Stepping out of the circle of clearing, and into the forest, Alnea felt as if he had stepped into a completely different world. And it was not just because of the darkness prevailing in the forest, or the thick tress, with an even thicker foliage, surrounding him from all sides. Even the air of the forest was different, carrying a certain presence, separating it from the rest of the world. After all, even if he was in just in the outskirts, the forest was still a part of the Bright Light Forest.
There were rumours that once, before the five Orthodoxies came together to create Rianra, Grand Beasts used to roam these forests. Even if Grand Beasts had been extinct in the forest for hundreds of thousands of years, at the very least, the forest still housed some peak stage Beast Lords, comparable to the Tenth Stage Mystic Wanderers in prowess. The Bright Light Forest… even if it was just outskirts, it was not a place where a Seed like him could step into.
Leaving the dangers of the forest aside, just its air itself was enough to supress him, making it hard for him to breathe. In contrast, oppressive as the Lotus clan might be, his life in Anneve was still peaceful. At least, after he had met his master, she had never let him face any danger by himself. However, having peace was not always a good thing. Especially since he did not have the strength to protect that peace. And so, in order to protect his peace, he had no choice but to abandon the relative safety of the city, and venture into the depths of the forest.
After all, after achieving certain proficiency in his Martial Styles, the help that his fights with Cecilia were bringing him was very limited. Only if he fought with all sorts of opponents, laying his life on the line every time, would he be able to lay a solid foundation for his Martial Styles. Or so his master had said. And it was not like he could argue with her logic. Especially since she had said all those things before learning all of his secrets. Before he had taken his Oath for her.
Creating a path to the Rank of Origin Wanderer… When he had finally woken up after the most immediate effects of his Oath had worn off in around a day or so, he had learned another side of his master. If not for Yuri’s pleas, and the tears in his eyes, then she really might have torn off his ears, and stuck them back upside down. Still, impossible as his Oath might sound, she never doubted him, and supported him wholeheartedly… increasing the intensity of his training by a few notches.
“…Though theories are important, practical experiences are even more important for Wanderers. I had initially planned this phase of your training for after you would have gone through your first Spirit Test… but the way that things have developed, there is no point in delaying your practical training. Since you cannot use Arcanas created by others, you will have to create them by yourself. And only when you experience real fights, will you understand how, and in which form, you should create Arcanas to better suit your fighting style.
“In a way, you can say that whether it is for laying a foundation for creating Arcanas, or for your Martial Styles, experiencing a few life and death situations is a must for you. At the very least, you need to experience the ruthless means of your opponents, and figure out your preferred way of dealing with them. It is for this reason that the next part of your training will be held in the Bright Light Forest. Not only will you get plenty of opportunities to fight there, but the cold winds of the forest, especially the winds of winter, will also be able to help you counter some of the pain of ‘Forging’ your Spirit.
“At the same time, balancing your senses in between two extremes will also help you with the tempering of your will, and your Heart. Of course, you will have to suffer a little… not just from ‘Forging’ your Spirit, but in your fights against the Oren Beasts as well… Yet, that is what your Oaths have earned you. So, you better not complain, and get ready for the tough times ahead.”
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…After she had said all those things, what could he even have said to his master? Building his foundations for the path of Arcanists was what he was looking forward to the most. And if he could do that while building his foundations for the path of Warriors, then what was there to complain about? Expect for a bit of suffering, that is. Or maybe a little more than a bit… As his master had said, fighting against the Oren Beasts, the injuries he suffered were truly much more grievous than the injuries Cecilia had inflicted on him. And that was including the hole that she had punched through his chest.
Thankfully, the meals that he ate in big sis Serena’s mansion, in conjunction with his Martial Styles, especially his Oathkeeper Style, and all the fights that he had experienced, had helped him strengthen his body to level far beyond his peers. Not including those from the Orthodoxies, of course. After all, they had been training their bodies for years, while had just begun his training. He was still far behind them. But not for long.
With the guidance of his master, and the aid of his Oathkeeper Style, along with the meals from the meat of Oren Beasts, and precious herbs, he was sure that he would need at most a year to catch up with those from the Orthodoxies, and another year or so to surpass them. Not everyone, of course. Just those from the less powerful Orthodoxies, like those from the Lotus clan. For people like Cecilia, and Yuri, who were going through the same training as him, he would probably need a few years, or a decade, just to catch up with them.
Still, Alnea was confident that one day, he would surpass them as well, and become the greatest Wanderer. And the first step of his path to that future laid in the Bright Light Forest, a place that he had only ever heard of in stories, and legends. But that was to be expected. After all, the borders of the most dangerous Forbidden Area of Rianra coincided with the eastern borders of the Ann province.
Anneve, on the other hand, laid towards the southwestern part of the Ann province. The nearest point of the forest was hundreds of kilometres away from the place where he lived at. For him, Anneve had been the only place he had ever been to. Even his parents had never been out of Anneve. And that was despite his father being a Wanderer for over a decade. The Bright Light Forest…
In any case, she was his master. His mother. And he had absolute trust in her. That was the only reason he had accepted her training plans so readily. Probably. Besides, paying an appropriate price for gaining something was the most basic truth of the world. That was how things had worked with his Roots. And that was how things had worked with his master. In comparison, suffering some pain, and bearing some wounds was nothing.
And so, Alnea had stepped into the Bright Light Forest with a smile, and firm determination… only to be pressed to the ground in the very next moment. Just from his first step into the forest, all his senses were assaulted with an enormous amount of malice, and dread. It was to an extent that he felt as if he could practically touch the malice. And this was the case when the forest was not even targeting him in the first place. That was just how things were in the forest.
A ‘Forbidden Area’ indeed. Leaving the Oren Beasts aside, the forest itself was like one giant Oren Beast, forbidding humans from entering its reaches. It was only with the help of the Serenity in his Heart that was he able to keep himself calm, as he bore the incredible malice of the forest, and its pressure. Even then, just learning to breathe in the forest had taken him more than a quarter of an hour.
That was nearly a month ago, when his Spirit Power was still at the First Level, and his Heart had recently gained its Serenity. After more than a month of Forging his Spirit in the cold winds of the Forest, not only had his Spirit Power increased by several folds, but his Heart had been tempered to a higher degree as well. That, in addition to the repeated exposure to the malice in the air, had made him accustomed to the forest. Thus, after a momentary pause caused by the sudden shift in the atmosphere around him, Alnea picked up his pace, and began rushing through the forest.