“I wonder if he made a new house yet!” Micro said happily as the group walked.

“He is likely focused on the bandit issue.” Lena replied kindly.

“Oh, right.” Micro nodded.

“Well, I hope he’s not overworking himself.”

“The presence of cultivators among bandits is unusual, but master Feng is unlikely to meet his equal among them.” Lena explained.

Micro was happy to accept Lena's proposal of a trip back through the forest to the place where they last saw Feng. With his core relieved of Ray's binding ring and stronger than ever, he was excited to keep travelling.

Kira and Kolt had both come close to forming their own jade level cores under Lena's guidance, though it would take them more effort to achieve their goal. While Kira was content to continue energy channeling exercises Lena had shown her, Kolt's excitement manifested in unprovoked attacks on various trees and rocks. Lena was confident that they would have their own cores before their journey to Master Feng was concluded.

Arbur spoke less than he did before his experience in the dungeons of Lo's mountain, as he spent most of his time meditating on mastery of his newly acquired Crystal Art Core Card.

Blue and Trill almost immediately began napping as the trip began, since Micro was comfortable he could find his way back without issue. However, Micro's mood gradually worsened as they ventured through the forest. His confidence in his legs was gradually increasing, but Kira quickly picked up on his mood after he tripped for the third time in an hour.

“Are you thinking about roads again, master?” Kira asked.

“I am.” Micro replied.

“I wonder how the road I commissioned near the Imperial City is going now.”

“I've heard the Imperial City is an amazing place.” Kira said with wide eyes.

“Have you been there? Did they have roads you liked? How was the food?”

“There are some nice people there.” Micro recalled.

“It's a small town, really. And I wouldn't call the roads there ‘roads’ really, but...”

“What does commision mean?” Kolt asked, tired by his efforts to crack a boulder in half with a punch infused with energy.

“I paid a nice lady to build a road between the town and a mine.” Micro explained.

“I don't know how long it'll take without trucks, but I'm sure they'll do their best.”

“Huh...” Kolt grunted.

“How much does a road cost?”

“Just a few gold coins.” Micro replied.

“Gold?!” Kira and Kolt both shouted in unison.

“Mundane frivoloties...” Lena sighed, but Kolt and Kira were entranced by the two gold coins which suddenly appeared in Micro's hands.

“Here, one for each of you.” Micro smiled.

“I have plenty.”

“I'm rich...” Kolt whispered to himself, gripping the gold coin with renewed vigor.

“I could buy all the food in our village a dozen times...!” Kira added.

“How did you get so rich?”

“A nice man from a dragon sect gave them to me at the tournament before the summoning started.” Micro replied.

“I hope they're not still looking for me...”

“Are you rich too, master Lena?” Kira asked excitedly.

“The sect provides funds for use in logistical matters, dealings with the mundane and such, but I have no need for currency of my own.” Lena replied.

“Only the weakest cultivators rely on the currency of the mundane to live, whether as a means of securing a food source or a safe place to rest. You would do well to prioritize the richness of your spirits.”

“Yeah, I'll do that too.” Kolt nodded.

“But gold...!”

THUD

The sound of Micro falling on his face interrupted their conversation. He stood up quickly with a sigh, then stood still for a moment while looking ahead at the forest in front of him. He thought for a moment in silence while the others gathered around him. Blue woke up and flew up above the group to stretch, then looked down curiously.

“He's got a weird look all of a sudden.” Blue declared.

“He's deep in thought.” Arbur added.

“Perhaps he is about to make a breakthrough. I've heard of masters who advance most quickly while performing ordinary tasks.”

Everyone looked at Micro while he stared into the woods with a serious expression. With his own eyes, he peered ahead into the dangerous woods, taking note of the animals and monsters which went about their lives. He also noted the way the tree roots seemed to crawl beneath the surface of the ground, constantly changing the forest.

“Why exactly does the forest move around like that?” Micro suddenly asked.

“While many assume the ground itself moves, it is actually the trees which alter the shape of the forest.” Lena replied.

“The energy veins beneath us provide these trees with such vitality that they are able to move and seek out the energy they crave, depending on where the veins themselves flow.”

“So they're trees that cultivate...” Micro wondered.

“That is not the case.” Lena corrected him.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

“Though they possess great vitality, they lack sentience.”

“Why are you so interested in the walking woods?” Blue asked with a look of mild anticipation.

“What are you about to suggest?”

“Well, if we're not in a hurry...” Micro began.

“We spend a lot of time walking around the woods, and now I even have my own mountain back there, so...”

“So?” Blue asked him, gesturing for him to continue his explanation quickly.

“I'm thinking of clearing a way through here.” Micro answered.

“There is more than enough room to walk between trees...” Lena raised an eyebrow at his suggestion.

“Would a path truly be of much benefit to a cultivator of your level?”

“We're not the only ones who need to get from one end of the woods to the other though.” Micro countered.

“Since nobody else is around to do it, I think I should. It’s work that needs doing, whether somebody is doing it or not.”

“You feel it is your purpose to build a road through these dangerous woods?” Arbur asked.

“Well, I'm definitely not meant for offroading.”

“Fascinating...” Arbur nodded.

“It is a mundane task, but a monumental one... Could this be the nature of the Truck Sect's cultivation style?”

“Cultivation style?” Micro asked.

“Your turtle friend's style was to push you down a mountain, remember?” Blue laughed.

“It's not really a cultivation style, but there's work to do, and nobody else around to do it...” Micro continued.

“And the old man would help if he could. He often helped clear debris off roads during the rainy season, even the roads he didn't normally use.”

Micro began to sound more confident as he explained his intentions, and the others simply nodded in understanding.

“Our destination remains the same, but the path is yours to choose, or create.” Lena added.

“So...” Kira was the first to speak up after a moment of silence.

“How do you make a road?”

~

Micro's first idea was to root himself to the forest floor and draw enough energy to fire a continuous wave of energy at the forest ahead. However, the process was tiring and difficult to control, and the result was messy, leaving behind piles of debris that took a long time to clear. Kolt and Kira had particular difficulty with the clouds of dust it created.

In the end, Blue convinced him to use the spirit sword skill to cut the trees down one by one. He didn’t enjoy the feeling of holding such a dangerous weapon in his hands, but he admitted it was satisfying to remove the obstacles in his path with a simple swing of his arm. He found it equally satisfying to smash large rocks to pieces using the Spirit Hammer skill.

After turning back to begin his road-building project from the base of Lo Mountain, the task began in earnest. Trill remained with Kolt, while Blue began to rampage freely through the woods. Occasionally the path she cleared intersected with Micro's straight road, but she was having too much fun testing her newly acquired skills against the endless trees.

When Micro asked for assistance in moving the rocks and logs to the side of the path he was opening, Lena decided to continue her oversight of Kolt and Kira's growth. She guided them in using their energy to strengthen their physical bodies, and they happily threw debris away from the path. Kolt insisted on helping Micro cut down trees though, but he was disappointed to find that even with Trill's help, he was barely able to scratch a tree without any tools or skills.

“Master...” Arbur soon called out with worry. Since Kolt and Kira were working so quickly, and he was also unable to assist in clearing the woods ahead, he was left without a task.

“Oh, you should spend some time getting those Core Cards loaded up.” Micro encouraged him.

“Such a selfish act while you commit yourself to this ordeal...?” Arbur gasped.

“How dare I cultivate while my master works!”

“Well, I'm only doing the rough work for now. I was thinking about hiring some people I know to finish the road.” Micro replied.

“Finish it?” Arbur asked.

“But it is already a road...”

Arbur looked back at the long path they had carved through the forest. It was free of any rocks or trees, and it was nearly flat.

“I'm making a road here, Arbur.” Micro sighed.

“It can't be helped if you don't know better, but I assure you that it is far from complete.”

“Forgive me master!” Arbur shouted. Though he was confused, he sincerely bowed his head.

“I will carve your words into my heart! I will not question your wisdom regarding roads...!”

“Calling dirt and rocks a road…” Micro mumbled, placing his hands over his face with a deep sigh.

“I fear for this world…”

“I won’t disappoint you, master!” Arbur shouted with a bow.

“This is going to take a few months, so you may as well keep busy. You can start with the sword card if you'd like to cut down some trees with me.” Micro explained.

“That would be a big help.”

“Understood!” Arbur shouted, then immediately knelt on the recently cleared dirt path and took the Spirit Sword Skill Core Card out of his pocket to begin training.

Micro noticed that he looked much younger now that his hair had started growing out, though his ragged clothes were still pitiable.

“Will Arbur be okay there?” Kira quietly asked Lena.

“There are monsters around...”

“Your master is making an enormous amount of noise by cutting down trees much harder than iron.” Lena replied.

“If you possessed the Spirit Vision Skill, you'd have witnessed the stampede of beasts away from our present location not long ago.”

“It's been awfully quiet, now that you mention it.” Kira nodded.

“I can't even hear the birds.”

“Young Arbur will be safe and within our reach.” Lena said with a suddenly sharp tone.

“Do not be distracted. Your energy is imbalanced.”

“Sorry, I got it.” Kira replied.

~

SWISH

BANG

The sense of urgency which had previously driven Micro to return to his homeworld as fast as possible had dissipated since he learned of cultivation techniques which would allow him to travel back in time. He wondered if he could even go back to the day he first encountered his lifelong driver and live his life again. He couldn't imagine a greater reward for his efforts in the world of cultivation. He missed the smell of fresh oil as a cloud of dust and splinters pelted his face.

However, for now, he allowed himself to enjoy the task ahead of him. Despite his persisting dislike of violence, knowing his tree cutting would result in the creation of a new road excited him.

Arbur caught up to them at the end of every day, and they enjoyed the leftover smoked bear meat together for several weeks. When the meat ran out, Blue and Kira quickly hunted several deer and one boar, and their routine continued.

It was on a rainy day while the team worked, when a large light flashed behind Micro. He turned to see Kira glowing brightly near a smiling Lena.

“Congratulations, child.” Lena said softly.

“You have grown accustomed to channeling a sufficient amount of energy for a core to naturally form within you.”

“I could feel the energy starting to swirl around in my chest, like you mentioned, master Lena.” Kira replied.

“It felt like water gathering in a puddle. It feels really natural...”

“Good job, Kira!” Micro called back.

“My core was a lot more work to form. You must be quite talented.”

“Does this mean I can go into dungeons with you now?!” Kira asked.

“It depends on the dungeon.” Micro replied.

“Let me know if you find one anywhere. Oh, and keep up the good work, Kolt. Your energy is a lot more noticeable from here now!”

Kolt gave a weak thumbs up to Micro and continued to move rocks to the side of the cleared path.

“Oh?” Blue suddenly appeared over the group and smiled down at Kira.

“I just dropped by to mention I found some weird looking folks looking for a dungeon over that way, but it looks like the little one grew a core while I was gone.”

Micro's ears perked up at the mention of a dungeon, and he immediately used the Spirit Vision skill to look as far into the woods as he could.

“Oh, I know that guy.” Micro announced.

“Let's go say hello!”