I was getting used to being forced out of consciousness at this point. There was a strange feeling of loss, dread, and defeat that I couldn't quite understand.

Here I was again, back in the training dome. I was lying on a fur blanket, not too far from the symbol on the ground. Three gazes were on me. These sharp senses were challenging to get used to.

“Hadrian, Elnara, and….?” My voice sounded out. A slight echo went around the chamber.

"I am Headmaster Yaul, young one." An unfamiliar voice replied.

So, this was the power behind the human side of this alliance. The old man I hadn't noticed earlier when the mana demon first showed up.

"Weren’t you there when I first met the mana demon?" I asked him.

Headmaster Yaul let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, it was quite a tense time. Young ones like you always put us old folks to the test. I'm glad you overcame that challenge. But..."

He trailed off, and I saw a flash of something in his eyes.

“It seems it's not completely conquered. For now, you'll be coming with me through the portal. The elves and Hadrian have taught you the basics you need to survive in our citadel."

Confusion crossed my face. On the other side of the portal was a citadel. All of this was to go to a citadel? Seriously?

The headmaster's words weighed on me like a mountain. "Young man, as you currently are, you're of no use to anyone, least of all yourself. Only through education and adversity can you forge yourself into the individual you need to be and that this world needs. I hold high hopes for you, so strive not to disappoint."

As his words hung in the air, I attempted to get up, but my body refused to obey. The aura within was much more robust. A pain surged in my head. Some memories were gone; what was I here for again? That’s right, it was to learn how to control all the radiation of aura and nature’s essence. Then, it gets increasingly blurry. Some distant memories felt affected.

Snippets of the technique Verdenia taught me emerged in my mind, along with the understanding of the brand, a symbol that had unexpectedly become my greatest gift. Yet, it felt like it came at a high cost. In the end, though, it gave me another path to power, and who knows how that added source would play out.

Thinking further into what happened was just a blank wall. Images of the mana demon came to my memory, moving its mouth, but what it had said was muted. Why did I even have a mana demon anyway? Aura was amazing; I’d even had nature’s essence, too. Why did I steal mana materials for all those years, then?

That…felt wrong, but why?

“What exactly happened to me?” My gaze went past Headmaster Yaul and instead landed on Elnara.

"You succeeded, Falond. You're not radiating any aura or nature's essence,” she said, a tinge of guilt crossing her face. My heightened senses picked up on her subtle expressions easily. Hadrian remained tight-lipped as always, choosing instead to lend a helping hand. He hoisted me up from the ground and supported me.

"Sometimes, returning everything to its source feels like obtaining a new body. You’ll adjust soon,” he assured me.

Maybe that was true, but it didn’t sound like the whole story. At least I was leaving this stifling underground prison and the mutatio dome area. The trio stuck close to me, forming what felt like a high-tier escort. Given that I was a sort of convict, and they were my wardens, it didn't seem as odd as it felt.

As we left the tunnels that took me down here, I got my first natural look at the sun in a while. Sometimes, you don’t realize how grateful you are for the simple stuff until it’s gone. A tear tried to well up, partly from the brightness my eyes were no longer used to and the emotion of being above ground again.

As we went through the encampment, my control over my body was slowly returning. Looking over, we had passed many wonderous sights of the encampment. Elnara’s towering tree spire, the carefully managed forest, and even occasional magical creatures such as fae and dryads. Of course, there were a few humans and elves, too, but upon seeing the three, they kept their distance or gave respectful looks.

Soon, the ring of trees encircling the portal came into view. As we drew nearer, the purpose of those trees became apparent. They served as a barrier, containing the energy leaking from the portal and utilizing it for growth. Their effectiveness was evident, as I had to approach quite closely before detecting any emanating power.

The portal itself was colossal and intimidating. Approaching the gate before it, I felt a sudden surge of dread. This thing was not natural, and it was dangerous. It was like a tumor sickening the world of Gansia, to which I was becoming increasingly connected. Yet, this portal was unique, seemingly integrated with the world and radiating not mana but nature's essence, even aura. But how was that possible?

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Thinking about that, disgust was welling up. These things gave mana to the world, indirectly responsible for all the mages my kingdom revered these days. But what of it? They were slowly eroding our world, and most remained blissfully unaware. This one may differ, but my disdain for it remained.

The enormous wooden gate began to creak open at Elnara's signal, revealing elven rangers with bows ready. Did they need to aim exclusively at me, though? The bias was palpable. Druids stood by their side, their summoned treants forming an additional escort, outlining the path to the portal. Even wandering off seemed forbidden, stirring within me that familiar feeling of confinement. Suddenly, a thought sprung into my mind - a question that didn't exactly align with the current circumstances. But before I could stop myself, I blurted it out.

“Where is Verdenia, Hadrian?”

Hadrian's gaze darted from me to Elnara upon hearing my question. It was Elnara who responded.

"Verdenia will be waiting for you on the other side. She's your teacher for my brand. But expect to see her later. You seem overly concerned about your beautiful contractor. It could make a lady jealous."

Our conversation was cut short. We now stood directly in front of the portal. The waves of power emitting from it were practically smashing into me. I see now why they didn’t just let me through here immediately. For those who came here, without enough individual strength, you’d never make it through to a portal. Let alone the void realm.

Before us stood the elven portal master, an elf with raven-black hair, verifying our identities and letting us through.

"Pay close attention now, young one," headmaster Yaul instructed, "Refrain from releasing any power. Maintain your inner fortification. When transitioning through a portal, you traverse a void space inhabited by void dwellers. They'll ignore you if you don't radiate anything that piques their interest. You don't want to attract their attention."

This must be why they insisted I learned to control the radiating power. It was to avoid those void dwellers. Well, if they even had someone like Headmaster Yaul cautious, it was best not to give anything away to them.

Hadrian and I stepped into the portal. Immediately, a sensation of weightlessness washed over me. Although Elnara and Yaul must have been just behind us, I could no longer sense them. Hadrian was the only presence I could feel, and that was due to him physically supporting me. Despite the utter darkness of this space, Hadrian's gruff voice came through.

“My idiot apprentice, you are about to get us killed. You’re a beacon of nature right now. Shut it off. Now."

There was no room for hesitation. Immediately, I used the technique of the dried tree. In response, the brand on my chest absorbed all the radiating essence, accelerating my healing.

For a while, this weightlessness continued, and I began to wonder if we were even moving. Just as the thought crossed my mind, a suction began to pull on Hadrian and me. A blue-green circle appeared that must be the exit portal, pulling us in with a powerful pull. Moments later, we landed in some grassland, with Elnara and Yaul following suit.

“Harold's landing. Good, this one is the closest to where we need to be.”

Does where we land vary? How did all four of us end up in the same spot, then? I thought in my heart but didn’t ask allowed.

For once, no one read my mind and answered. A sense of actual privacy came back to me. Having no contract-weaving trickster, she elves around was good for my sanity. Although, they did say Verdenia was on this side of the portal. And Elnara was looking amusedly at me. Damnit, could she see through my thoughts, too? Calm down, no confused expressions, happy thoughts, happy thoughts….

The trio urged me onwards, with Hadrian assisting my movement. Soon, we approached the edge of a forest, if you could call it that. The towering trees here made those back home seem like mere saplings. They stretched upwards for hundreds, even thousands, of feet. The air had a green tint, especially in the forest itself.

Hadrian tensed; his hand reached for his sword. But before he could draw it, Headmaster Yaul stepped forward, calm as ever. He raised his hand, releasing white strands tinted with purple, upon which numerous symbols were etched. The strands made a beeline past my head and through the forest. A moment later, they were dragging a satyr towards us. Its eyes were a bloodshot red without pupils, its fur a rough brown, and its horns had been brutally cut off. If I had to guess, someone had cut its horns and enraged the creature. But why?

“Some fool is targeting Satyr’s again,” Elnara grumbled.

Again? I thought to myself.

“The black market here prizes them their horns highly for the stimulating and aphrodisiac effects. It’s a bother, but not a large enough one to go after people.”

"You humans can dismiss it lightly because your respect for the forest doesn't match ours," Elnara retorted.

Headmaster Yaul and Elnara had a minor disagreement. Their shared sentiment was apparent: both disapproved of the black market’s actions. But so far, it wasn’t enough to employ serious manpower to find them. It didn’t help that the black market was masterful at covering tracks, moving continually.

However, it was not the satyr that intrigued me the most; it was the aura strands that Headmaster Yaul had released to capture the creature. Their solid, tangible nature and the remarkable strength they had were new to me. Even Hadrian had only ever shown aura drops, never strands like these.

As we were leaving the enraged Satyr behind, Elnara came behind it, and a pulse of green came out of her hand. The Satyr decayed at rapid speed, returning to the land.

"Once they're in that state, they won't recover until their horns fully regrow, which can take years, if not decades. The damage in return is too much. It's a pity." Elnara's voice tinged with sadness, revealing her respect for nature wasn't just talk.

We continued our journey through the forest for some time. Although many creatures were around, some were hostile; none were as deranged as the satyr. The presence of our formidable group kept any potential altercations at bay. Nevertheless, numerous hostile gazes remained fixated on me. Clearly, in their eyes, I was the 'prey' being safeguarded by a pack of formidable predators. If Hadrian and the others were not around, I had no doubt they would attack.

Hadrian muttered, “What color is the shifting mountain now?"

"Blue," Headmaster Yaul, who was the one who had been on this side of the portal recently, replied, “Nothing to be concerned about."

"And the beast sentinel?" Hadrian's voice carried a hint of concern, though he'd never admit it.

"Asleep. She won't trouble us today," Yaul assured his tone light. "Are you worried about your apprentice, Hadrian?"

"Him? An idiot fool headed for doom, regardless of my concern. Why waste the effort?" Hadrian's gruff dismissal hung in the air, tinged with reluctant affection.

We ventured further in, surrounded by twisted trees that seemed to be observing us with an ancient, omniscient gaze. They weren't hostile - merely watchful. What they were looking for was a question that prickled at the back of my mind.

Keeping a safe distance from our group was a pack of green wolves, the occasional one bearing a lightning scar across its eye - Gale wolves. It is ironic, considering that Lilen Cloudburst's desire for these creatures had indirectly led to my journey here. And yet, here they were, prowling an entirely different forest. The unpredictability of life never ceased to amaze me.

Elnara's footsteps were brisk as she moved up to join Hadrian and me.

"This time around, handsome," she began, “we let our presence radiate out, more for your protection and as a declaration to the beings here that you're one of us. But should you ever come here by yourself, hide your aura and other tracks well. Plenty of creatures live here that the current you can’t handle. The shifting mountains sentinel may not save you in time.”

I nodded, not saying anything. Even without that advice, I could tell some creatures were just as strong as the Woodbourne Trogg, if not more so. The gap was closing with my training, but the difference was still evident. At best, I’d make it out alive now.

The dense forestry began to thin out, opening to the flank of the shifting mountain. Before us, three waterfalls cascaded down the mountain's side, disappearing behind a veil of misty spray. My enhanced vision allowed me to see a hidden cave behind each waterfall. Hadrian guided me over to the one on the left. We entered the waterfall, getting soaked in the process, stepping into the moss-lined cave behind the water.