Facing three of his technical peers, who were both stronger and older than him by several levels, gave Ezekiel flashbacks to not only his time in the feathered peaks, but also his first time in a Spirit Haven. In both of those situations he’d been whole Tiers weaker than the Spirits he was meeting, so at least this time he wasn’t a full Tier below them.

He could still do without the teeth longer than short swords gleaming in his face.

“I can end the threat of the Cruor, once and for all,” Ezekiel said, giving the Mythical Spirits reason to pause as they slowly approached him.

The Obscure raccoon Spirit tilted her head to the side, but her shadow flickered and shifted like a flame in the wind. Beside her, scales on the Cavern crocodile’s back flexed and released dust into the air.

All while the Tempest dog continued to smile. Though, this time it was with a much happier glimmer in his eyes. One that Ezekiel felt was more mischievous than benign.

“If that is so, then why do the humans in the city’s beyond our endless forest say you are the bringer of the world’s destruction?” The dog Spirit asked, his voice filled with mockery and mirth. “I would say that that rather disputes your own claims, doesn’t it?”

Ezekiel shrugged, not showing his worries. “Many times, humans fear what they do not understand. The power of a Void Mage grants me the ability to be either the savior or the destroyer. I have no reason to destroy the world, however, since all my loved ones and stuff is here.”

The crocodile and raccoon Spirits watched with wide eyes and small smiles as he and the dog Spirit continued with a back-and-forth verbal sniping. During which he somehow managed to explain everything from his own point of view.

He found himself growing more heated and desperate, barely refraining from shouting himself hoarse at the accusations being thrown at him. All while the Spirits began to look down on him in amusement. Though the crocodile seemed more expectant, or anticipatory. Yet, Ezekiel couldn’t tell which it was or why.

‘Check your soul! Something’s not right here!’ Shine’s voice suddenly screamed in his mind, and Ezekiel reflexively pulsed his [Nothingness] through his body and soul.

He immediately felt his body relax, just as he had finished telling the Spirits about his betrayal at the hands of the Void Remnant. His vision narrowed into focus as the food that had settled over his mind cleared up in moments.

An obsidian spike shot up from the ground to poke his neck at the same time. Only for it to crumble as Ezekiel started channeling his mana in a much more obvious manner.

There was no direct threat from his actions, with his magic playing a purely defensive role at this time, but he was once again far more wary of the Spirits in front of him than he was before.

“I demand that you welcome me as a guest or let me leave.” He called out before the Spirits could say anything to him in response to his actions. “Your actions toward myself, and the manipulations you have done to my mind are more than enough for me to write you off and leave here for better options. I have given you my reasons for keeping me alive, now give me a reason to say.”

A massive tail slammed into the ground. It would’ve been more threatening if Ezekiel hadn’t begun floating several minutes ago, but that just made the croc angrier. The area was filled with Cavern mana, and he could feel the pressure on him increase as the Spirits grew hostile.

“You dare make demands of us within our own home!?” his voice rumbled through the chamber and shook loose stones from the walls and ceiling. “You are an overconfident and rude little brat, aren’t you?”

“I treat others how I am treated. Nothing more nothing less.” Ezekiel matched the crocodile’s glare with one of his own. “Just because I can’t fight you, doesn’t mean I can’t run away. The only reason I haven’t so far is because I know that any other means will have far more side-effects than getting help from you. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no amount of trouble that would push me to pick a different path forward for myself. Especially when I was dragged in here against my will!”

The pressure was almost enough to push him to his knees. However, with his and Shine’s mana combined, it was diverted around him. Much to the raccoon’s awe, and the dog’s entertainment.

“You... You're rather strong! Fight me! I’ll make sure to hold back enough to not kill you!”

Ezekiel nearly flew into the air when the weight of the crocodile's mana disappeared. He looked into its eyes, and instead of an angry and threatening opponent that was aiming for his life, he saw a joyful twinkle filled with anticipation, with a hint of bloodlust that was barely being restrained.

“What?” He asked, Shine held loosely in his arms as the sense of danger he had felt began to dissipate.

The Tempest dog’s fanged grin receded into a softer smile, while the flickering shadows of the Obscure raccoon stilled. They both stepped back and retracted their mana.

“You heard the lizard,” the dog said with a mirthful laugh, “fight and prove that you belong here. You both have nearly your full mana available, so this should be entertaining.”

“What?” Ezekiel said once more.

This time, he barely got his word out before Shine [Jumped] them out of the way of a pillar that shot up from the ground. One that would’ve sent him flying, and probably broken half of his bones.

‘What the hell is going on here?’ he internally screamed.

Shine’s confusion met his own, and their shared bond was put into overdrive. Their senses merged, and they pushed themselves to their very limits, just to match the crocodile that was shooting boulders as them.

‘... Do you think they’re bored?’ the Void Spirit asked, while Ezekiel swung them at a rock the size of a house. It was split in half a moment later.

Ezekiel felt a wave of incredulous realization fill him. He focused in on the crocodile’s eyes while dodging a smaller rock aimed at his head.

The world slowed down, his senses flared, and his mind became filled with information.

A wide, closed mouth, grin, with narrowed eyes that were focused on him. The waging, not swinging, tails, and small pitter-patter from the Spirit’s feet. These indicators and more all told Ezekiel one thing.

This Exalted Cavern Spirit was having the time of its life.

‘Oh my God, we’re entertainment.’

He spared a glance at the Tempest and Obscure Spirits. The former just smiled even wider and closed his eyes in glee, while the raccoon sighed and flopped to the ground.

“Focus on me!”

The croc’s rumbling voice roared throughout the chamber, and Ezekiel found himself slammed into a wall. Several smaller stones that he’d planned to dodge were merged into one. The much larger boulder continued to move at the same speed and threw him off when he’d tried to move.

There was a pause. Ezekiel was now stuck, several inches deep into the wall, with a large rock pinning him down.

A mighty crash filled the room before any of the Spirits could react. At the same time, the body of the Cavern Spirit was covered in small cuts, barely skin deep, but nearly countless in number.

“That’s more like it!” he roared in excitement.

Ezekiel stayed silent. His descent onto the Spirit’s back, after [Jumping] from the wall was all he wanted to focus on.

That, and doing as much damage as he could before getting the hell out of here.

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Flashes of opalescent mana clashed with glowing stones in midair. The battle between the Void Hunter and his friend brought a smile to his face. It was the most entertaining thing he’d seen since his old student tried to escape his own battles with the battle frenzied croc.

“What are you smiling about, Brun?” His other friend asked from her perch in a shadow cast by the glowing stones around them.

She spoke with confidence he knew was born from her trust that he was keeping their words silent to the combatants before them. A trust that was not misplaced, since he had put up an invisible barrier moments before the fighting began.

He winced before he replied. Ezekiel had just dug deep into his fellow Spirit’s arm with his sword. He couldn’t help but be fascinated by the Void Spirit. His friend was waiting for a reply, however, and needed him to say something.

“I’m just happy to see my friends enjoying themselves.” His reply made the little raccoons grunt in displeasure. “Come now, Maya, you can’t tell me that seeing Kork enjoying himself so much, after however many decades of boredom it’s been, is a bad thing. Even you cracked a smile when you saw the Hunter break out of that little trance that I put him in.”

He smiled more fondly at the thought. While it wasn’t the specialty of his element, using the winds to manipulate others was something he’d always loved. It was a specialty he’d built his [Understanding] one centuries ago. One that was the core or his [Truth].

Not that he had known such things ten years ago. The words introduced to him via his spies in the human communities clarified so many things and had actually been the final piece in getting him into the upper Steps of the Mythic realm.

“I don't know what you are talking about,” Maya said with a turn of her head.

Brun continued to smile. Even with her head turned, he could see her looking at the battle out of the corner of her eyes.

“If you say so. I just hope that they finish before my student gets here. It would be best to get the young Herald into the Tree of Memories as soon as possible.” His words were lighthearted, and his voice was airy and calm.

Maya whipped her head around. Her eyes were wide, and Brun couldn’t help but think they were ready to pop out of her head.

“That is a Legacy that was created by the elder Spirits from before the Age of Despair! A human won’t be able to survive in that place. Even if he is a Mythical being.”

Brun shrugged, disinterested in her worries. “The Void Hunter reached our level without the aid of his Spirit. He is a being of flesh and blood yet has a [Core] much like the Spirits who comprehend themselves in full. Unlike my old student, this one will be able to handle the magic from the tree. Both in body and in soul.”

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“That doesn’t mean that he is worthy, or that doing so is even the right thing to do!”

Maya turned her attention fully toward him, missing the blow that Sent Ezekiel into the ceiling. Only for him to throw a glowing orb at Kork that made him rise into the air. Brun let out a chuckle as his friend flailed for a moment, before remembering that he could fly.

“One would think that. Honestly, I just feel that delaying the inevitable is pointless. Sooner or later, the Broods will break free, even if all the Cruor were to die. Regardless of whether or not he is the one to do it. There simply isn’t enough time to train a new Void Mage to the level needed to seal them away again. Not if what I have learned from the wind is true.”

His words were followed by silence. He could tell that Maya wanted to say something, but she knew better. Manipulation was one of the things that made up the core of his being. Pushing things this way and that way. Such magic also meant that he was able to tell when it was happening to others. If he knew to look for it.

“Ultimately, the Void Remnant is blinded by its fear that it will lose humanity; the only thing that has kept it company since the Age of Despair. It is grasping at straws and ignoring the signs. Yet, since Ezekiel is beyond its control, it doesn’t trust in. Especially not after the last [Outsider] it trusted.”

The air vibrated, and all the occupants of the chamber felt something shift in response to his words. He flinched as the world reacted to the verbalization of his knowledge. It was a secret he did not have permission to spread. One that he had discovered by accident after he had crashed into the barrier in the sky.

Maya seemed confused, he knew she didn’t comprehend the meaning of his words, but was taking them seriously, while the combatants paused for a moment before striking each other again.

“Ouch! That’s gotta hurt!” He chuckled upon seeing Kork flip through the air and drive Ezekiel down into the ground.

The Cavern Spirit was covered in cuts, and most of his scales were shattered. He was in much better condition than his opponent, however, and limped off to the side while Ezekiel pulled himself out of the crater that now filled half the cave.

“Let’s go see if our friends need some assistance, shall we?” He hopped to his feet and dispersed his wind barrier. “You two, okay? No major injuries, no head wounds, no core damage? We wouldn’t want our newest guest to suffer too badly at our hands, after all.”

Ezekiel pushed himself up, just enough to look at him with an incredulous gaze. One that he could tell was shared by the Spirit in the opalescent sword. To the side, Kork just started laughing, rolling onto his back and shaking the ground once more.

“Nope! None of that!” Brun shifted the air to warp the surroundings around Ezekiel and ram his head into the ground. The sudden shift was enough to make even him nauseous if unprepared. Much less the weakened, if still strong, Void Mage before him. The fact that he ripped the Void Spirit out of its partner’s hand was even more disorientating. “Take a nap, and we’ll talk later. I welcome you into this Haven with joy and proclaim you a guest who is under our protection.”

He then changed the chemical consistency of the air into a sleeping gas that he had once encountered several hundred years ago. One that knocked Ezekiel out within seconds.

“There we go. Now we can get things sorted out for what comes next.”

After he stopped laughing, Kork looked at him, interested in what had been decided.

Behind him, he could feel the slightest of drafts kicked up by Maya shaking her head.

He shook his own in amusement and fell back into the habit of hiding his own discomfort behind a mask of playfulness and empty-headed disregard for almost everything.

Now was not the time for his fangs to be bared. Not for real. That would come in the next few months. Hopefully in a battle that wouldn’t see him dead like his own elders from previous eras.

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With a frown, and a quiet ‘thank you’ to the little Life Spirit that looked like a walking tree branch which melded into the floor when it had finished healing him, Ezekiel pushed himself up from the bed of leaves that he had been lying on. He was still fully dressed, with his equipment and supplies still with him. Shine was also next to him, so he had no reason to worry, for now.

Looking around, Ezekiel saw that he was in a similar room to the one he once resided in over a decade ago, back on the island of Morncrest.

‘I guess we’re in the lair of another Forest Spirit.’

Shine hummed in agreement but seemed more focused on the area around them.

‘Anything interesting going on?’

Ezekiel stood up from the bed, but let Ezekiel do their thing. He took all of two steps when an opening took shape in one of the walls.

With a sigh, he walked through the new door while Shine broke down what they were seeing.

‘There’s multiple elements mixing together within the tree.’ The Void Spirit’s voice was almost a whisper as they observed their surroundings in awe. ‘It’s like a world unto itself. The forest is only Legendary, but it’s massive, and the entire forest is its [Domain].’

With a silent request, Ezekiel received the feedback from Shine that allowed him to witness the same thing that they were looking at.

Mana of different colors mixed together, and unlike in the outside world it didn’t destroy itself. There was a harmony, brought about by the combined [Will] of countless Spirits looking to fulfill the same purpose.

‘Well, at least we won’t be in need of mana for a breakthrough while we’re here.’ Ideas for gathering mana flowed through his mind, and Ezekiel reaffirmed his opinion that coming here was a good idea. Regardless of the less than pleasant welcome.

Coming to a stop in front of a door of twisted roots, he waited for entry while Shine floated next to him. By now, their respective mana pools had fully regenerated, so they were more or less ready for anything.

The door silently opened, and Ezekiel was nearly blinded by the sunlight that flickered through the leaves of the massive tree he had just stepped out of.

From the aura of his surroundings, he could tell that he was looking at the primary forms of the Forest Spirit.

Unlike a large open chamber within an enclosed grove of trees that made up the large central body of Morncrest, this Forest Spirit was much more spread out, and didn’t have a single central body.

Instead, now that his senses were less restricted, Ezekiel sensed nine massive trees that were arrayed in a massive circle, and only perhaps three or four times the size of his childhood home when it came to diameter. With that in mind, the trees were somewhat lackluster when compared to Morncrest’s city sized treescape. Although, the tree that existed in the center of the circle was something else.

A small tree that was barely half the size of the Forest Spirit’s nine primary bodies was covered in mirror-like leaves. They glittered with multicolored light.

He tried to look at them for as long as possible, but a soft cough from beside him grabbed his attention. Turning, he saw a small ball of fluff in the shape of a dog.

“Did you have a nice nap?” The Tempest dog Spirit asked with an amused grin. “If so, let’s get going. We need to finish having our talk. You’ll be visiting the Tree of Memories later.”

A pop of air forced Ezekiel to jump. Shine caught him, but before either of them could berate the Spirit, they were pulled along as he hopped into the air and started running up to the treetops.

Seated around a wooden table, the other two Mythical Spirits waited patiently, while munching on some nuts that were in a bowl in front of them. They were also in much smaller forms, barely reaching up to Ezekiel’s knee in height. Small wooden figures served them like waiters, only to scurry away upon Ezekiel and the Tempest Spirit’s arrival.

“So, introductions. I am Brun, the lizard is Kork, and the raccoon is Maya.” The two other Spirits looked unamused and bored at Brun’s words. “And you’re Ezekiel, and Shine, correct?”

Ezekiel raised an eyebrow and grunted in response.

“Good. Now, let’s get down to it. You’re going to save the world, or you’ll die.” Brun’s blunt words were enough for Ezekiel to simply drop down in the empty seat that was obviously there for him, since it was the only one with a backrest, rather than a raised platform for the small Spirits’ bodies.

“Obviously. So, what are you going to do to help me? I know you’re aware that I’m not ready yet, else you wouldn’t be paying attention to me.” This had been the reason he’d come here, after all.

“Simply put, while your soul is far more advanced than any other person in the world that is of the same physical age as you,” a rumble in the sky that only the Mythics seemed to notice filled the air with a heavy pressure, “it’s growth and development has slowed down, hasn’t it?”

Ezekiel chose to ignore the fact that this random Spirit that he had never met before today knew of his soul’s true origins. Though, the fact that there was a reprimand toward them when he never had that problem was interesting. Instead, he focused on the fact that the Spirit was aware of his most prominent problem.

“That’s right. I’ve noticed a distinct decrease in how fast my soul is growing. I suspected that it was simply growing at a normal rate now, since it was so advanced when I was born in this world. Are you implying that this is not the case?”

Brun just smiled even wider. “Not quite. There’s just not much that can give you experience. Though, the technique you created certainly aids you. The constant growth it provides is far greater than simply letting yourself grow older. However, if you want to get strong enough to reseal the Cruor before they break free within the decade, you’ll need to obtain far more experience than you have so far.”

The other two Spirits looked confused, but also resigned, when they heard Brun’s words.

“Is this more information that you haven’t shared with us that you heard on the wind?” Kork asked with a mouth full of glowing rocks. “The reason you advocated letting him visit the Tree of Memories?”

From what Ezekiel could tell, they were crystals filled with Cavern mana. ‘I guess that’s how he regenerates his mana faster than the base rate.’

‘I’m more interested in this Tree of Memories that they’re talking about.’ Shine directed Ezekiel’s attention to the tree in the center of the widespread grove below. ‘Do you think that it’s what its name implies?’

‘Most likely. Hopefully it’s as useful as Brun is implying.’

Reaching forward, Ezekiel grabbed a hand of nuts that he could feel were filled with Life mana. Not enough to cause a deviation in a Legendary or greater, but if an Adept of lower ate them, the mana might cause them damage.

“... These are really good...” he said through a full mouth while he nullified the mana and let it refresh his body with energy. “What can I expect, and what do I need to do for you?”

The Spirits turned to him, and for the first time, he saw the face of the Tempest Spirit frown.

“There’s not much to explain. The Tree of Memories is a special creation made by the first and oldest Life Spirit to exist after the departure of the Ancient Life Spirit. It was created by a peak Mythical Spirit during the Age of Despair. It was made by the Spirit infusing elements of all types to allow for parts of different being’s souls to leave imprints upon it when they died, or for memories to be imparted willingly.”

Brun’s explanation was helpful, but Ezekiel didn’t understand how it was possible due to the conflicting nature of the different elements, let alone kept secret for so many years. Only an incredibly powerful [Will] could prevent different elements from causing deviations in a beings mana.

Unless you were a Cruor, who turned mana into Ichor.

“Before you ask,” Brun stopped him from speaking up, “the tree was grown around a Radiant Relic created by the Ancient Radiance. Its creation was meant to be the Mythical Life Spirit’s attempt to break through to Tier six, but obviously it was a failure. We don’t know why this happened, nor why the Life Spirit believed that a different element could aid in their breakthrough, but apparently there was enough sense to it that the strongest Spirit to exist besides the Ancients was willing to risk it.”

“I see... Is the tree the corpse of the Mythic Life Spirit?” Ezekiel felt that this was a safe conclusion but wanted to confirm.

“Not a corpse. It's just a soulless body.” This time it was Maya that spoke up. “Even then, that wasn’t known to us until I broke through. While not the best at matters of the soul, my element is better at sensing them than these two’s. So, when I broke through near the end of the Age of Despair, I was able to figure out the truth of the Tree of Memories. Since it’s pseudo-Ancient, only Mythics can just barely withstand its might. The pressure emitted from it is just too great. But only when you touch it.”

“When you touch it, you will experience a number of years’ worth of memories. Though, what will be in those memories, and how long they will last, will be completely random.” Kork chimed in once more. “It nearly killed me when that happened. I was stuck in a memory for nearly forty years. I’m just lucky that these two were willing to keep me alive during that time. Though, waking up with a mouth full of empty mana crystals wasn’t fun. I nearly choked!”

Ezekiel glared at the mention of forty years. “I don’t think I can take this risk. I can’t afford to take that much time to advance. I need to grow as fast as possible.”

“Obviously,” Brun interjected. “Which is why you’ll be accelerating your thoughts for the entire time you’re touching the tree, all while taking turns with your Spirit. Now, let’s get you wrapped up in the roots. We don’t have much more time before Wolken and Strom get here to get our aid and keep you leashed.”

The Spirit’s words nearly threw Ezekiel out of his seat in shock. “What!? How do they even know that I’m here?”

“Oh, I told them. Needed something to kick your rear in gear, or else you might back out. Also, don’t try to run. I’ve reinforced the warping effects of the sky, so not even your [Jumps] will work. Not with the [Will] of so many Spirits working together to keep you here. It’s far more powerful than that single Remnant Spirit that can barely bring about the might of an upper Step Mythic.”

Reaching his senses outward, Ezekiel and Shine both realized that Brun was right. While not as directly effective as the Void Remnant’s blocking, the mix of mana and [Will] from so many different Spirits, when combined with the [Domain] from Brun and the Forest Spirit, made a twisted mess of space that filled the sky and would potentially rip him apart if he tried to [Jump] through it.

“Don’t worry. If you want to escape, you’ll just have to reach the peak of Tier five at least. Ideally, you’ll break through to Tier six.” Brun was now smiling widely once more. “After all, the memory of the Mythic Life Spirit’s attempt should be in there. If you find it, I’m confident that a genius like you can figure something out.”

Still stunned at the constant barrage of surprises from Brun, Ezekiel just sat in silence. Not even Shine had anything to say in the face of this onslaught.

The pair idly noticed that Maya and Kork were looking at them in pity, but also joy and amusement.

It seemed like this was the norm for them, and they were happy to share the pain.