The Black Desert was one of the three Forbidden Areas of Rianra, pregnant with countless unknown dangers, some even strong enough to claim the lives of Mystic Wanderers. Over its seemingly eternal existence, there were even instances of Grand Wanderers losing their lives in the desert. Yet, it was not as if the desert did not have any rules. As any Forbidden Area would have, the Black Desert also had its own core, the Lost City. Or maybe it was the Lost City which was built on the core of the Black Desert.

In any case, the Lost City acted as the core of the Black Desert, regulating all its dangers. The closer one was to the Lost City, the less dangerous it would be. Of course, the danger near the edges of the desert was also not high. Probably just enough to kill some inexperienced True Wanderers. As for the areas which could threaten the experienced True Wanderers, and in special circumstances, even some Mystic Wanderers, they were scattered in patches between the Lost City and the edges of the desert.

Thankfully, the part of the Black Desert that Alnea and his Star Seekers were in was very close to the Lost City. Probably just around fifty to sixty kilometres. After all, though they had left the city before dawn, most of their time had been spent in fighting, rather than travelling itself. So, the greatest danger that they could face at the moment, if any, could only be some lone peak phase Oren Beasts wandering to their location out of pure curiosity. If someone did not play a dirty trick behind the scenes once again, that is.

Still, it was not as if they had any choice. They truly were not in any condition to move. Especially the five men lying on the ground, and Alnea himself, on the verge of fainting from pain. Both from the burden of his Spirit, and his body. The Blood Crystal Detonation Style… Pulling his five incapacitated team members away from the corpse of the Bluebud Wanderer, Karl, Vestia and Yuri arranged them in a little more comfortable position. Vestia even sprinkled some of her potion on their bruised bodies.

“Just some trauma medicine,” Vestia said. “It should help them ease the pain a little. They still need proper treatment though. The attack they suffered towards the end…”

“…So, we must return to the city as soon as we can,” Alnea said, sitting down on the ground with his back to Aren’s body. “I will give them some first aid after I recover my Spirit Power, but it is only in the city that they can get proper treatment.”

“…We know,” Cecilia mumbled, with her impatience leaking to her face, as she changed her position, shifting next to him, placing her back against Zain’s body. “Just get meditating already.”

“She is not wrong,” Yuri said, as she sat on his other side, placing her back against Ralph’s body. “The sooner you begin meditating, the sooner you will recover, and the sooner we will be able to return to the city.”

“…If you two want me to stop nagging, just say so,” Alnea said, with a wry smile on his face, just as Karl sat right behind him, with his back against Norren’s body, completing their defensive circle. A perfect formation to deal with any enemies that might come at them, while protecting their incapacitated teammates. Of course, there were a few scenarios that they could not defend against in their current state. Like being attacked from Oren Beasts from under their feet. Or the ambush of another group of Wanderers. Still, given their condition, it was the best solution they could come up with.

“…I will leave the rest to you Vestia,” Alnea said, as he opened the vial in his hands, and downed its contents, before closing his eyes. He heard her say something along the lines of how she had his back, but his headache had increased to the point where he could barely maintain his consciousness, so he stopped paying attention to the things happening around him. Instead, he shifted his attention to the cool, refreshing sensation washing over his body and Spirit.

Unlike the day before, when he had enough leisure to savour the smell and the taste of the recovery potion, this time, Alnea barely even had the strength to drink the potion in the first place. Savouring its taste? Even if he could, the pain flowing in his veins would not have allowed him to do so. The pain was not truly invincible though. Against the cool sensations washing over his body and Spirit, the pain, both in his veins, and his head, slowly retreated, making way for a refreshing sensation of… freedom.

That was the only thing Alnea could describe what he was feeling. Freedom. Freedom from pain and his worries. From the world around him, and the world within him. Freedom from his own self… Floating amongst the endless forests, swimming in the coolest, and the most refreshing pool, savouring the most exotic fruits… leaving all his worries and burdens behind himself… He was truly free. For the first time in his life, at least since he had laid his Roots, Alnea felt free.

It was a peculiar feeling, freedom. When he did not have it, he always desired it. Yet when it was finally within his grasp, he missed all the burdens and chains that kept binding him, and weighing him down. At some point in time, his worries and burdens had become an inseparable part of himself, something that he could not do without. But that was to be expected. His Heart…

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

At the beginning, or at least when he found his true Serenity, his Heart had five cores. Five people who meant the world to him. That was true still. There were only five people who meant the world to him. But maybe, just maybe, his world could be a little bigger than just five people. Maybe, it could also include other people around him. Even if not to the extent it had accepted the first five people, just accepting new people in his Heart itself was a big step forward for him.

Once, Alnea had envisioned creating a Clear Heart for himself based on his own understanding of Serenity. It would have been hard, maybe even impossible, but he had no choice. His Heart was just too selective. It refused to work for anything but those five people. After he had taken the new step though, opening a crack in his Heart for new people come in, he felt that Clearing his Heart was not going to be as difficult as he had thought it would be.

As for the freedom he was feeling, it was fun for a while, but that was it. It was not meant for him. So, instead of floating above the forest, he came down to the ground, and began walking. Barefoot, of course, feeling every grain of the soil he was stepping on, tracing his fingers on the barks of the tree he was crossing, gently caressing their leaves.

It was hard, walking in a forest, with his vision and senses reduced to only a few metres around himself. Not to mention the sudden increase in the weight of the air, pressing down on his shoulders, making it hard for him to walk, all the while giving him hints and suggestions, inviting him back to the sky. Still, he refused. Rather than enjoying freedom all by himself, he preferred facing the weight of the world with the people he loved. He…

“Wake up, Alnea.”

Alnea opened his eyes, while stretching out his hands, feeling much more refreshed than before. At the very least, most of his headache was gone, and so was the pain in his body. He still felt a little weak, with sporadic aches all over his body, but they were more like dull pain from broken muscles, rather than the pin pricking sensations he had been experiencing earlier. He was still not at his best, but it would do.

“Is it two hours already?”

“Probably,” Yuri said, squatting down in front of him, while looking at him with her charming smile, reminding him once again, why he preferred the weight of responsibility over the loneliness of freedom. “If the others also changed their shifts on time.”

“…It’s fine,” Alnea said, pushing himself off the ground, and stretching out to wake up his limbs. “I have recovered as much as I can anyway.”

“…But you have still not recovered completely.”

“…The sequela of detonating Blood Crystals is not so easy to recover from,” Alnea said with a wry smile. “I should not have any problems in moving around normally though, or even fighting against normal Peak Stage False Wanderers.”

“…It is my fault,” Yuri said, biting her lower lips, as a haze crossed her eyes. “If only I had—

“It was never your fault,” Alnea said, stopping all his actions to look at Yuri right into her crystal blue eyes. “Detonating my Blood Crystals was my own choice.”

“…You don’t know. I—

“And I don’t want to know either,” Alnea said, shaking his head. “I just know that without you and Vestia, I would not have taken down the Wanderers of the Lotus clan so easily. And that is enough for me.”

“…But you were hurt. And I…”

“You already did the best you could, Yuri. There is no need to blame yourself.”

“…No, I did not do my best,” Yuri said, tearing her eyes away from him, as hints of guilt and embarrassment began to take over her Heart. “I—

“Look at me, Yuri,” Alnea said, cupping Yuri’s cheeks in his hands, and forcing her to look him into his eyes. “After what you did earlier… the way you shared Vestia’s senses with Lia, Karl, and me, who can say that you did not do your best? Even if you held back a little, it was only because of our circumstances. And it is not just you who held back anyway. Vestia, Karl, Lia, and even me, everyone held back a few things. Especially me…”

“No, that’s different. That’s because of the backlash of your Roots—

“Dealing with the backlash of my Roots, or dealing with the a few Grand and Supreme Wanderers… which one do you think is more difficult? Besides, you do not think that I can only fall back to resonating with my Roots at the slightest hint of some troublesome enemies, right? Or are you truly underestimating me?”

“…I…”

“That’s enough,” Alnea said, dropping the solemn look on his face for a warm smile, while pinching Yuri’s face. “Although I like the troubled look on your face, I like your smiling face even more…”

“…I almost forgot how slick you have grown these days. No wonder the vixen likes to cling to you so much.”

“Ahem.” Alnea quickly withdrew his hands from Yuri’s cheeks, while faking a few coughs. “I think you should get some rest—

“I have already rested enough.”

“The potion—

“The recovery potion’s effect has almost worn off. Resting for another half an hour or so is not going to help me much.”

“…Alright then. Help me keep watch while I give Aren and others some first aid treatment.”

“…You are better at finding excuses now than you were before.”

“…I don’t understand what you are talking about…”

“…Just go treat them, and leave the watch to me.”