Pushing through the dense forest was a slow and difficult process. Hammer was in front, leading the way. Its hard shell was impervious to thorns and spiky plants. Its sharp cutting claw would make short work of stubborn vines and underbrush. Oakley was also indispensable as it was the only one that could sense treants. However, since they had no replacements for either one, it meant that their progress was very slow. Hammer and Oakley had to return to their summoning cards to rest. There was no way around it so more than half of each day was spent sitting around, not making any progress.

They were far away from the river, having delved into the deeper jungle for several days. Zachary wasn’t exactly sure where they were, only that they were going east, away from the ocean to the west. The terrain had become mountainous with small hills and deep ravines. It was slow going.

"Times like this, I wish we still had Jean-Pierre," Zachary said as they sat side-by-side on a soft bed of green moss. "His bugs were pretty good at navigating the jungle."

The trees were also different, towering all around them. Their branches were high up in the sky and their smooth trunks offered no possibility of shelter. As such they could only find a comfortable spot on the ground and while keeping one scouting summon out at all times.

"If you want to be a bug catcher, go ahead. I'm not stopping you." Katherine said.

He glanced at her. The expression on her face didn't match her words, it was as if she had smelled something stinky.

He chuckled. They both had misgivings about insects. These opinions developed in their youth couldn't be easily changed, even in the New World. They had encountered many insect Ensouled but had caught none of them, only killing them for their anima crystals.

"Forget about him, it's just the two of us now." Her tone was soft as she looked up at him.

Her eyes shined with an almost imperceptible light. He felt a tinge of excitement rising.

"What will do you if you get the pardon?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh... I don't know. I haven't thought that far."

He turned away from her, disappointed. He stared blankly at the endless sea of green in front of them. He had expected a different method to pass the time. He was unlucky. Eating, sleeping together, and chatting; there were only three choices and chatting was his least favorite one.

"I'll probably leave the republic." She said. "Since people know I am a follower of a beast cult, I think they'll force me out even if I didn't want to leave. And besides, it's not like I have anything to return to."

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"Yeah, makes sense."

"What about you?" Her tone brightened as she asked, "You still have your parents. If you can make it back alive, I am sure they will be happy."

"I... I don't know." He replied slowly, "I'm not sure actually. I wasn't able to speak to my parents after my arrest, only the lawyer provided by the republic. They weren't allowed to attend the trial and afterward, I was sent straight to prison."

Katherine fell into a long silence before she spoke again, "Someone, or some people, wanted you to quickly disappear."

"Yeah," Zachary said simply.

"And," She continued, "If you survive this place and go back, those people will still want you gone."

"..."

What she said was logical. He had been set up. And if he somehow survived and returned to the republic, those people who set him up would likely come after him again.

“Who did it?” She asked, “Do you know?”

He let out a sigh and then a shrug. He didn’t want to talk about it. The past was his secret to keep. And he had been honest, he had not thought that far. He had expected to be dead already but somehow, he was still alive.

“Was it Yoon-Cromwell?” She asked.

He glanced at her sharply but quickly realized his mistake.

“So, it was them.” She said, more firmly this time.

He tried to play it off. But it was too late for that. He still kept his mouth shut, hoping she would get bored and talk about something else.

“If you don’t want to say anything, then don’t say anything.” She laid a hand on his arm and comforted him, “I want you to consider what I am about to say. Strongly consider it before giving me an answer.”

“…”

“Zach, Yoon-Cromwell won’t let you go. They have deep connections throughout the entire Republic. If you survive and go back, they might not come after you immediately. But you know they will eventually. How many peaceful days will you have? Maybe you might be able to ward off their schemes the second time around. What about your parents? What if they go after them?”

He stiffened. He didn’t think the Yoon-Cromwell Corporation would go that far. He didn’t think that person would go that far.

Yoon-Cromwell dealt in summons. They sold all kinds of Ensouled in the Republic. Novice rank, adept rank, and even expert rank, they had a vast catalog. They even had research facilities to develop new, more powerful Ensouled.

But they were not some secret organization with hidden agendas. They compare to the blood church or the beast cults. They were just a corporation…

Zachary furrowed his brow. Many different possibilities raced through his mind. He couldn’t make sense of it all but one thing was clear, Katherine’s words were reasonable. He couldn’t refute them.

Katherine spoke again, “The republic has thrown us into the New World to feed wild Ensouled. We are dead to them and they are dead to us. But there is something you can do, a place where you can go where you will be accepted with open arms…”

A faint blue light started to glow on her chest. Like an icy heart, it pulsed with the power of the world. Eternum swirled between them as if to draw them closer. It was irresistible and he leaned towards her. The temperature dropped and their breaths formed puffs of condensation in the air.

“Zach, join our Ice Saint Beast Cult.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper, “You are Yaoyao’s summoner. This is where you belong. Join us.”