“Let’s rest,” said Veles between his breaths. Unable to take it anymore, he dropped next to the tree and leaned his back onto the soft moss.

He got caught in the moment, they had already spent around five hours moving nonstop. Recently, they even started running, which made him remember all the problems normal bodies have, resulting in the current situation.

There was little to no strength left in his body to continue this physically exhausting endeavor and despite enjoying this long-forgotten fatigue and soreness in his muscles, reaching exhaustion right now would be dangerous. Also, this served as a great reminder that his body was quite frail—something which plagued his early days.

Veles noticed Davis wasn’t faring any better, the guy followed his example and exploited this chance to rest. He leaned onto the moss-covered roots of an old tree, taking the same position as Veles. He also closed his eyes and stabilized his breath.

Olivia, on the other hand, was restless. She couldn’t stop pacing around and shooting panicked looks at the relaxed duo.

“Can we leave, please?” she asked. It sounded more like a genuine plea than anything else. Earning an interested look from Veles.

“You can feel danger this far away?” asked Veles.

“Yes…” She quietly responded. It was clear she herself wasn’t very sure. But by the occasional ruffling of her hair and quick looks in the direction where they came from, she gave Veles a vague idea of her problem.

“Fascinating,” Veles said. He scanned her up and down. “Do you need direct contact with an object to give you a sense of danger, or do you just feel it in a certain radius? Can you sense ill intent from living beings? Or is it just a life-threatening danger that tingles your senses? Does that me-” Noticing he was spewing whatever came to his mind, Veles controlled himself. He should get rid of this self-talk habit he’d developed during his alone time in imprisonment.

More importantly, he had to calm Olivia down somehow. “First of all, do you think I would put myself in danger? And secondly, you have wonderful gifts, but if you let them take the lead in your life, nothing good will come out of it. So, calm down and relax. Nothing is going to hurt you.” Veles hoped this could somehow assure her. “Do you understand?”

“Mhm, yes.” She replied, heaving a breath of relief. Veles hadn’t been sure his words would work. But they somehow did.

“Good.” Veles leaned his head backward and observed the canopy above him.

This part of the forest was the same as he’d imagined. Rudar trees, as far as eyes could see. This particular species of tree grew very tall, reaching over a hundred meters in height. Their canopies tend to perfectly interlock with each other, making sure not a single strand of light could escape through. But sunlight wasn’t necessary in the first place. The job of illuminating the surroundings had always been put on moss and fungus growing everywhere.

Yes, the main sources of light in this place were fungi and colorful moss. It was weird for a species that thrives in the dark to release any glow, but the mana-rich environment forced the common flora to evolve and adapt to their natural habitat.

Here. It wasn’t strange to stumble upon a blue-glowing mushroom the size of an average person. Veles had seen his fair share of magical places, but this place impressed even him.

He took his time absentmindedly observing the trees. After about ten minutes of complete silence, his body calmed down a bit, so he slowly stood up. His movement gained the attention of the two.

“Gather some twigs and rocks to make a fire. We are resting here tonight,” Veles said. Unbothered by the weird silence that had lasted between them.

It was already deep into the night. In a couple of hours, the forest’s temperature would drop to a dangerous level. While he possesses various methods to avoid freezing to death, he might as well take his time and enjoy this small break.

Looking at each other, Olivia and Davis understood what they had to do and went their separate ways. Veles noticed the small enmity they held towards each other. It was understandable. They both went through a lot and probably blamed each other for their current situation—most likely him, too. But he was sure these small grudges would soon disappear. Especially on Davis’s part because Veles understood that the guy was sharper than he’d anticipated…

With them gone, Veles eyed a particular tree. It was bigger than the rest and possibly had an interesting rare feature that others didn’t. It was relatively near, so the two would be able to find him. He didn’t waste his time and reached it, slowly circling the thick trunk until he went to the other side and saw what he was hoping for.

A small stream of water escaped directly from its bark, making a small pond surrounded by roots. The water was clear. Crystally clear.

Veles scooped a handful of water in his palms and drank it.

For current him, even the taste of water was overly delicious. The richness of this specific type even amplified that. Inside this magical forest, every piece of flora was filled with a generous amount of mana. Most likely, just one bottle filled with simple water that had been refined with Rudar’s tree taproot would be treated as treasure.

And most importantly, this mana wasn’t corrupted by the miasma that contaminated the atmosphere. The forest’s life had long ago evolved to ignore it….

“Not very useful for this terrain, is it?” Veles commented as he checked on his clothing. He still wore his silk robes. Luckily, he had already ditched the outer part, which only impaired his movement, but he couldn’t go on like this either. He examined what he had in his ring, and making the decision, he took a black and gray set of martial clothes and placed them on the protruded rock next to him.

Instead of undressing, he grabbed the clothes he was currently wearing and just waited for a couple of seconds for the ring to scan them. It was a necessary and long process that had to be done. But once it finished, his clothes were sucked in the ring, leaving him butt naked.

Taking the set he’d prepared, he started dressing up. But once he was done with his lower body, he paused to examine his exposed upper part and was surprised at what he saw…

Previously, he had his fair share of magical tattoos on his body. But right now, he saw something he’d never seen before.

It was a simple empty circle drawn on the left side of his chest.

“What the hell is this,” he touched it. Of course, he felt nothing. It was just a drawing, after all. Still, it sure was an object of wonder…

He shook his head. “Again with this bullshit…” Truth be told, he got used to experiencing unexpected outcomes throughout his whole life. If all the experiments he’d performed so far had taught him something. That would be to embrace every possible outcome and gradually deal with it…

So, nothing he can do about this. He focused on the bruise coloring the right side of his abdomen. “Looks like I underestimated how frail my body is.” He touched the bruise. It was earned when he accidentally ran into a thin tree branch, and by the looks of it, it was going to stay there for some time.

“What are you doing?” Davis’s voice came from the side. He carried a handful of rocks and dried-up twigs, perfect for setting a campfire.

“I was getting rid of unconventional attire and checking the changes on my body,” replied Veles. He grabbed the shirt and tucked it in. Over it, he placed the robe and tied it with a sash. It looked like martial attire but tighter and somehow modern. It was both stylish and resistant to the current terrain.

He then took several more things from his ring. They were thin daggers that fit in his hand perfectly. There were eight of them, each looking the same. And to Davis’s astonishment, Veles carefully hid one inside each of his boots, four inside the robe, and left the two attached to his sash. Except for the ones outside, nobody would notice the rest.

“Well, I never saw anyone change that much by simply switching clothing,” commented Davis. “I’ve only now noticed that your previous scholarly presence is gone.”

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Veles raised one of his eyebrows. “That’s interesting to know. I guess losing my Soul Titles removed even that.”

“Soul Titles?” Asked Davis in confusion.

“Nothing you should bother yourself about,” said Veles. “Go fetch that girl. I bet she is completely lost.”

Davis grumbled, “Fine.” Then dropped everything he’d carried and went to search for her.

Veles was sure he guessed right. She was undoubtedly lost. He could already imagine all the trouble that girl would cause…

While they were gone, he decided it was time to prepare for something he’d waited for a very long time. From his ring, he took plates filled with numerous variations of dried-up meat. Thin slices were neatly placed on the wooden plates. Each plate carried a different kind of meat, easily differentiated by its color and texture. He’d honestly wanted to prepare something more refreshing, but he doubted he could handle waiting anymore. And his ring, unfortunately, wasn’t meant for storing warm food, so he couldn’t have anything tastier prepared.

His stomach released a bestial cry. Just seeing food was enough to drive him crazy. Not wanting to suffer anymore, he immediately grabbed the nearest piece and took a bite. Delight spread throughout his body when his taste sensors caught on the bland taste of dried meat. Truthfully, he believed anything would satisfy him right now. Even chewing grass would most likely yield the same result.

Taking another bite, he hummed in satisfaction. He hadn’t even finished the first piece. His other hand was already grabbing the next different flavored one. He intended to relish in this feast without holding back.

After roughly twenty minutes, both Davis and Olivia reached his place. The annoyed gaze they were casting each other was clear as day. But the moment their eyes landed on Veles, both were momentarily dumbfounded.

He was sitting down cross-legged. He held the bowl full of what could be discerned as brown slime. On his lap was a small squirrel enviously looking as Veles took the spoonful of his dish and ate it. As for his expression… well, he was aware that he looked like nothing could take this moment away from him.

Noticing Davis’s and Olivia’s attention shifting to what he was eating. Veles narrowed his eyes. He then brought the bowl closer to his chest. “This is mine… I’ve placed your food there.” He then pointed his index finger to the side, showing two wooden plates filled with the rest of the meat.

“Eat first.” That’s all he said before he continued to enjoy himself, ignoring them and the critter sitting on his thigh. There was absolutely no chance he was going to share his chocolate pudding filled with crushed nuts. He had no more than a couple of servings, and it was the dish he craved for thousands of years. Call him selfish, but he for sure wouldn’t budge on this.

After pleasantly having his fill of various food, Veles wanted to distract himself, so he started a fire. He could choose an easier way to do it, but like a primitive man, he decided to struggle by using the hand drill method. He rolled the branch between his hands, waiting for a small spark to appear at the bottom.

“Ask. I know about your curious nature. No matter how stupid the question is, I will try to answer it.” Veles said after feeling the questioning gaze coming his way.

Thinking for a few seconds, Davis decided to start with the most pointless question. “Hmm then, how should we address you?”

“Whatever you feel comfortable with. I honestly don’t care.” Veles replied truthfully. This didn’t concern him as he wasn’t a guy who demanded some kind of respect. He won’t mind if they call him by his name, but that probably isn’t going to happen.

“Can we keep it casual?” Davis asked after mulling over it for a few seconds.

“Fine by me.” Veles quickly agreed. He then looked at Davis, expecting him to ask the next question.

And surprisingly, Davis decided not to delve into the deeper topics concerning his and Olivia’s future. He instead asked a question of pure curiosity.

“So…” It came out somehow weird. “What was that about not interacting with mana? If we use it, we could easily rejuvenate ourselves and continue further.”

“That is because ‘miasma’ is still lingering in the atmosphere, and when mixed with mana, it can cause many complications—even more so if you allow it inside your body. And by that, I mean do some serious damage to your comprehensive ability or even alter your genetics.”

“Is forest’s miasma the type of energy like mana?” Davis quickly connected some of the dots, thus this question.

“Yes and no. The only thing you should know is that what you call ‘miasma’ is just a waste product extracted from the dimension where I was locked in. It’s highly poisonous to normal people, and you should avoid it. But don’t worry too much. It will disappear in the span of two to three days,” explained Veles.

“Hmm, okay... Now, can you tell us why we are running? What’s chasing us?” asked Davis after stealing a few glances at Olivia.

“I’m not sure myself,” replied Veles. “I’ve sensed a heavy spatial fluctuation back then. As far as my knowledge of this world works, that cannot be anyone from the Osvalen peninsula. This only leaves people from the east of the forest, which I have zero knowledge of.”

“Spatial fluctuation? As if teleportation?” asked Davis, slightly bewildered.

Veles raised his eyebrow at this. “Well, yes. But why are you fixated on that part? Are you not wondering about the people from the East? I thought you people of Osvalen were fascinated by any possibility of civilization existing beyond the forest?”

“It’s confirmed they exist,” replied Davis. “I think it was around a hundred and twenty years ago that the astronomers managed to vaguely map the world. That’s where we found out that the Osvalen Peninsula was cut from the rest of the world by the Forest of the Forgotten. And even since then, many have tried to reach beyond.”

“Oh, it would seem I’ve missed some interesting stuff,” mumbled Veles. “I should’ve informed that drunkard to reach me when something interesting happened. This is truly an interesting change.” He then briefly looked at Olivia. “No wonder someone like her appeared.”

But Davis was focused more on a specific part that Veles had said. “Drunkard? Are you talking about Kraguil?”

“Yes, handy guy, that one. He used to bring me materials and various gadgets to perform my research—among other things, of course.”

Davis turned his head to the side and started thinking. And after a minute or two, he asked what was on his mind. “Won’t that make him very old? The last time I saw him was three years ago, and he looked like he was in his middle thirties.”

“You don’t know?” Veles truly looked puzzled. “He tends to brag about his particular case.”

“No?” asked Davis. Displaying a similar expression as Veles.

“He is immortal,” replied Veles like it wasn’t big of a deal.

“W-What did you say?”

“Kraguil is immortal. Or you can call him cursed. As long as he isn’t sober, he won’t age. Simple as that.”

The look on Davis’s face was priceless. Veles couldn’t help but chuckle. “What, never saw anyone with ridiculous abilities before?” asked Veles while gesturing toward Olivia. “If you ask me. She is an even rarer case than that drunkard. In general, you people born in Osvalen are all extremely abnormal. How many cases have you heard of where individuals had some ridiculous abilities?”

“Plenty,” admitted Davis. He seems to have calmed down faster than Veles expected.

“Right. And even I have no idea why you people are ‘special’. Nor do I care, honestly,” replied Veles. He truly had no idea. Not like he could really investigate this phenomenon from within his prison.

“As for those behind our backs, the ones coming from the east,” Veles added. “Don’t worry. I highly doubt they can find us here.”

Davis nodded in understanding. “Is there anything we should be careful about?”

“Well… I don’t know. Probably nothing at the moment.” Veles rubbed his chin. Davis’s rare display of trust for his every word truly puzzled him. So far, the guy hadn’t displayed any distrust or skepticism against his words. What a strange person.

Not knowing how to react to this. Veles then took four tiny nail-sized blue crystals from his ring, this should serve as some kind of assurance for their current situation. He split two each and handed them to Davis and Olivia. “These are pebbles of crystalized mana. I hope you know how to absorb them?”

But seeing their blank gazes, he sighed. “Just put them under your tongue and let them dissolve. For now, that should be the best method.” Then he pointed his finger at Davis’s hand that held those crystals. “Don’t waste any of it. More importantly! Make sure not to use them to inspect your body with Mana Sense. You aren’t ready for that yet.”

Davis inspected the tiny pebbles in his palm, wonder coloring his face. Veles knew why he reacted like that. Crystalized mana was known to be a rare and expensive commodity, and even he had to commit to getting a handful…

“Aren’t they supposed to be dangerous to consume?” Asked Davis.

“They are, but not for us,” replied Veles. “I’ve removed any possible impurity from the bodies of you two. And those impurities are the main cause of complication when a person ingests mana in an uncommon way.”

“Understood,” said Davis. He obviously had many more questions but refrained himself. “Is there anything else we should do?”

“Nothing in particular. Just get good rest tonight, and do not worry about any beasts or dangers lurking around,” said Veles. He used his ring to take tents for them along with other necessities to not freeze during the cold night.

“What about wards? We cannot rest here without protection.” Said Davis. Having already tasted the cruelty of the forest, his words held weight.

Veles noticed that his previous assurance about their safety was ignored. So, he also took a small acorn from his ring and handed it to the squirrel that had been bothering him all this time. “There is no need for that. We should have all the protection we need.”

After saying that, Veles pointed his finger at the happy critter retreating behind the tree. Not even a moment later, when a small creature disappeared from their sight, a thick gray fog surrounded them.

“And that’s our protection,” said Veles.

Davis looked at the fog and just shrugged. He seemed content with not poking his nose in Veles’s business too much. So, he picked up his tent and started looking for a good spot to place it.

As for Olivia. It was clear to Veles that she didn’t understand most of the stuff they talked about, and honestly, she looked like she couldn’t care less. The only thing that bothered Veles about her was why she stared at him all this time like she was trying her best to read him. Truthfully, even he felt uncomfortable by that. Was that like a payback for the times he treated her the same? Perhaps, who knows?

But Veles had another problem to face right now, and he felt… uneasy. Going to actual sleep might sound like a great experience for someone who didn’t have such luxury. The sleep in itself wasn’t the problem, tough. What was actually bothering him was the chance of having a dream. For someone who lived a long life like Veles did, dreams could be extremely dangerous. They can shake the strongest of hearts and mess with the most brilliant minds. So, Veles was well aware when he shut his eyes and let his mind enter the deepest parts of his subconsciousness. He could experience events he wishes he'd forgotten…