wrapping his forehead once again, disguising himself as a Byren.

The sounds of various animals waking up began to echo all around him as the rest of the forest came alive.

After he managed to escape the Dragon Mountains and avoid the Draconic Lich, he had made a beeline for the land of the Farians. He hadn’t even decided to stay a night in the small town that was located at the end of the Tansol Pass, immediately breaking off from his group.

As long as he stayed close to the Dragon Mountains, the chance of him running into any patrols by the Silent Sword Sect was miniscule.

The journey had taken him slightly longer than he had expected. He might have essentially perfect recall now, but his memories of journeying to this forest from so many years ago were rather vague.

Still, in the end, as darkness swarmed over the land, Micheal had reached his destination.

The Woolen Forest.

After he reached the outskirts of the forest, he’d found himself a relatively comfortable looking tree in an out of the way location. He’d then set up camp high in its branches, pulling a sleeping bag out from his Spatial Ring. He didn’t need to worry about running into anyone, most Farians avoided being too close to the Dragon Mountains, which were still in sight.

And now, after a surprisingly relaxing night of rest, he was awake and feeling more refreshed than ever.

“Alright. What’s the gameplan, Micheal.” He talked out loud to himself as he finished getting ready.

He still had a great deal of time until Myla Hannis was attacked. As long as he prevented her death, he should be able to obtain the method to track down at least a decent portion of the Vile King’s Seeds.

In his past life, Myla was revered with the title ‘Wise Lady’ by the Farian Tribes, an extremely intelligent researcher that took no sides. Her work was viewed as extremely important by the Lord Justiciar of the Farians. As a result, Myla was heavily guarded by some of the Farian’s most elite warriors.

Humanity, with their newfound Abilities, Types, and Artifacts, had become strong. The Farians, however, grew up in a world filled with their own version of Magic Beasts. Vicious predators roamed the forests that covered the Farian’s home planet, a world their people affectionally referred to as a paradise.

They grew up practicing their Bloodline Magic, hunting down any of the many predators that dared to attack them. Deadly creatures that would’ve been monsters on Earth were regarded as prey by the Farians.

They were not only strong… as a race, they were powerful. And now, after climbing the First Layer and reaching the Second, they had become even more powerful.

Of all of the races that humanity had battled in the Great Disaster, the Farian Race was the one that caused the most problems.

“There should be several days still till the Life Festival takes place.” He muttered to himself, rubbing at his newly shaped beard.

He looked at himself in the mirror for a few moments. His face might be slightly thinner and that birthmark was glaring, but in the end, he could still recognize himself. If nothing else, he knew his own face… and his own heart.

He sighed.

“Alright. We’ll split our day into two parts.” He nodded to himself as he held up two fingers.

“One: Reconnaissance. I need to find out the exact date of the Life Festival and scout out any relevant locations.” He put one of his fingers down. His head turned slightly as he looked at his other, still upright finger.

“And two…” His heart fluttered as he made a decision he had been struggling with, consciously or not, for the past several weeks.

His head turned to the west, looking out into the distance in the direction of a location far away.

A small lake, tucked away in the middle of the Woolen forest. Surrounded by trees, a small clearing opened up on one of the lake’s shores, revealing a rather picturesque, quaint landscape.

A place Micheal knew very, very well.

It was the location he viewed in his mind during every Heart Trial he’d suffered through.

Micheal closed his eyes silently. A storm of emotions swept through his heart as he considered this, his mouth twisting.

“Just this once… I guess I’ll see how you're doing now, Isabelle.”

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